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Reimagining the Griffith Park Pony Ride Site

Contact Us

To sign up for notifications, fill out our Mailing List form. To ask questions or provide comments, please fill this Question and Comment form.

What’s New

Community Open House Summary Now Available!

Thank you to the over 100 people that came out to the Community Open House on March 6th! A summary of input collected is available here.

What’s Next?

We will be reviewing the feedback received from surveys, emails, focus group meetings and open houses over the past year and identifying options for the RAP Board to consider at an upcoming meeting. Over the next several weeks, RAP will be drafting a report which is anticipated to be available for review in late Spring/early Summer. Check back here for updates

Background

Over the past 75 years, the Pony Rides were a popular attraction in Griffith Park. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) had an agreement with a concessionaire who oversaw the operation. That contract expired in December 2022, and after careful consideration, RAP decided not to extend the concession agreement.

The Pony Rides were one of the park’s most popular attractions because they provided a low-cost family activity that was accessible to many Angelenos and visitors. Based on feedback from the City Council, the RAP General Manager initiated a new process to re-imagine the potential recreational and educational activities that could be offered there in the future. In response, RAP has retained the consulting firm PlaceWorks to conduct a public engagement process and perform other related tasks to provide the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners (the Board) and potentially the City Council with information for future decision making.

Current Effort: Future Use of the Pony Ride Site

Over the past year, RAP has been meeting with focused community groups, conducting community pop-ups, hosting online and telephone surveys, and held a community open house in March as part of the City’s efforts to envision the future uses that should be considered in this area

A final report will be shared with the public and the Board, compiling all community feedback, research, and a short checklist of ideas and examples that the Board may give direction to further explore. The Board will review the public’s feedback and provide direction to RAP staff to initiate the process of selecting a preferred new use, or they may ask staff to clarify items that require further study

Priorities and Considerations for New Uses

The RAP Board of Commissioners has identified several priorities and key considerations to serve as guidelines for any future use of the site which align with RAP’s mission. Priorities include ensuring that the Pony Ride site offers activities that are:

  • Youth and Family-oriented
  • Affordable and Accessible (for all ages and abilities)
  • Educational
  • Fun!

Use this link to read more about additional considerations that will be assessed while planning for future uses.

What’s New

Coming Soon!
Our team will be reviewing the public input received over the past year and will be conducting research on best practices for uses and ideas that the public has recommended. The Department will be preparing a report that contains a summary of the big ideas that came from the community’s feedback and identify options for reuse of the site that may be considered by the RAP Board for further direction to City staff. We anticipate that an overview of options will be completed by late Spring/early Summer and will be scheduled for discussion at a future RAP Board of Commissioners meeting. More information coming soon; check back here for updates.

Community Open House Summary Now Available!
Thank you to the over 100 people that came out to the Community Open House on March 6th! A summary of input collected is available here.

Online Survey Now Closed
The online survey is now closed. The survey was conducted between February 14 and April 12, 2024, and over 4,400 participants completed the survey! Thank you for all who participated. The results of the online survey (along with the statistically valid results of the telephone and online survey conducted by the City’s independent survey consultant) will be reviewed by the City and the consultant team and shared with the RAP Board as part of the upcoming discussions about future options for the site.

Historic Structures Report
A team of historic preservation experts recently completed a study of the existing structures on site to determine which had historic value or features that should preserved or considered when future uses are planned. This study, called a Historic Structures Report (HSR), is a technical report used to inform potential rehabilitation or redevelopment of a historic property. The purpose of the HSR is to document the Site’s history, significance, and existing conditions, and to provide recommendations which will help guide any restoration and maintenance on the site.
Click on the link to view the HSR.
Historic Structures Report – March 28, 2024.

Community Input

RAP has been reaching out to the community in many ways! Either in person, online, at the park or as part of a focus group, the team has been busy gathering information about what matters most to people as it relates to the reuse of the Pony Rides site. Take a look at all the ways we’ve been connecting with people in the information outlined below, and learn more about what people have been saying. Our efforts are listed with the most recent events showing up first. In addition, click on the graphic to learn more about what we are talking about (and when!) and ways that you can get involved!


