NOW ON VIEW- The Autry Museum
What makes Griffith Park special to you? For many Angelenos, the name evokes a panorama of memories—from picnics, hikes, horses, and softball games to the zoo, observatory, trains, and, of course, the Autry.
But how much do you really know about Griffith Park? How did it come to be, and what are its best-kept secrets? Join us as we explore stories about Griffith Park, a landscape that we honor as Tongva/Gabrielino land and a public park for Los Angeles.
To celebrate Griffith Park’s 125th anniversary in 2021, the Autry, has opened a community-led exhibition. The Autry’s newest exhibition, Investigating Griffith Park, a hands-on space that invites visitors to share their stories, experiences, and input on what the anniversary celebration should include.
One section of the current gallery asks, “What is the park to you?” and invites visitors to write responses. The museum says that while the public’s notes may influence the final exhibition, they’re also helping the museum plan future questions, focus group topics, and talk-back sessions with partner organizations.
While the Autry designed the gallery as a way to gather feedback from the public, it’s also a great introduction to what the park offers. Visitors will find historical artifacts and photos, video clips of Griffith Park’s many movie appearances, a kids’ play area, and an oversized board game about P-22, the beloved mountain lion.
Even the area of the park where the Autry is located has a fascinating history. In addition to the upcoming anniversary exhibition, the Autry’s long-term plan includes building a research archive around Griffith Park in order to make it easier for people to study the park and to spur further research.
Timeline:
Currently open in its first phase of development, we welcome your feedback as we further transform one of the Autry’s core galleries into an experiential, hands-on space. Through Investigating Griffith Park, we are gathering input from hundreds of visitors and experts to reveal some of the many stories from the park’s 4,000-plus acres. Keep watching this space for future updates, and sign up for our Investigating Griffith Park email list here.
PHASE I: DISCOVERY | 2018
Public discussions, hands-on activities, and feedback loops helped us learn what you wanted to know about the park.
PHASE II: IDEA TESTING | 2019–2020
Watch as the gallery further transforms based on community input.
PHASE III: EXHIBITION FINALIZED
Experience the exhibition fully when phase III is completed in connection with the 125th anniversary of Griffith Park!
The Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased onsite or online.
Hours
FREE EVERY 2nd TUESDAY of the MONTH- Griffith Park
Tuesday: Closed
Tuesday – Friday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00am – 5:00pm
For additional information, visit the website @
https://theautry.org/exhibitions/investigating-griffith-park
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