Apparently Los Angeles had this zoo that opened sometime around the turn of the century, and due to some inhumane conditions for animals and probably some other reasons the zoo moved to its current location. Here’s the thing – the old cages were never taken down! The skeleton of the Old Zoo still remains abandoned, and it makes sense – I mean, instant movie set right?

Matt and I went with Roman and Alaina. Even though it was record-breaking heat in Los Angeles that day, Roman still chose to wear his signature flannel.

The Old Zoo is located in Griffith Park just beyond the carousel. It is pretty hard to find, I’m not gonna lie. The signs can be a bit confusing. Once you do find it, there are many trails for hiking and lots of opportunities for creepy photos.

The cages are open, so while you walk up the trail past this particular cage, you will inevitably hear others making gorilla noises. Pretty funny.

We were showing Moses that if he misbehaves, he will end up in a cage just like this, haha. Another great thing about the Old Zoo is the location. Being in a public park means the doggies can enjoy all the creepy scenery too.

We walked around on a journey to the carousel and as soon as we reached a shady spot Elijah just laid down and refused to get up. I felt so bad, because it’s nearly impossible to wear this little guy out. Actually, we figured out he has two speeds: full force and asleep. That’s it.

So there is this really fantastic old carousel in Griffith Park and rides are only $2! The carousel also features this great wooden organ.

All the snack prices are pretty reasonable too – fresh churros!

We had to sprinkle down the dogs with water, poor things! They weren’t too thrilled about the water, but even those last 10 feet to the car just seemed like such a struggle. The good news is they were knocked out until the end of the day.

The most important part about our trip to the Old Zoo was that is was FREE! Free people! Go outside and enjoy yourself. You don’t have to go to the beach and pay for parking, there is this super fun and historic place to visit in your own backyard!