Griffith Park: A Centennial History

Griffith Park: A Centennial History by Mike Eberts. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780914421191.

Griffith Park, one of the great urban parks in the world, reached the century mark on December 16, 1996. To commemorate this anniversary, author Mike Eberts has produced a landmark history to anyone who has ever visited The Park. From the Autry Museum of Western Heritage and the Los Angeles Zoo to the Greek Theatre and the Observatory, from Fern Dell and Mount Hollywood to pony rides and the merry-go-round, from the golf courses and hiking trails to Travel Town and the Equestrian Center, Griffith Park has offered culture, entertainment, education, and recreation to over 10 million people annually. To some, Griffith Park is the ultimate Los Angeles park because you need a car to get around in it! It is big, spectacular, profane, and multicultural, according to the author. Ebert skillfully uses Griffith Park as a mirror for understanding Los Angeles. He finds in each a remarkably complex, living, evolving mosaic, and he examines the people, events, problems and attitudes responsible for shaping that mosaic during the past 100 years. Here the complex story of Griffith Park is told for the first time, beginning with the picturesque Rancho Los Feliz and the controversial Colonel Griffith J. Griffith and his sensational gift of 4,000 acres to the City of Los Angeles. It is Southern California local history at its best - immediate, personal, and compelling.