Barnsdall Park

Nice park, good place to exercise or just relax in the midst of LA, Hollywood Blvd. Farmers market is convenient. Close to train and bus lines.
Near Hollywood and Vermont.
It’s also a short distance from Griffith park. Also, a nice starting place to walk down Hollywood Blvd.
I’ve enjoyed it every time.
Respite from from everyday life, collect thoughts. Quiet the mind.
Always nice people enjoying the scenery, picnics, walks and more.

It’s crazy. If you google Barnsdall Art Park, you see pictures and videos about wine tastings and Hollyhock House but nothing about the growing homeless population around here. It’s getting cold again. I hope Barnsdall agencies start funding events that invite all of us to help these people.

This is a very small park on a very small hill with a very small amount of grass with a lot of pine trees, there are two parking area the first one is when you enter and the second one is as you drive up the hill by the way free parking too. There is more building up here then a park area, there is an office building a building next to it, there is a gallery building, a workshop student building, and at the top and center is a gated home, some of the architecture is pretty cool, this is a open park so there were homeless people sleeping and eating there is a lot of shade area up here and there was a armed guard on duty so I just know when the park close every one leave, this place is great to bring out of town guest to see the sunset or the amazing view it had to offer of Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood sign, downtown Los Angeles and I’m pretty sure on a very clear day after the rain you can see the ocean, also there is a lot of graffiti written throughout the park.

I’ve been to Barnsdall twice. Once for Barnsdall Fridays when they do wine tasting with music and the other last night for their wine tasting and a movie. They are doing their movie and wine tasting every Saturday for the month of September. I love Barnsdall! The park is intimate and beautiful, the view is awesome, and the sunsets are always breathtaking. You can bring blankets and foods (no alcohol). They usually do four wines for their tastings. I definitely classify this as a must do in LA!

Real internationally-​acclaimed artists teaching children everything from cartoon drawings to fine art. All for low city park prices.

One of my favorite parks. They have so many different things to do there, whether it be wine tasting, taking an art class, or just going to relax & enjoy the view. I’m hoping to check out the farmer’s market someday too — just wish it was on the weekend.

Went to a play here last night. I’m LA born and bred and had never even heard of this place. It seems to be very creatively focused, with various studio spaces which was cool to see. After circling 2 times to find parking, Myself and some other cars «created» spots along the border of the park. Boy, is it a hike to the top! Then, once in the theater you had to descend into the theater itself from the entrance. Good thing I had on wedges.

The art museum is free and interesting! Thought provoking pieces and a really friendly staff. I was standing very close to a huge plastic piece that I touched surreptitiously, and a security guard came up to me. I thought «oh (*&^, she’s going to yell at me, and/​or maybe I was supposed to make a mandatory ‘donation’ at the door.» Instead she had lots of insight at the art and even directed me to another exhibit outside that I didn’t know about.
There was a cool interactive thing where I lay down and stared at calming lights, too.
It was all interesting.
Inspiring, fun, definitely worth the non-​money and then some. ;) These guys are champions– thank you for a clean community space that motivates thought and creativity. Bravo.

I finally came to this place after driving by it a million times. We drove into the ground level parking lot, where they have farmer’s market on certain days. The uphill drive leads to a wooded area and some old buildings. Farther in, there is a gated-​off museum. There is also a community center where they have art classes for youth as well as the elderly. Around that place, there were people on a family picnic and just enjoying the greenery.
What I didn’t like about this place is the number of hoodlums that inhabit this place. There is quite a bit if smoking and substance abuse done by them, which really ruins an otherwise majestic experience. LAPD really needs to take care of that.

