The Most Interesting Abandoned Spaces in and Around Los Angeles
Urban exploration, or “urbex” for short, is the term people use when exploring vacant or abandoned structures, landscapes, and compounds. This activity is popular in rural areas and small towns, but the area surrounding Los Angeles is also full of places and buildings with rich and storied histories to learn about and investigate. This is a short list of some locations in and around the city worth checking out. Some are very easily accessible, while others may take many hours of hiking or driving, and a few are only viewable from a distance.
The Old Los Angeles Zoo
4801 Griffith Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Located in LA’s biggest urban outdoor space, the abandoned Griffith Park Zoo was once the biggest zoo in the region, consisting of many different animals ranging from lizards to lions. It has since been transformed into park space with benches, grills, and plenty of hiking trails to enjoy. Opened in 1912, the museum started with only 15 animals and was built on the site of an ostrich farm. It closed in 1966 due to the creation of the modern day LA Zoo. The enclosures have since been graffitied and overgrown and are accessible by climbing in and around them. It is a popular spot for seasonal events, with a summertime theater series and various other year-round events.
Sunken City
San Pedro, CA 90731
The Sunken City is a neighborhood in San Pedro that was destroyed in a landslide in 1929 and has since been a wasteland of concrete walls and slabs. It was once a point of interest, having bus, rail, and commuter connections. People occasionally access this area by foot, but officially it is illegal to enter and you will be considered trespassing.
Nike Missile Site LA96C
San Pedro, CA 90731
A relic from the World War II era, the LA96C Nike missile site was a station in what is now Topanga State Park and has long been out of operation. The Nike missile sites were a system of intercepting missiles by the US military, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, throughout the world in both the US and its allied nations. LA-96 contained ground-based radar and computer systems designed to detect hostile aircrafts and guide anti-aircraft missiles. The site consists of a lookout tower where you can reach the top via the stairs, a radio transmission tower, and water tanks. There are many hiking trails in and around the site, and it offers a great sunset viewpoint.
Roys’s Motel and Café
Located on famous Route 66, Roy’s Motel and Café was built in 1938 as a gas and service station for travelers along the route in the small town of Amboy. In the 1940s, owner Roy Crowl teamed up with his son-in-law, Herman "Buster" Burris, to expand the business to include a café, auto repair garage, and a court of small cabins for overnight rental by travelers. By the 1950s the small stop employed over 70 people. Some aesthetic changes came to Roy's Motel and Café in 1959, such as the February 1 erection of the classic “Roy’s” neon sign. The 1972 opening of Interstate 40 marked a significant overnight dropoff in business for the stop. The space has since been used for many many movie shoots and currently stands empty. There are tours of the space offered nowadays as the property is owned by an entity, and the space is essentially just the shells of the buildings and the classic neon sign.
The Bridge to Nowhere
The Bridge to Nowhere is one of the most interesting on the list, being in a very remote location, making its mysteriousness even greater. The bridge is located in the heart of the San Gabriel Mountains and is only accessible to hikers who are willing to spend the day trekking through the woods. The arched bridge was constructed in 1936, and was meant to serve as part of a new connection from Wrightwood to the San Gabriel Valley. The road was being constructed in 1938, when a great flood that March washed away most parts of the road already made. Parts of the old asphalt roadway can still be found along the East Fork Trail which leads to the bridge, and there are still a number of concrete slabs which formed the foundations of destroyed bridges to the west of the Bridge to Nowhere. The hike is located in the sheep mountain wilderness, and the bridge is only accessible via a 10 mile round trip hike. Access is not controlled to the bridge; anyone is free to explore in and around it.
Lincoln Heights Jail
421 N Ave 19, Los Angeles, CA 90031
The Lincoln Heights Jail may be the most infamous place on the list, holding significant historical value to the greater LA area, and more specifically, to the Lincoln Heights area. The original structure was built in the 1920s during the height of the Art Deco movement. The building was designated a historic LA monument on November 30, 1993. Some notable detainees were Al Capone and people arrested during the Watts riots and the Zoot Suit Riots. The jail was decommissioned in 1965 by the LA City Council as a measure of cost efficiency, and they moved the inmates to a smaller nearby prison. In 2016, the Jail was proposed to have a $5 million redevelopment to turn the space into living, shopping, and office spaces by 2020. As of March 2020, the project was deemed delayed as it has been a hotspot of murder and houseless encampments.
The Roxie Theater
518 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The Roxie was the last theater built on Broadway in 1931. Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the physical theater has remained dormant for quite a while, but the front of the building has since been renovated into shopping and retail spaces. It was built during the Art Deco boom, so the outside appearance is reminiscent of that time period. The theater originally seated 1600 guests, and the auditorium’s long, narrow configuration was designed to make use of amplified sound. The Roxie was designed for film presentation, rather than stage shows, yet the theater was equipped with a small stage, fly space, and full rigging, making it one of the last film houses constructed in Los Angeles with a full working stage. It was closed in 1980.
Lake Dolores Waterpark
Opened in the 1950s, the Lake Dolores Waterpark was originally built on the site of a large lake. The waterpark is located along Interstate 15 on the route to Las Vegas near Barstow and Baker. Lake Dolores, Rock–A–Hoola Waterpark, and Discovery Water Park are all names from different times of operations and ownership over the years. After many changes in ownership, the park closed in 2004 due to lack of funds. The park site is very easily accessible today and is open for exploration and public usage. The site is huge, containing over 30 waterslides and attractions, all of which are explorable today.
