The area now known as Tarzana was originally part of the San Fernando Mission, which was established in 1797 by Spanish settlers and missionaries. Later on the area became part of Mexico and then, following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United States, at which point the area came to be part of a sequential order of large cattle ranches owned by local elites. Beginning in the 1870s, the area was purchased by investors who transformed it into a large-scale wheat farm operation.

The Tarzana Recreation Center is in Tarzana. The center has a gymnasium that also is used as an auditorium; the building's capacity is 600. The park also has barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, an indoor gymnasium without weights, picnic tables, and lighted volleyball courts.