Griffith Park Observatory

Watched a show here about Galileo Galilei with the girlfriend for extra credit. It was not that bad but it was a little boring. The view from that place was nice specially at night, you can see some stars in the sky. Not too breathtaking but just nice. more

I've not been inside, but even the views from outside make this a place worth visiting. It was being renovated when I moved here so at some point I'm going to visit it for more than just a look out spot. more

Good place to visit. Nice view and many educational stations. Do wait for tesla coil demonstration. Ask them for schedule more

Forget about the hike and head here after dark for one of their Public Star Parties, a free monthly stargazing gathering where astronomers explain how to use telescopes so you're not just pretending to see whatever planet ""is unusually close to earth right now"" more

Parking can seem like a pain, but it's worth it. This is a good place to spend a leisurely afternoon. The view is really cool, too, when the air is clear. more

I've been to many observatories but this one by far is the best. I was lucky enough to come the first Saturday after the full moon and there were many people with their own personal telescopes set up on the lawn....that they allowed you to use!!! It was amazing!! We were able to see Jupiter up close and personal as well as several different starts etc. Great place to visit and definitely come the first Saturday after the full moon...you wont regret it! more

this is a great place to hike up to and view the city, there are always tours and exhibits to learn from. great place to relax, make a day of it. Pros: hike up, informative more

As you walk towards the observatory from the parking lot, to the right the steps lead you to the cafe which is perched on the side of the hill along with a terrace and white umbrellas... i uploaded a photo). Wolf Gang Puck sandwiches and salads are fresh and yummy (though basic and inexpensive), and the views are the best you can get. I bring guests here (like my parents type thing). Pros: best 'museum' cafe shop in a while Cons: if weather is not good u miss out more

I was EXTREMELY disappointed with my experience here; I came on a rainy day looking for something to do - my first time since it reopened in 4 years. Bought 3 tickets to the planetarium show for myself and my brothers who were visiting from the east coast. Decided to grab a bite to eat before the show and was horrified by the ridiculous prices at the cafe -- $2.75 for a small bottle of soda? $3 for a snack bag sized chips? I spent more on one small meal than on three show tickets (as the prices were not all listed). Then when we went back upstairs for the planetarium show, we were about 30 seconds late, and the door was already closed and locked. I asked the girl at the front desk, and she told me rudely to look at the clock, I was two minutes late and would not be let in. I said, well then when's the next show? She tells me it doesn't matter because my tickets would not be valid for any other show. No refunds. No late entry. No seeing a later show if you are 30 seconds late. I was stunned; then said I would never be coming back, ripped up my tickets and left them on the counter. The girl says ""Thank you"" on my way out. She was rude and snippy. I was severely disappointed; not only was it a rainy day, and there was hardly anyone there -- but they are rude to some of the few customers they have? Their policy should at least be that if you are late getting to a show you should be able to exchange your tickets for a later show. And it was raining and I'm sure that theater was only half full if that! I felt so ripped off! After they gouged me for the food in the cafe, I ended up spending $40 on the food and tickets for a show that I did not get to see. Boy, if Griffith J. Griffith could see this I think he'd turn over in his grave. I don't think he gave money for an observatory to swindle as much money as possible from people interested in what I was hoping would be a wonderful astronomical experience. Observatory Management, you should be ashamed. Pros: Beautiful restoration, first class amenities Cons: Price gouging; Late policy more

The observatory is certainly an unmissable sight. It is located in the beautiful Griffith park and offers besides the exhibits also a stunning LA skyline view from the observatory's extensive patios which are accessible on every floor. The observatory's guide was conversational, knowledegable and available for questions at any time. Interactive exhibits made the exhibition more interesting and fun. more

My date and I decided to do something out of the norm and went to the new observatory on a Saturday night. It was SO much fun. Totally out of the norm. And really, really interesting/educational. Kind of mind blowing. What a fun date, double date, event for out of towners, family, kids. So cool. Beautiful view. Romantic if you want it to be. A ""must do"". Pros: educational AND fun Cons: parking more

The Griffith Observatory has reopened this year after 5 year, multi billion dollar renovation project. I finally was able to visit it to see what was done and I was very happy to see that this landmark got the upgrade that it was in dire need for. The building and courtyard look almost the same and the pendulum is still in the center of the main lobby. But the big changes are the new underground exhibit area featuring an enourmous photo of outer space called ""the Big Picture"". The new planetarium show is a definite must see and you get a good crash course in astronomy 101 with all the observatory exhibits. The views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign are always picturesque (smog permitting) and the addition of the new cafe allows for a nice afternoon outing at the top of Griffith Park. Pros: It's free, you can drive up to it again, it's open! Cons: Parking is limited so consider getting there early more

After having gone through extensive and costly renovation, and then almost being engulfed by a park fire, the Observatory was again ""newly"" opened to the public. Very much like the Getty when it opened, you have to make reservations to visit the Observatory these days. You park at the Los Angeles Zoo and they shuttle you to the top of the hill. (Your reservation is actually for the shuttle...not for admission to the shows.) The mosaics in the rotunda are stunningly beautiful now that they've been restored/cleaned, and it's still fun to watch the pendulum knock down the pegs. Of course, the newest and most impressive of the renovations is the planetarium. Where once we watched cool laserium shows in extremely uncomfortable wooden chairs, we now watch versions of the sky on a newly construction dome ceiling with an amazingly impressive new Zeiss projector. Anyone who knows cameras/binoculars or any type of implement that uses high quality focal glass knows the name Zeiss. Even though the parking situation is a little cumbersome right now...it's totally worth sitting back in a plush seat staring at a night sky you can see no other place. more

Since the long awaited completion of the remodeling we went to the observatory with high hopes, and I'm happy to share that it certainly satisfy our expectations. Especially after watching the movie, it leaves you wondering if we are really alone in this universe. Certainly a must see. An unexpected bonus was the beautiful night view of Los Angeles. Pros: Educational, View Cons: The bus music was very annoying...please change it to classical or jazz. Also someone needs to proof read those powerpoint slides on the bus. more

I was so excited to see the newly-renovated Griffith Observatory, which had been closed since 2002. It re-opened Nov. 3, and I was able to get tickets for Nov. 5 -- bad move. We took the shuttle from the Hollywood Highland station, and there was no line, and no system at all. They took our tickets, but they didn't even check to see if everyone getting on the bus had tickets (waste of $8/person), so people just sneaked in. They also said there would be times/schedules, which were printed on the tickets, but they let anyone who was there ride the shuttle anyway, which caused the shuttle to be overcrowded. We had to stand the whole time with no airconditioning! I couldn't wait for the ride to end! Once we got there, it was a mass of people, and lines for everything. We tried getting tickets to the planetarium, but it was sold out. We tried to have dinner at the cafe but the lines were outrageous so we nixed that idea. We lined up for the telescope for 30 mins, until we realized it would be at least another hour and 1/2 before we got in, so we just went outside to line up for 20 mins to look into a small telescope (w/c lasted less than a minute). Looking at displays and features was horrible since there were so many kids who wanted to get ahead of us. Plus, there were still a lot of missing displays and exhibits. Argh!!! TIPS: get a planetarium ticket ASAP and work your schedule around that; try to have a meal before going coz it's ridiculous to spend so much time there, lining up for food; save going around till the end, after you've gone to the more important planetarium & telescope. Pros: great LA attraction, awesome city views Cons: super crowded, incomplete exhibits/displays, no system in place more