I’ve been a fan of Barnsdall (and Hollyhock house, which i had written about YEARS AGO) for at least 30 years. The Park has changed a great deal, with the advent
of the tremendous # of homeless-​this was not the case in l984, and there
were classes at the Jr. Art Center, the place was not boarded up. I even
studdied japanese flower arranging, until I got kicked out of the class II Had NO talent and was really terrible; I later took drumming (middle eastern) there for quite some time and then moved on to a private teacher, who also expelled me (I had talent which unnerved him… a long story). I loved to annoy the neighbors by practicing, but again this was long ago. The redone Hollyhock House had an opening on Halloween
from 4pm to 4am and I was THRILLED to see it was Jammed, with people
waiting for hours to get in! (This was also the first place i had food truck ice cream, i can’t remember whose because that truck is no longer in business, again it was in the very beginning). So cutting edge is how I would describe the exhibits or at least
they are often so, and the current one which is the COLA folk is not bad at all.
And needless to say, since the director photographed me and my artist friend,
Anne and put it on the web site… they actually now have FREE days, I think
Thursday afternoon is one… BTW, looking at some of the other reviews, WHEN I took classes there, they were about $ 30.00 each. IF THAT. Sigh. No matter, the
commitment is there and the place is a gem in the desert (as this is now
the ‘hip’ area but not for art galleries-​other than La Luz de Jesus down
the street, which is another matter).

Nice small park with a view. I love bringing my dog up here or coming up with friends and a bottle of wine. There is ample parking both at the entrance and up by the park area at the top. Sometimes they have wine tastings, movie screenings and other events, so make sure to check out their website or like their Facebook page.
Beware, a lot of dog owners allow their dogs off leash. They’re all friendly, but some dogs (or humans) can be sensitive to that sort of stuff. Also, there are a lot of homeless at the bottom of the park.

Amazing views of the city outside, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (free), the Frank Lloyd Wright-​designed Hollyhock House (free to check out the exterior, $ 7 for a self-​guided tour inside) and Friday night wine tastings on the lawn ($ 30) all make this park worth a stop.

This urban park has some great views of Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign from the grassy view point. You’re basically sitting right outside of the Great Lawn of the Hollyhock House. :) There are only 2 – 3 chairs on the grass for you to sit in, but everyone just sits on the grass anyways.
I saw many people sitting on the grass or taking a walk nearby. It’s relatively peaceful amongst the bustling crowds and traffic in Los Angeles.
There are some homeless people sleeping inside the park.
More photos here:

Well, hello again Unilocal!It sure has been a while since the last review.
Situated on the corner of Hollywood and Vermont in East Hollywood lies this gem of a park. Most people come to this area tend to gravitate towards Griffith Park for the Observatory or the numerous hiking trails. Barnsdall may not have an Observatory or acres upon acres of vast wilderness but what Barnsdall offer is an escape for the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, from the incessant gridlock and overbearing tourist and their selfie sticks.
Perch on a little hill is a patch of grass that makes for a perfect picnic and a great spot to see everything Los Angeles has to offer. From the Hollywood Sign to the Griffith Observatory, to views of the downtown skyline to where the sand meets the ocean. There’s no better place to view the sun’s last glimmer before setting over the horizon and relenting to the dark of night.
For architectural buffs, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House is a must see, after recently finishing renovations and offering tours.
Four legged friends are welcome here, with or without leash.

300^th Review!
Not only is Barnsdall Park the perfect place to have a covert booze picnic with a view, but the art classes they offer are top notch at seriously low prices.
I ended up taking Beginning to Intermediate Printmaking. The class cost $ 147 for 10 classes. Holy cow that’s inexpensive! And the class was so fun. As the name promised it welcomed me– a true novice to printmaking. I learned a lot and made a lot of art that I’m proud of. It was so refreshing to work with my hands and get creative every Wednesday night instead of typing away at a computer. And the teacher Rebecca Pollack is just the nicest lady ever. Spectacular!
Important note on signing up for classes:
All the Pinterest crazies and their moms show up for class registration. On Saturday morning when registration opened at 8am, people showed up at 4am. There was a huge line. I showed up at 6am-​ish and was #65 in line. Hundreds of people showed up after. So get there as early as humanly possible especially if you want one of the jewelry classes! All in all though, the little campout for arts classes was really fun and it felt like I was part of a community, something that is rather lacking in the City of Angels. So if you’re interested in art classes Barnsdall is a must! Can’t wait to take another.

