Victory Memorial Grove Centennial Celebration

Join LA City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, the California WWI Centennial Task Force, Los Angeles – Eschscholtzia Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, Hollywood Post 43 of the American Legion, the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park and others as we commemorate one hundred years of a Victory Memorial Grove in Elysian Park.

The history of VMG gets its start in May of 1919 when the LA Herald convinced the Parks Department to set aside a space for people to plant trees for loved ones after The Great War. On June 14th, 1921 DAR placed a monument in the Grove. Memorial trees to the fallen were planted for years after the current space was dedicated in August of 1920, the first site being abandoned on account of access issues.

Over time this lovingly maintained park-within-a-park and monument had fallen into disrepair. However, in recent years an effort was initiated to reclaim it. Over the past 2.5 years new trees & plants have been sewn, the DAR monument was refurbished, and the historic flagpole was restored. Recently there has also been funding approved to fix the walkways.

The ceremony will try and paint the history of how Victory Memorial Grove was established and recognize groups that have helped in the ongoing reclamation of the park.