Click here to enlarge
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Community Open House (March 6, 2024)

Thank you to the over 100 community members that attended our community open house on March 6th at Friendship Auditorium. The Open House provided community members an opportunity to participate in a dialogue to reimagine the Pony Ride Site and allowed the City to collect feedback through interactive stations and opportunities to interact and ask questions of project staff. Click the links below to view the Open House Presentation and handout materials. A summary of feedback collected during the Open House is also available to view at the link below.

Open House Summary – March 6, 2024

Open House Presentation – March 6, 2024 ENGLISH
Open House Presentation – March 6, 2024 SPANISH

FAQs – March 6, 2024 ENGLISH
FAQs – March 6, 2024 SPANISH

RAP Priorities and Considerations – March 6, 2024 ENGLISH
RAP Priorities and Considerations – March 6, 2024 SPANISH

Pony Ride Site Aerial Map

Statistically Valid Telephone and Online Sample Survey of Angelenos (February 2024)

Did you get a call or an email from us?

RAP retained an independent consulting firm to conduct a statistically valid survey with a random sampling of over 500 residents who were contacted by telephone or through a special email invitation to respond to an online survey. The survey was conducted and completed at the in February and we are in the process of reviewing the results! More information will be provided soon and will be posted here.

If you didn’t receive a call or a direct email, the public still was able to provide input through an online survey.

For those that weren’t contacted directly by the City’s independent survey company, RAP hosted an online survey that was open to the public and posed the same questions as the questions that were asked of the over five hundred people contacted directly in the statistically valid survey. Over 4,400 people responded to the online survey, which was open February 14th through April 12th. Results will be summarized and posted here soon.

Presentation to RAP Board of Commissioners #2 (February 2024)

A presentation was made to the Board of Commissioners on February 15th 2024 to provide a progress update on the Reimagining the Pony Rides Site process and next steps. Click the link below to view the presentation.
RAP Board Presentation #2 - February 15, 2024

Pop-Up Booths (December 2023 through April 2024)

From December 2023 through January 2024, RAP staff talked to the community at spontaneous in-person pop-up booths at parks facilities across the city to gain firsthand, on-the-spot ideas and input from park visitors regarding the future of the site. Four additional pop-ups were held in March and April to promote the availability of the online survey and to ensure that diverse areas of the city were represented in the conversations and efforts to reimagine the site. RAP staff spoke with over 400 parkgoers at the pop-ups and asked them the following questions:
  • Did you hear about the Griffith Park Pony Ride closing?
  • If you could make the change, what do you believe the closed Pony Ride Site should be used for in the future?
  • Who do you think the area should be used by?
  • Do you feel that the new activity should have a live animal experience or non-animal experience?
  • What other things would you like to share with us about the future of the Pony Ride Site?
Pop up locations included:
  • Shane’s Inspiration Playground at Griffith Park
  • Griffith Park Railroad #1
  • Discovery Cube
  • Lincoln Park
  • Pan Pacific Park
  • Westchester Recreation Center
  • Griffith Park Railroad #2
  • Sherman Oaks Castle Park
  • Westwood Recreation Center
  • Soboroff Sports Field at EXPO Center
  • Algin Sutton Recreation Center
  • Jackie Tatum/Harvard Park
  • Echo Park Lake
  • MacArthur Park

A summary of key themes and takeaways from the popups is coming soon, check here for updates.

Focus Group Meetings (September through October 2023)

A series of seven focus group meetings were held with a variety of community organizations during September and October of 2023, including the Los Angeles Equestrian Coalition, the Los Angeles Equine Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Alliance for Animals, In Defense of Animals, PETA, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Griffith J Griffith Trust, Friends of Griffith Park, the Griffith Park Advisory Board, the Los Feliz Improvement Association, the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council, Hollywood Gifted Park and Motherhood Alliance Equity Village Empowerment (MAEVE) Los Feliz. The groups provided their insights about the future use of the Pony Rides site and a summary of the big ideas and themes from those discussions can be found at the link below.