I usually don’t have a car when I visit East Hollywood so this is a great little retreat when I need some nature. Wonderful views in all directions.
Since my last visit, the west side has become an off leash dog park which is ok with me but something to keep in mind.
It’s worth the climb!

I got to see the grand re-​opening of the Hollyhock House, aka Aline Barnsdall’s Egyptian-​style mausoleum. Her morbid fortress is much adieu about something! It is constructed with the modernist wand of Frank Lloyd Wright and is actually a lot more spectacular on the INSIDE than the house looks on the outside
I came here because I actually was passing by Barnsdall Park at one in the morning on my bike. I saw all of the cars coming inside and I recall reading that the Hollyhock House was renovated, the mayor came and cut the rope and there was a free ‘self-​guided tour’ of the house all night. I knew I would never ever pay for a guided tour in the future, so I thought this was indeed a once-​in-​a-​lifetime opportunity.
Barnsdall’s big open casket looked like how a flapper with money would want to languish in the afterlife — probably not with all the gawking people. I wanted to take photos but my phone died as I waited in line for over two hours, between 1 am and 3:30 am, to go inside and see it. It was a non-​stop all night viewing. In fact, I believe other people are currently waiting in line to see it as I write this.
The one word that comes to mind when I viewed the Hollyhock House was ‘horizontal’. Even though the building was up high, everything inside emphasized being straight on one plane. It really brought my eye to see the cool angular furniture and then the panoramic views of the flickering lights of nighttime Los Angeles from below. Since everything that I saw was level, you are sort of met with the windows to the sky and the electricity below. I wonder whether Barnsdall had the same kind of view here 80 or 90 years ago, whether the lights emitted from early 20^th century electricity was the same kind of brightness and look. The house looks Egyptian with its architecture and golden tones from the wood floors, so being elevated on one plane seemed otherworldly and afterlife-​ish.
Barnsdall Park, I still hate you. I think the car-​centric navigation to and from the park has a lot left to be desired. But I’m kind of realizing that the one-​directional ‘grand driveway’ helps perpetuate the foreboding fortress-​like architecture of the Frank Lloyd Wright building looking down on the little people of East Hollywood below.

I came here on MLK day so unfortunately all the galleries and hollyhock house was not opened to the public that day due to the holiday. However, I still really enjoyed checking out this park, its a little piece of serenity surrounded by the craziness of hollywood/​los feliz. Up in the park theres a nice grassy lawn where you can do a little picnic and it has great views of the hollywood sign and the griffith observatory. It is very peaceful and quiet up there. But word of warning, its a bit jarring once you’re on your way out and take the steps down back into the city, all the sirens and horns honking can be disconcerting.

Very cool local park. Quiet, low key. Hidden gem. Awesome 180view of Hollywood sign, observatory and more. Indoor gallery, blding is cute. They have small outdoor movie nights in Sept. They have maps around the park.
Plenty of parking.
No bums, no kids. Ppl stroll with their single well behaved dog, individuals picnic or lay out, book reading or painting type of park. Low key.
Restroom may be a problem if the building is closed.

This place is small, but it offers so many events and/​or activities for the community.
It isn’t much of a park, except for a small patch of grass (I’m exaggerating… A little) a table or two, two chairs (at least when I was there)… I think that’s it. The parking lot is bigger than the «park» section (Tha f***) Sundays they offer fam art workshops, Friday has wine tastings, and a farmers market somewhere in there.
If this fits into your «scene» then you’ll enjoy it. At the very least the park deserves a few minutes of your time, even if just for the views of The Observatory or Griffith park.
Minus one star for the bum/​hobo scene during the day.
Minus another star for the after 5 pm elitist crowd that turns the patch of grass into a scene from «Beverly Hills Chihuahua».
I LOVE my dog, I’m an awesome pet parent and he gets more gifts and love from me than my own GF does… Don’t tell her, but some members of this clique give us dog owners a bad name.

