Griffith Park’s Abandoned 1920s Pool Waits in the Wings for a Second Act

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Spanning five square miles, there is something for everyone at Griffith Park. Visitors can hike the miles of trails, visit multiple museums, learn about the stars at the observatory, get up close and personal with animals at the zoo, and enjoy the variety of recreation facilities. But in 2020 it lost something, the Griffith Park Pool, originally dubbed the Municipal Plunge. Located just off the freeway, it had catered to Angelinos looking to cool off since 1927, but today it’s empty, and about to be demolished.

Angled view of the tan Spanish Revival style pool house with a large arched entry.

View of the long pool and its Spanish Revival style pool house as seen through a chainlink fence.

A blue and white sign reads "City Wide Aquatics (upstairs) Griffith Pool (lobby)"

Spanning 225 feet long, and 50 feet wide, the pool is shallow at both ends, reaching its deepest in the middle. Visitors entered via a Spanish Revival pool house, and could lounge under a arched arcade flanking the pool house. Ever popular, generations learned to swim here for almost 100 years, that is until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, closing the pool amid both attempts to limit the spread and chlorine shortages.

After two years of being shuttered, it was slated to reopen in June of 2022, but leaks put the grand re-opening on hold. By 2025, talks began to shift from repairs to demolition. The expansive pool is now to be replaced by a “50 meter long by 25 yard wide competition pool; and a 25-yard-by-25-yard splash pad.” The project, which is estimated to cost $28 million, will also include a restoration of the Spanish Revival pool house, with refreshed changing rooms and restrooms.

Close-up of the arched entry to the pool house, with multicolored tile around the entry door.

A blue and white sign reads "City-Wide Aquatics"

A small boarded up window features colorful tile around it.

View of the long pool and its Spanish Revival style pool house as seen through a chainlink fence.

View of the expansive pool from one end, and a stencil indicating not to dive.

View down the arched arcade along side the pool.

Trees obscure part of the pool.

Close-up of red letters reading "DEEP WATER" and a portion of the edge is broken.

Close-up of the arched arcade area alongside the empty pool.

Close-up of a butterfly on the overgrown fence.

View of the deep portion of the pool, which unlike other pools is in the middle.

A red and white sign hangs on a chainlink fence reading "WARNING $500 fine or 6 months in jail or both for entering pool or premises when closed"

Straight on view as seen from a grassy hill next to the pool, a two story Spanish Revival style building with red tile roof sits in the middle, and is flanked by arched arcades on either side with the long empty pool in front.

Close-up of the pool.

View of the long pool and its Spanish Revival style pool house as seen through a chainlink fence.

Angled view of the tan Spanish Revival style pool house with a large arched entry.

Close-up of the decorative colorful tile around the boarded up window, done in a Spanish motif.

A child size CPR dummy looks out from a second story window in the pool house.

There are various reports on when construction will begin, some say as early as September of this year, or summer of next, but if all goes according to plan, it should open in March of 2028, ahead of the Summer Olympic Games that LA is hosting. Until then, you can peek through the chainlink fence of the once grand pool at 3401 Riverside Drive in Los Angeles.

What’s Near By?

Other Griffith Park Attractions

Hollyhock House

The Vista Theatre

Sources
Lank, Barry. “Griffith Park pool plans head to public meeting as redesign takes shape.” The Eastsider, 18 March 2026.
Lank, Barry. “Griffith Park pool to be demolished and replaced.” The Eastsider, 4 June 2025.
Lank, Barry. “Leak leaves Griffith Park Pool high and dry for the summer.” The Eastsider, 29 June 2022.
Palm, Iman. “Griffith Park Pool getting $28M makeover, anticipated reopening in 2028.” KTLA5, 2 July 2025.

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