Griffith Observatory

A 1935 Art Deco observatory on the south slope of Mount Hollywood, with planetarium shows, a Foucault pendulum, the original 12-inch Zeiss telescope, and the city's best free view over downtown to the Pacific. The building featured prominently in La La Land and Rebel Without a Cause.

Free admission to the building and the grounds; planetarium shows have a small charge. Parking is constrained — go on a weekday or take the DASH shuttle from the Vermont/Sunset metro stop. Best at sunset for the view.

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When Griffith J. Griffith donated the money for the observatory in 1896 the city refused for years to take it because Griffith had recently shot his wife in the eye. After his death the city accepted; the Art Deco hall opened in 1935 and has been the most-visited public observatory in the world ever since.

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