You can find me here at least once a week enjoying the great outdoors. Finding parking usually isn’t a problem unless there is a big event. Be mindful of the parking restrictions outside the park. During museum hours, you can use the bathrooms there which is nice. I love dogs but it’s a bit annoying how some owners just let their dogs run freely and over everyone’s business. It’s pretty simple keeping one’s dog on a leash and I think they will still enjoy their day at the park. So if you don’t like dogs perhaps picnic elsewhere. This is a great place to watch the sunset. Check out the barnsdale site for upcoming events like wine tastings. I wish they would bring back the movies.

When living in a crazy city like Los Angeles, one has to take a moment to breathe (although the air is filled with smog) and relax the marathon of thoughts running around in the brain. Whether it’s by the beach, on top of a mountain, or at a small park; nature is the answer. Barnsdall Park is one of those potential slices of serenity available to local residents. Let’s see if it truly calms the soul, shall we?
Barnsdall Park is well-​known in the Hollywood area as a supposed mixture of an art hub and neighborhood park. The lot is the home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, a gallery, and art studios plus some grassy knolls. This means that it is an event space plus a park. Sounds great, right? WRONG. Very wrong, my friend. Although Barnsdall Park is a value in terms of having two parking lots and decent views of the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory which will be intriguing to your friends visiting from the Mid-​West; the positives end there.
To begin, Barnsdall Park is hardly a park. Unless you consider a small fenced-​in, flat-​topped hill and a pine-​tree stocked area a «park». Granted, the pine trees have a mystique about them which reminds of a Grimm’s fairy tale setting but you can cover the ground in under five minutes. Basically, there isn’t much to look at or enjoy. There are a few chairs/​tables but no benches, fountains, flowers, etc. Barnsdall Park is basically just the front yard of the Hollyhock House and gallery.
Speaking of the Hollyhock House, Frank Lloyd Wright is probably rolling in his grave. The house is in shambles (as is the gate house) and not open to the public, as it has been under supposed renovations for the past 2 – 3 years. To say the least, this does NOT do the architect justice and just adds a run-​down feel to the park.
The worst part of Barnsdall Park? The «vibe» and people. First of all, Barnsdall is filled with homeless people from the parking lot on up. I live in LA. I am used to homeless people. However, obviously when one sees homeless people sleeping all over the place with their shopping carts; it is a bit of a deterrent. The park also has dogs running around leash-​less (which is illegal if not otherwise posted) and very weird hippies. I also don’t have an issue with hippies but these people were the elitist kind who stare at you for impeding on their turf.
Also spotted was a shirtless man on a cellphone who was letting his baby (assuming it is his baby) play on the steps. The baby’s head was facing down and was 2 seconds away from tumbling to his death. The ‘dad’ never once even reached for the people except for tapping the baby with his foot every once in a while like it was a dog. I should have had Child Services on speed dial. The word of the day at Barnsdall is: uncomfortable.
I can’t vouch for the joy level when there is an event at the gallery or the art classes in the studios as I wasn’t at the park for either of those. Perhaps those occurrences make the park worthwhile and turn it into Disneyland. However, in terms of a simply being a park: Barnsdall fails miserably.
To sum it up, Barnsdall Park is basically a dirty, awkward, and less-​than-​thrilling lot housing homeless people with some roots in «art». It is ultimately a display of poverty. It’s sad because the park used to be better and has potential. Perhaps there has been a loss of funding. Either way, if you need to take a breather or are looking for a picnic space, Barnsdall Park can be skipped. There are far better options available.