Summary of Focus Group comments

Presentation to RAP Board of Commissioners (September 2023)

A presentation was made to the Board of Commissioners on September 7th, 2023 to kickoff the Reimagining the Pony Rides Site effort. The presentation provided an overview the outreach process, a general timeline of activities and where and when the public could engage. Click the link below to view the presentation.

RAP Board Presentation - September 7, 2023

Online Public Comments (December 2022 through June 2023)

When the Pony Rides initially closed down, RAP staff provided the public the opportunity to provide feedback and comments to the department through an online public comment form while we were in the process of initiating this current effort. Between December 2022 and June 2023, RAP received and reviewed over 1,000 comments, emails, and letters from members of the public. A summary of the big ideas and themes that came from that input as well as all public comments received during this period can be viewed using the following links:

Public Comment Summary Report – December 19, 2023
Public Comments Received – December 7, 2022 through June 5, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the City looking for in a future use of the Pony Ride site?

There are other considerations that will be applied to new uses suggested for the Pony Rides site. These include:

  • Compatibility with existing and planned attractions in Griffith Park.
  • Ability to be a high-volume attraction appealing primarily to local and regional users (priority) and then secondarily for out-of-town visitors.
  • Ability to get new use up and running quickly
  • Accountability of new concessionaires by establishing clear and transparent management, operating procedures (record-keeping, safety, maintenance, number of users, demographics, etc.).
  • Overall cost, maintenance, and liability for the City.

While profit will not be the driving factor in the selection of a new concession, the City must address any long-term costs and liabilities that may be associated with a new proposed use and resulting contract. This will be achieved by determining the level of commitment of City resources (if any) that would be necessary for the new operation.

Will equestrian uses or other animal oriented uses be considered for the site?

The City will evaluate the potential for both animal and non-animal uses for the project site. PlaceWorks and RAP staff will present the Board with a series of options to consider at the end of the process based on the community feedback received. It will be up to the Board and the City Council to determine which type of use moves forward for consideration and implementation

Will the site’s historic and cultural significance be considered during this process?

Yes! In 2009, the LA Dept. of City Planning’s Cultural Heritage Commission designated Griffith Park as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM), and the Pony Ride site was named a “Contributing Factor” in achieving that designation. This means that changes, updates, or improvements to the site must also take the history of the site into consideration. A team of historic preservation experts have visited and assessed the site, conducting research regarding its history and relationship to Griffith Park and surrounding communities; and documenting all structures and their findings will be used to guide the development of options for future uses, ensuring that the historic value of the site is properly acknowledged and accounted for. The report was completed in February 2024 and can be reviewed by clicking this link.

How soon will a new use be up and running on the Pony Ride site?

RAP desires to establish a new use for the site as soon as possible. When a new use has been determined at the direction of the Board and City Council, RAP staff will establish and share the timeframes required to implement improvements, solicit for a new concessionaire or lessee, and allow time for design and redevelopment of the site; ideally this will be accomplished in 1-2 years. Site features such as design, layout needs of new uses, or other environmental or historic factors may influence the overall timing, and the schedule will be refined when a proposed new use is identified and these factors can be more easily identified.

How were the Focus Groups identified for individual meetings?

Focus Groups listed have either historically been actively engaged in discussions related to the operations of the Pony Rides and the use of the site, or they have requested to meet directly with the project team. The City wants to ensure as many viewpoints as possible have been considered during the process and is actively pursuing opportunities to connect with community members, especially users of the site such as parents and children. This will be done through the surveys the upcoming Community Open House. RAP will post notifications on this website and will be sending out notifications on social media and through established contact lists of park users and Neighborhood Councils. If you have comments, suggestions or recommendations of other groups our team should meet with, please fill this Question and Comment form and we will see if we can accommodate your request.