Griffith Observatory

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Griffith Observatory

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🎨 Museum · Los Angeles

2 hours · Free · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 2.0
1–3 yrs
★ 3.0
3–5 yrs
★ 3.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 30 min drive
    From Arcadia · Parking: Observatory lot about $10/hour and nearly impossible on weekends; better to park at the Greek Theatre lot and take the DASH Observatory bus ($0.50) up the hill
  • 🍼
    Stroller-friendly
    Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
  • 🌳
    Some shade
    Great on sunny days · Good on cool days · Rain-OK
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 2 hours
    Best seasons: Spring · Fall · Winter · Summer

The best free viewpoint in Los Angeles: the Hollywood Sign off one side of the terrace and the whole city out to the ocean off the other; the Foucault pendulum and Tesla coil inside mesmerize big kids, and the planetarium dome show is a must for ages 5 and up.

💡 Tips
Closed Mondays; opens at noon on weekdays and 10am on weekends, and arriving before opening is the best way to park on the hill. Planetarium tickets are about $10 for adults, $6 for kids, and children under 5 are only admitted to the first show of the day. It is windy on top, so bring a jacket.

What this place offers

✓free
✓Hollywood Sign
✓telescopes
✓planetarium
✓Foucault pendulum
✓city views
✓restrooms

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Los Angeles

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

☁️
Sat 10/17
Overcast · 73–88°F · 0% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 73–86°F · 0% rain

Location

Los Angeles, California

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