Hollywood Bowl Shuttle L.A. Zoo Lot

I loved it, my kids loved it, comfy, on time and very easy to find parking.

Never to go the Bowl without it! I don’t know why anyone would choose to drive (and park, ugh) when the shuttle is an option.

The short:
Easy lot to get to off the freeway.
NO stacked parking (whew).
Plenty of buses.
Never a problem for me to get here.
Parking is super easy, although when the Zoo is still open it can be crowded. However, NO stacked parking! Even when I go to the other Ventura lots, sometimes they will do stacked parking. Last time someone hit my car and left!
Plus there’s always buses and I never have to wait more than 5 minutes to buy my tickets, get on and leave for the bowl!
Only downside is that it is further away, so the ride is longer. If you’re easily motion sick, pop half a Dramamine because sometimes the rides are pretty brutal (crazy drivers /​bumpy road /​traffic).

Never disappointed with this line. The best of all the options! #florenceandthemachine

672, LA ZOO!
I have been using this Hollywood Bowl park-​n-​ride for years and I love it! It’s almost always a better deal than stack parking by the Bowl, plus you don’t get stuck until midnight in case the people around you decide to wait that long to leave (that has legitimately happened to me before). The convenient location right at the junction of the 134 & 5 makes it easier to get to (and from) than the Ventura lots. Plus the Ventura lots have a very limited amount of parking. I was turned away once because they ran out of parking spaces.
The ride to the Bowl on this shuttle is also a nice one if you’re an out-​of-​town guest because you get to see some different parts of LA: the tail end of Griffith Park, Travel Town, the Mt. Sinai & Forest Lawn Cemeteries, parts of Disney Studios, parts of the WB Studios, and parts of Hollywood (including Capitol Records). You don’t get to see all of those things on the other shuttles. You will hit a bit of traffic, but hey you’re not driving so just enjoy the view!
You have the luxury of sitting on your way to the Bowl, but it’s standing room only on the way back. Honestly, my favorite part of the whole shuttle thing is that you can sober up on the ride back to your car. They will leave you if you don’t get down there by the time they tell you to; it hasn’t happened to me but it’s happened to a buddy of mine who had to get a cab back to the LA Zoo. There has been a time where I had to wait for the second round of shuttles to come back, and it seemed to take FOREVER for the buses to come back, but they did come back.

For the first time going to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, I wanted to make sure that I was smart about the parking situation. Nothing is worse than sitting butt-​to-​butt in a small parking space and moving at less than 1 mi an hour.
I heard about the limited and outrageously-​priced stacked parking at the bowl and wanted to avoid it at all costs. I did a little bit of research and found out about this shuttle from the LA Zoo lot that transports you to and from the bowl. Tried it out and LOVED IT!
The short:
— $ 6/​per person
— No parking fee at the zoo
— Avoids the crazy after-​concert traffic
— The shuttle is actually a comfortable tour bus that transports every 15 – 20 mins
— No need to worry about being left behind because they have several buses waiting for you after the concert (They said to come back 30 minutes after the concert)
PARK AT THE LA ZOO! Best and most convenient decision ever. :)

This is the best place of the buses to catch the bus. It is cheaper and the parking here is simple.

A Unilocal score — unquestionably the way to go if attending and event at the Hollywood Bowl!
I say this after researching various modes of transport (including limo service) — and I’m not one to give up the control of having my vehicle with me. It was our first time going to the bowl, my wife and I were quite aprehensive about using the shuttle as we didn’t know what to expect. Trusted reviews from friends Kevin B and Trina D for the Lakewood line shuttle were the deciding factor.
We chose the LA Zoo lot for several reasons:
— Large lot with easy in/​easy out FREE parking. 5 Freeway entrance/​exit right there at the lot.
— We could drive ourselves further and have a shorter ride on the bus.
— Still far enough away from the bowl to avoid traffic
— $ 6 each is less than the $ 25-​$ 50 parking cost at the lots.
We knew we made the right choice when we saw the traffic and «stacked parking» at the bowl.
Our experience:
— parking was easy, well lit, safe area and close to the busses
— a short line (maybe 5 people in front of us) and two staff members collecting money
— paid cash on the spot — not a problem, seems the easy way to go.
— service was friendly by all staff members on both trips
— staff communicated (and repeated) information about where to go after the show
— tour bus on way to the bowl, shuttle type bus on way back both busses were clean.
— the bus drops you off right at the front gate — actually saves walking distance.
— easy to find where to go to catch the bus afterwards — very well organized.
— we had seats both ways. They fill busses to standing room only on the way back.
— saw the bus we were going to get on was SRO, we just moved to the next bus.
— bus drivers have a good route, and a designated lane in the lot for the busses
— ride time was 15 – 20 minutes, not far, some of it sitting in traffic, nice to not have to deal with it!
I read people need to wait about an hour to get out of the HB lots. I believe it after seeing everyone else stuck. We were in our car on the freeway in 20 – 30 minutes tops and were less stressed out!
Will use this service again — and if you are considering it, I highly recommend you give it a try.

