In 1891, four property owners in the vicinity donated 33 acres of land around the reservoir to the city for use as a park. The city began landscaping the park in October 1892. The city’s park superintendent, Joseph Henry Tomlinson, was responsible for naming the new park, which later lent its name to the surrounding neighborhood. He chose the name Echo Park due to the echoes he heard during the construction of Echo Park Lake in 1892. By 1895, the park and its accompanying boathouse were completed.
In the late 20th century, film companies from Allesandro Street – now known as Glendale Boulevard – frequently used the park as a filming location. Eventually, city leaders banned the now-defunct Keystone Studios, famous for Keystone Kops and for a time, Charlie Chaplin, from filming their comedies in the lake, citing damage to the vegetation.
In 2006, the city allocated $64.7 million for the lake’s cleanup and revitalization. The lake was closed and drained in summer 2011 to start renovation work. The rehabilitation project viewed Echo Park Lake not just as a recreational area but also as a vital part of Los Angeles’ ecosystem. Despite being man-made, it is integral to the local watershed. The lake reopened on June 5, 2013, following extensive renovations.
Today, Echo Park Lake is an iconic Los Angeles landmark, functioning as a detention basin in the city’s drainage system while providing recreational and wildlife habitat benefits. It also hosts community events, like the annual Lotus Festival every July.
Located just a mile from Dodger Stadium, Echo Park Lake offers various amenities, including:
- The Echo Park boathouse restaurant and over a dozen unique swan-shaped paddle boats.
- Picnic tables, barbecue pits, public restrooms, water fountains, and grassy picnic areas.
- A mile-long paved pathway around the lake.
The park provides stunning views of the LA skyline and its downtown skyscrapers, particularly enchanting at night with the neon lighting of its swan boats.
Echo Park Lake has been featured in films such as ‘Under the Silver Lake’ (2018), ‘Dragnet’ (1986), ‘Dead Again’ (1991), ‘Chinatown’ (1974), and numerous Charlie Chaplin comedies.
