Abandoned places in Los Angeles
8 abandoned and forgotten places around Los Angeles, Old LA Zoo, Griffith Park, Bronson Caves (the Batcave) and Big Horn Mine among them — and for each one, whether you can legally visit. Ruins, ghost towns and shuttered industry, with the ones that are trespassing or genuinely unsafe marked as such rather than romanticised. They spread across Griffith Park, Los Angeles, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, Azusa, Canyon Country and 4 more areas, so two or three can make a whole afternoon. 8 of them cost nothing. Every entry is hand-vetted against real sources — not scraped off a top-ten list or averaged out of crowd ratings.
Every abandoned place we've verified, nationwide — with its legal-access status →
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Old LA Zoo, Griffith ParkOpen to visit
The original Los Angeles Zoo opened in 1912 and was simply abandoned in place when the new zoo opened in 1966. The crumbling concrete animal enclosures, faux-stone grottos, and barred cages still stand, and a few have their gates pulled open so you can walk inside. Picnic tables and grills now sit among the ruins, making it one of the few places you can eat lunch inside an old bear den.
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Bronson Caves (the Batcave)View only
A short man-made tunnel carved into the rock wall of an abandoned early-1900s quarry, the Bronson Caves have played alien lairs, monster dens, and most famously the entrance to the Batcave in the 1960s Batman TV series. An easy fire-road walk leads to the cave's open mouths; climb the small trail just beyond and the Hollywood Sign appears in the distance. It remains one of the most-filmed spots in LA.
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Big Horn MineView only
Discovered in 1891 by prospector Charles Tom Vincent, the Big Horn Mine was once the largest gold mining operation in Los Angeles County. Its iconic multi-story wooden stamp mill, perched on the slopes of Mount Baden-Powell, was devastated by the 2024 Bridge Fire. Today, the site consists of charred structural ruins, rusted machinery, and gated underground tunnels accessible via a scenic mountain trail.
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Bear Canyon MineDo not enter
The Bear Canyon Mine is an abandoned gold mine located in the Soledad Canyon area near Santa Clarita. Dating back to the 1930s, the site features several horizontal adits carved directly into the canyon walls. While historically referred to as a placer mine, the remaining tunnels are hard-rock workings, some of which are heavily gated to prevent entry.
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Emma MineView only
The Emma Mine is an abandoned late-19th-century copper and gold mine located on the south slope of Parker Mountain near Acton. Active primarily from 1889 through the 1940s, the site was once operated by the Emma Consolidated Mining Company. Today, visitors can find several adits, mine tailings, and the remains of old concrete leaching tanks used to process copper ore.
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Coquina MineView only
Located in the Marr Ranch Open Space of Simi Valley, this abandoned 1930s open-pit limestone mine was once operated by the Tapo Alto Shell & Fertilizer Company. Today, hikers can follow a scenic trail to find fossil-rich geological formations and rusted relics left behind when operations ceased in 1935. The most striking remnant is a remarkably intact P&H Model 206 power shovel, frozen mid-scoop on the hillside.
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Outpost Sign RuinsOpen to visit
Erected in the late 1920s by developer Charles E. Toberman, this massive 30-foot-tall red neon sign was built to advertise the upscale Outpost Estates and rival the nearby Hollywoodland sign. The lights were permanently extinguished during World War II blackout orders, and the structure eventually collapsed and was forgotten. Today, its twisted, rusted steel wreckage and concrete foundations lie scattered in the brush along the hiking trails of Runyon Canyon Park.
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Concrete ruins of the St. Francis DamOpen to visit
Designed by William Mulholland and completed in 1926, the St. Francis Dam collapsed catastrophically in 1928, unleashing a massive flood that claimed over 400 lives. Today, the site is a designated national monument where visitors can hike to see massive, scattered blocks of concrete and twisted rebar strewn across the canyon floor. The ruins stand as a quiet, somber monument to one of the worst civil engineering disasters in American history.
Abandoned places in Los Angeles — FAQ
Is it legal to visit abandoned places around Los Angeles?
It depends on the site, and each listing here says explicitly — with the reason. Of the 8 with a verified access status: 3 are legal to enter (like Old LA Zoo, Griffith Park and Outpost Sign Ruins), 4 are view-only from public land or roadside, and 1 are private property or genuinely unsafe — those are marked "do not enter" rather than romanticised.
Which abandoned & forgotten places in Los Angeles are the strangest?
Ranked by how strange they actually are: Big Horn Mine, Bear Canyon Mine and Emma Mine. Big Horn Mine — Discovered in 1891 by prospector Charles Tom Vincent, the Big Horn Mine was once the largest gold mining operation in Los Angeles County.
Where in Los Angeles are they?
Across Griffith Park, Los Angeles, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, Azusa, Canyon Country and Acton and 3 more. Each listing gives the neighborhood and address so you can cluster a couple into one outing.
Are any of the abandoned & forgotten places in Los Angeles free?
Yes — 8 are free to visit, including Old LA Zoo, Griffith Park, Bronson Caves (the Batcave) and Big Horn Mine. The rest are mostly low-cost.
Is this a good weird date in Los Angeles?
That's what the list is built for. Every entry has a specific move rather than a vague recommendation — at Big Horn Mine, for instance: Hike the 4-mile round-trip trail from Vincent Gap to photograph the historic ruins and take in sweeping views of the San Gabriel Mountains.
How were these abandoned & forgotten places chosen?
An agentic research system digs for the genuinely obscure — the spots even locals miss — and every one is verified against real sources before it makes the list. We deliberately skip the landmarks already on every Los Angeles guide.