Since opening, the Observatory has welcomed over 76 million visitors. dedicated to public science and possessed the third planetarium in the U.S. When it opened in 1935, it was one of the first institutions in the U.S. Upon completion of construction in 1935, the Observatory was given to the City of Los Angeles with the provision that it be operated for the public with no admission charge. Griffith (who donated the land for Griffith Park in 1896), who specified the purpose, features, and location of the building in his 1919 will. It was constructed with funds from the bequest of Griffith J.

Griffith Observatory is a unique hybrid of public observatory, planetarium, and exhibition space. The Observatory is one of the most popular informal education facilities in the United States and the most-visited public observatory in the world (with over one million visitors a year). Griffith Observatory is a free-admission, public facility owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks in the middle of an urban metropolis of ten million people. The Observatory is the best vantage point for observing the world-famous Hollywood Sign. It is 1,134 feet above sea level and is visible from many parts of the Los Angeles basin. The Observatory is located on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, just above the Los Feliz neighborhood. “The Big Picture” – a 150 feet (46 m) by 20 feet (6.Griffith Observatory is an icon of Los Angeles, a national leader in public astronomy, a beloved civic gathering place, and one of southern California’s most popular attractions.A large Tesla coil, dubbed “GPO-1” – built in 1910.Views of the Pacific Ocean, the Hollywood Sign, and Downtown Los Angeles.The historic Zeiss Telescope on the roof.The observatory was split up into six sections: In 2006, the observatory was significantly expanded with an underground expansion and entirely new exhibits, including the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater. The planetarium was again used for this purpose in the 1960s to train Apollo program astronauts for the first lunar missions. The observatory and accompanying exhibits were opened to the public in 1935, as America’s third planetarium. The building combines Greek and Beaux-Arts influences, and the art deco exterior is embellished with the Greek key pattern.ĭuring World War II, the planetarium was used to train pilots in celestial navigation. Griffith’s, an industrialist and philanthropist, made the donation intending to make astronomy accessible to the public.

In 1896, 3,015 acres (12.20 km2) of land surrounding the observatory was donated to the City of Los Angeles to build an observatory, exhibit hall, and planetarium on the donated land. Over 7 million people have had the opportunity to view space through the 12-inch Zeiss refractor telescope, since the Observatory’s 1935 opening. The observatory exhibits an extensive array of space and science-related displays and provides commanding views of the Los Angeles Basin. The Griffith Observatory is located on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park.

Griffith observatory planetarium