This is the absolute best way to go to the Hollywood Bowl. I’ve done the park and be annoyed (while yelling expletives and other colorful language) experience at the Bowl. I live in Eagle Rock/​Mt. Washington area so this was the easiest way for me.
Word to the wise: I prepaid so TicketMaster charged me $ 1.50 extra service fee per ticket. $ 6.50 versus $ 5.00 isn’t anything to cry about but the ticket collector told me that it was best to just pay when you arrive at the shuttle.
The shuttle itself is dated but for $ 5 and a 25 minute shuttle ride to and from the Bowl, you can’t complain. This is seriously the best option and I swear that you cannot beat this. No aggravation and no hassle.
While I’m on my soap box, I think the Hollywood Bowl needs to seriously school the Rose Bowl on transporting guests. Unlike the Rose Bowl shuttle, this one leaves consistently and gives you the impression that they are always loading and unloading. There is constant movement so you’re not stuck waiting in line with 100+ people who just want to get home (*cough* Rose Bowl *cough* you suck).
We didn’t even wait — immediate boarding both before and after the concert. It is also one of the first shuttles to leave so I was home way earlier than I expected. Highly recommend!

Did much research on parking for this venue and I agree with others, this is the way to go!!! Our event started at 8 and we got to the zoo at 630. The zoo parking lot is Gi-​normous so no problem finding parking and very easy to get to as there are signs everywhere once you get off the exit. One bus was leaving and another one came 5 – 10 mins later as we arrived. It was $ 5 per person round trip that they collect while standing in line. They give you a ticket with your bus name on it and you use that for return trip although they never checked that when we left. It is about a 20 min bus ride and a nice ride. Bus has AC for the hot days. I recommend coming early because by the time our bus left the zoo parking lot, already 100+ ppl were in line waiting to load and each bus only holds about 40 people so while the buses are continuous, it could take awhile if you are 200^th in line. What I really liked is that they packed each bus. No empty seats wasted. The whole thing is very efficient. They drop you off right out front of the actual bowl entry area. They pick up at the front closer to the main street so about a 3 min walk. The trip out they pack to the hilt where people had to stand.
As for parking at the bowl, it looked like a total nightmare. The bowl parks people anywhere there is an open space, literally. It is quite something. I was watching people just sit in their cars waiting for the person in front to finally come out so they could go. I imagine you could be sitting there for hours.
LOVED this option. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

We visited the Hollywood Bowl for the first time last night. Not knowing the best option for traveling to/​from the bowl, we opted for the LA Zoo shuttle. Best idea ever! Three buses were lined up in the zoo parking lot waiting for passengers. $ 5/​person roundtrip. It was a relaxing ride and they drop off/​pick up in the bus section of the lot right outside the bowl. Super convenient and quick … I would never opt to drive there after this wonderful experience.

There are 4 – 5 buses waiting in the LA Zoo north parking lot two hours before the start of any performance at the bowl. $ 5 per person. The best part is that the Zoo shuttle is the FIRST BUS ALLOWED TO LEAVE the bowl at the end of any performance. You are back to your car at the Zoo in 20 minutes after the last song. 17,000 other people are just getting to their cars and finding out that the four cars parked around them are not going to move for an hour.

Great service if you want to be dropped off at the Hollywood Bowl Plaza. Buy it online before going, it is just easier.
Young staff collects your printed out paper and you board, they leave about every 30 minutes and it takes the back of Griffith Park through Burbank and then 101 to get to the venue, air conditioned bus is a plus on a summer evening.
As for the staff collecting I would say you should be able to communicate better and multitask. My first time and I hand my paper to the young lady and even though there were two young ladies none said you can get on the bus now, she just simply gave me her side and was talking with someone else. Until I asked will I get a piece of paper back or just board, that is when she said yes.
Again the service deserves the 5 stars.
When you return you have to walk down to highland and use the underground tunnel to get to your bus, make sure you ask which bus to take since this service has about 5 – 6 options from Ventura to Pasadena.
Will use again. Paid $ 13 for two people roundtrip. Parking at Hollywood Bowl is 22 – 35.

