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All the United States California Los Angeles Ferndell Nature Museum

Ferndell Nature Museum

A common entry point to the Griffith Observatory trail holds its own wonders.

Los Angeles, California

Added By
Elizabeth Horkley
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A bridge at Fern Dell Nature Museum.   Eric Berry
A bridge at Fern Dell Nature Museum.   Eric Berry
  Eric Berry
  Amatullah Guyot / CC BY 2.0
  MtnLady / Atlas Obscura User
  MtnLady / Atlas Obscura User
  hibbibi / Atlas Obscura User
  hibbibi / Atlas Obscura User
  hibbibi / Atlas Obscura User
  hibbibi / Atlas Obscura User
No fishing or wading   Avoiding Regret
Shadows under a bridge   Avoiding Regret
greenery   Avoiding Regret
Historic photos in situ   Avoiding Regret
Foliage at Fern Dell Nature Museum.   Eric Berry
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About

A picturesque section of Griffith Park contains the ruins of a much grander plan.

The Ferndell (alternatively spelled “Fern Dell”) Nature Museum isn’t exactly a museum. Centrally located in Griffith Park, it’s an outdoor recreation area that most visitors encounter on the hike to the Griffith Observatory. Nonetheless, the area teems with a history inextricable from Griffith Park’s story of development. 

Fed by a natural spring, the Ferndell area was originally inhabited by the native Tongva/Gabrielino people. It began its modern transformation in 1914, when the city began to plant tropical foliage (including ferns) in the ravine. In the 1920s, the area became a popular attraction for people seeking health and stardom (the waters of the spring were said to hold mystical powers). 

The Civilian Conservation Corps took over development during the Great Depression, adding terraces, faux-lagoons, ponds, waterfalls, and rustic bridges to the park in a design redolent of Babylon-esque ambitions. But over the course of the 20th century, the spring slowly dried. And after layoffs in the 1970s and 1980s, maintenance fell to the wayside. 

The waters run stagnant in some spots and the boulders and gnarled branches that comprise its primordial look no longer appear as authentic as they no doubt once did. Still, Ferndell possesses extraordinary natural beauty. As an abiding relic, it’s a captivating peek into the evolution of a public work.

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Parks Ruins Observatories Nature Discover Los Angeles

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Added By

elizabethhorkley

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Avoiding Regret, hibbibi, Michelle Cassidy, MtnLady

  • Avoiding Regret
  • hibbibi
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • MtnLady

Published

November 17, 2017

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Ferndell Nature Museum
5375 Red Oak Dr
Los Angeles, California
United States
34.112811, -118.307715
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