Griffith
Observatory - Los Angeles, CA
Pictures, a video clip and visitor
information from a trip to Griffith Observatory located in Los Angeles,
California.
By Paul B. Michaels Author & Photographer Auto Mechanic Since 1989 |
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 Griffith Observatory |
 Hiking / Biking Trail |
 Griffith Park |
| Griffith
Observatory was on our short list of "must see" attractions during
our brief visit to the LA area and Orange County in May 2012. We came primarily for the great view of the iconic "HOLLYWOOD" sign but also enjoyed seeing all of the LA basin including downtown Los Angeles with its infamous layer of smog, the Pacific Ocean and the city of Hollywood. Griffith Observatory is located within the 3,015 acre Griffith Park at 2800 E. Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. The observatory is open from 12 noon to 10 PM Wednesday to Friday and from 10 AM to 10 PM Saturday and Sunday. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Both parking and admission into the observatory building are completely free. Small fees are charged to view shows inside the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. |
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 Observatory Parking Lot |
| Griffith Observatory will be closed on major holidays in 2012 such as MLK Jr. Day (Jan. 16th), Presidents' Day (Feb. 20th), Cesar Chavez Day (Mar. 26th), Memorial Day (May 28th), Labor Day (Sept. 3rd), Columbus Day (Oct. 8th), Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) and Christmas Day (Dec. 25th). | ||
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 HOLLYWOOD Sign |
| If you get hungry or thirsty while visiting the observatory, food and drinks are available at The Cafe at the End of the Universe which is operated by Wolfgang Puck. We spent about $30 for two sandwiches, three waters and one coconut water from the Grab-n-Go section at the front of the cafe. | ||
 LA Basin View |
 Layer Of Smog |
 Triple Beam Coelostat |
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| We didn't visit the inside area of the observatory but I've read that it contains some interesting exhibits such as the Foucault Pendulum, a Tesla Coil, Camera Obscura, Beyond the Visible, Sun & Stars Paths, Elements, The Active Sun, Moon Phases, Tides, Eclipses, Seasons, Day & Night, Using the Sky and Our Sun is a Star. | ||
 Front Lawn |
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| Since the Griffith Observatory is a famous LA landmark, it has been featured in various movies and TV shows such as "The Terminator", "The Rocketeer", "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle", "The People vs. Larry Flynt", "Queen of the Damned", "Transformers", "Yes Man", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "MacGyver", "Melrose Place", and a cartoon depiction in "The Simpsons". | ||
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 Coelostat Instrument Dome |
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| Some of the other attractions in Griffith Park that we hope to someday visit include the Greek Theatre, the LA Equestrian Center, the LA Zoo, "Travel Town" and the Autry National Center museum. | ||
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 East Observatory Ave |
| During our visit to the Griffith Observatory, I captured a few short clips and later edited them together into a brief video. To view the video, click on the blue link below. To download the video to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As". | ||
 Interesting Lizard |
 Hiking Down To Rental Car |
 Parked Cars & Traffic |
| For more of my related photo galleries, please click on the following links: Santa Barbara City Tour, Santa Barbara Kayaking, Santa Barbara Zoo, Whale Watching Tour, Ventura, Heisler Park & Laguna Beach, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Forest Lawn Memorial Park. | ||