In December 1896, mining millionaire Griffith J. Griffith transferred 3,015 acres of his Santa Monica Mountains ranch to the city of Los Angeles, stipulating that the land stay free and open as a public park.
The land, originally part of the Mexican‑era Rancho Los Feliz grant, had been a sprawling cattle ranch when Griffith acquired it for $50,000 in 1882. He envisioned a green refuge for a rapidly expanding metropolis.
The donation laid the groundwork for what would become the nation’s largest municipal park, eventually expanding to over 4,300 acres. It now shelters the Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo, and a network of trails and cultural venues.
Today, a family from South Los Angeles climbs the park’s trails to see the stars from the observatory, echoing Griffith’s original dream that the hills should be a public place to learn and wonder.