Exploring Earth's Priciest Abandoned Structures

5. California's Griffith Park Zoo

Location: California's Los Angeles The year is 1912. Cost: *$650 million (estimated cost of reconstruction) The government-owned Griffith Park Zoo, also known as the "Old Los Angeles Zoo" by Angelos, was located in the most populated city in California. It first opened in 1912, but it closed in 1966 to make room for "the new" Los Angeles Zoo. Griffith Park was abandoned when all of the animals were moved.

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California's Griffith Park Zoo © Shutterstock/Gerry Matthews The former enclosures, complete with cages, have been left as ruins; however, picnic chairs and tables have been erected, and hiking pathways have been provided for urbex enthusiasts. Environmentalists argue that the $650 million revitalization plan for Griffith Park is a bad idea because it will disrupt the natural ecology that has taken over the park over the past fifty years.