WINNING!!!
I’ve taken my own car to the Bowl twice and that was a rookie mistake (both times) on my part. Never again!
Why should you have to be miserable and sit in traffic when someone else can do it for you? You can use that time wisely: brush up on memorizing lyrics, reminisce about the last time you saw [insert artist here] perform, or take selfies while en route. Plus, they have the ‘secret route’ that gets you to your concert in world record time, even with LA traffic at its peak.
TIPS & TRICKS:
*Bring CASH
*Buses leave in 5 – 10 min intervals so your wait isn’t gruesome
*Listen for the bus # (or you can always look for lot parking destination
*No ticket required on ride back to parking lot
*Last call heading back is 20 – 25 mins so don’t lollygag too much
Seriously, don’t make me twist your arm: it’s suuuper easy! And, if you don’t buy your tix ahead of time by tacking it onto your ticket purchase, you can always bring CASH and pay for your fare there. I’ve seen bus riders pay anywhere from $ 5 to $ 10, I think price depends on how popular the performing artist is, but at any rate, it’s a steal!
Another WIN (or maybe challenge) I personally like, is heading back in the tunnel for the ride home and trying to score a bootleg shirt for $ 5, works about 90% of the time. Once, I even got a Maroon 5 tee for $ 2! What can I say, it’s the ghetto-​fab in me!
Anyway, you won’t want to ever drive to Hollywood Bowl ever once you’ve taken the shuttle, I guarantee it. Now, stop being divas and go spoil yourselves silly!

Sending family to a couple of concerts this summer and the shuttle was a great way to get to and from. No hassles of traffic.

You have to ride the shuttle to a Hollywood bowl event. It’s $ 5, and a 20 minute ride to the bowl. Skip the parking madness at the bowl. Find a shuttle !

#teamNOtraffic in full effect.
Are you STILL looking for cheap parking near the Bowl?
Girl, please.
$ 5 (for now) gets you to and fro, and you get dropped off right near the entrance!
**Cash Only**
The ride TO the bowl is always cool. The ride BACK is sometimes crowded, but you can time your exit RIGHT at the last song (maybe towards the middle of it) so that you can snag a seat before the crowd gets traffic-​y coming down the hill.
Some of the busses are Charter, and therefore really nice and dark and comfy. OTher busses are just like the old-​school public transit busses, but they’re still really cool!
You have 30 minutes after the show ends to get to your bus, but it’s usually not a problem. when you get to your car, there aren’t any annoying lines of cars to get to the freeway.
I mean, really.
WHYYYY haven’t you done this yet?

Great. I hit zero traffic leaving. And buses were coming every 5 mins. No problem waiting in line or not prepaying for tickets we got right on the bus after purchasing a ticket.
Only problem I had was that it took us 40 mins to get to the bowl from la zoo, idk what the bus driver was doing, but at least it was sitting room.
On the way back was a completely different story the bus was jam packed but it took less then 15 mins to get back.
I would definitely use this service again

(Used 07÷06÷13 SA @ 5:30pm and many times before): Leave the headaches of driving and parking to someone else for the fraction of the price!
The 2013 Hollywood Bowl season started for me this evening with «Warner Bros. presents Bugs Bunny Symphony II», and for many years now I’ve been a huge proponent and supporter of the wonderful service offered by the Hollywood Bowl Shuttle L.A. Zoo Lot.
With permission by the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens and the use of Mass Transit Authority (MTA) buses, patrons who attended shows at the Hollywood Bowl had this option (there were others like this around the city, too) to park their car, pay a small per person roundtrip fee ($ 5.00 cash in this case), and rode a bus along with others. «Line 672» was what the young workers yelled out to everyone, which referred to the bus number you looked for once the concert was over and you came down the hill where all of the other buses collected. You better made sure you got on the right bus or you’d go to somewhere else around the city. The buses were air conditioned, and when going to the Bowl they made sure that every seat was filled but not packed. Upon your return, every inch of space was maximized like a can of sardines. Better get comfortable for the 20 minute ride back to the lot.
Service — None really to speak of except for the bus drivers whom you don’t really speak with and the youngsters who sold you the tickets onsite and gave quick instructions about how to find the bus after the show. Buses ran 2 ½ hours before the start of a show and 1 hour or so after the end of a show. Be patient after the show ends as you may be part of a human chain held back behind a barricade for your safety from vehicle traffic that came from all directions.
Parking — There was plenty of it; ’nuff said!
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — You’re at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens parking lot, so what else could be said except it was spacious lot with many aisles of parking spots. Sufficient lights when you returned to your car later in the evening. No shade for your cars but there was some along the side where you’d wait for or to board the buses.
Attire — It was totally casual so I would be in a t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-​flops.
Overall, the Hollywood Bowl Shuttle L.A. Zoo Lot was an amazing service offered in conjunction with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the MTA, and the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens. Traffic was bad enough in L.A. so anything that could be done to alleviate any of it was a Godsend, and in fact, this service has worked for many years. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total bill was around $ 5.00; no tip required), even though the prices had noticeably jumped in recent years. Although it’s cash payment only at the lot, online they accepted my credit card of choice… AMEX!