Griffith Park Dedication

Van Griffith and Councilmember Tom LaBonge stand on a ladder beside Griffith Park's Historic Monument sign, with, from left to right: Jon Kirk Mukri, General Manager of the Dept. of Recreation and Parks; Barry Sanders, President of the Board of Recreation and Parks; Clare Darden of the Griffith Trust and Louis Alvarado, Honorary Mayor of Griffith Park.)

With the great-grandson of the park’s original donor at his side and about 50 community members around him, Councilmember Tom LaBonge dedicated Griffith Park as a Historic Cultural Monument of the City of Los Angeles. It is the largest historic monument in the city.

“I hereby dedicate Griffith Park as Historic Cultural Monument number 942. This park is the greatest gift ever given to the City of Los Angeles,” Councilmember LaBonge said. “Without it, our city would have no soul.”

The dedication ceremony, which included the unveiling of the monument sign, capped a year-long city process that garnered tremendous support from the community and the city at large.

Jon Kirk Mukri, General Manager of the Department of Recreation and Parks commented, "This recognition of the historic significance of Griffith Park is long overdue. This park is not only of historic consequence for the City of Los Angeles but is an international icon."

The effort to name the park a historic monument was initiated by Van Griffith, great-grandson of Col. Griffith J. Griffith, who donated more than 3,015 acres of park land to the city in 1896. That gift became Griffith Park which, as the city acquired adjacent parcels over the years, has become one of the largest municipal parks in the United States at 4,217 acres.

"This is a great day for Griffith Park and a great day for the City of Los Angeles," LaBonge said.

Also in attendance were Barry A. Sanders, president of the Board of Recreation and Parks; Ken Bernstein, Director of the Office of Historic Resources, Daniel Paul of ICF Jones & Stokes (the consulting firm that prepared the historic monument application); Chief Park Ranger Albert Torres; Louis Alvarado, Honorary Mayor of Griffith Park and Bernadette Soter of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council.