Griffith Observatory

How to Get There

Get on CA-110 N from W 1st St and N Grand Ave. Continue on CA-110 N. Take I-5 N/Golden State Fwy to Los Feliz Blvd. Take exit 141A from I-5 N/Golden State Fwy. Continue on Los Feliz Blvd. Take N Vermont Canyon Rd to W Observatory Rd.

Overview

Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The observatory is a popular tourist attraction with a close view of the Hollywood Sign and an extensive array of space and science-related displays. It is named after its benefactor, Griffith J. Griffith. Admission has been free since the observatory's opening in 1935, in accordance with the benefactor's will.

Over 7 million people have been able to view through the 12-inch Zeiss refractor, since the observatory's 1935 opening; this is the most people to have viewed through any telescope.

Visiting

Planetarium shows at the Observatory are offered eight times a day on weekdays and ten times a day on weekends, of which a nominal fee is charged for admission to the planetarium shows. As long as the weather permits, the Observatory offers free public telescope viewing every night the observatory is open. This includes the historic Zeiss Telescope on the roof, and up to four portable telescopes placed outside offering views of visible celestial objects for the night. At 9:30 pm, the doors to the Zeiss dome close, and lines for the portable telescopes outside stop allowing guests into the queues - though they can close earlier on the busier nights. In poor weather, the roof may be closed to the public, but if still accessible under overcast skies, the Zeiss Telescope can still be visited as an exhibit during viewing hours.

There is a small parking lot next to the Observatory, plus more spaces along Western Canyon Rd, which require payment. During busier times, the roads can get congested and limit access to the top. There are photo opportunities and scenery at and around the Observatory, with views of the Pacific Ocean, the Hollywood Sign and Downtown Los Angeles.

Filming location

The observatory was featured in two major sequences of the James Dean film Rebel Without a Cause (1955), which helped to make it an international emblem of Los Angeles. A bust of Dean was subsequently placed at the west side of the grounds.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Griffith Observatory", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0