It is unlikely that Los Angeles will leave anyone indifferent. This city has a lot of things: the sun, the ocean, smiles, rich villas, celebrities, shows and entertainment. It would seem, what else can surprise a sophisticated tourist? The Griffith Observatory is an amazing place that appeared due to the love of one person for the world and the stars.
Griffith jenkins griffith
“Man is driven by dreams” - this can be said of Griffith Jenkins Griffith (1850-1919). A native of Wales, he came to Los Angeles at a young age and immediately fell in love with this city. It so happened that an enterprising young man was able to profitably invest in the development of silver mines, which made him incredibly rich.
At 32, he bought a ranch, which occupied a significant part of the formerly former Spanish settlement on these lands. This incredibly beautiful place is located on the eastern side of the Santa Monica Mountains and occupies 1722 hectares.
One event forever changed the life of Griffith. Looking at the stars through a telescope, he fell in love with space and came to the conclusion that he should become closer to people. Los Angeles is a fairly green city, because there are about a hundred parks, including botanical gardens, but the millionaire decided that such a beautiful city needs a great park, and gave him most of his land for this, provided that it will have Griffith Observatory. So he made a gift to Los Angeles and at the same time immortalized his name.
Griffith Park
This place can be safely called an attraction of America, as it is not only five times larger than Central Park in New York, but also offers many free or shareware entertainment.
In the park:
- Griffith Observatory, which is located in its highest part.
- The city zoo, which has become home to more than 1000 animals.
- Museums and attractions.
- Botanical garden with exotic plants.
- From the oak grove they made a place for horse riding.
- Numerous paths in the park for pedestrians.
- Several golf courses.
- Greek-style amphitheater that attracts singers, musicians and theater troupes from around the world with its acoustics.
It is said that Walt Disney, who visited the Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles), liked the amusement park so much that he had the idea of creating Disneyland.
Although the transfer of land as a gift to the city took place in 1896, it took 39 years before the observatory appeared.
Observatory
The construction of the complex, which includes the Griffith planetarium and observatory, began in 1933, and in 1935 it opened its doors to all comers, since by will it is free to enter here as long as it exists.
Griffith believed that the stars should be available to everyone who loves them, so the only payment that visitors make is to travel by bus. The park is very large, and to get to the Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles), how to get there, you can find out when pre-ordering bus tickets. As a rule, in the park there are 2 places where he leaves from - this is Hollywood and the zoo. The fare will cost $ 8, but you need to book a ticket in advance, since the popularity of this attraction is very high not only in America but throughout the world.
Since the Griffith Observatory is built for people, not for astronomers, everyone can look through a telescope, provided that the weather allows it. If the street is cloudy, then you should not be upset. From three hundred meters high the building offers stunning views of the lights of Los Angeles, which impress no less than the stars.
The numbers speak of interest in this place: when the observatory first opened, more than 13,000 visitors visited it in the first five days. Today, statistics are no less, largely due to the fact that the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles (reviews confirm this) offers numerous free exhibitions with the distribution of educational literature.
Planetarium show
The planetarium is no less famous than the observatory. Its huge dome accommodates a large "area" of space, and whoever saw the thirty-minute show "In the Center of the Universe" cannot forget the impression it makes.
Sitting in comfortable chairs, visitors following the host can observe how the universe was born and what part of it our solar system occupies. Animated pictures tell about all the planets and stars of our galaxy, their location, atmosphere and features.
This show is paid, but the price of $ 7 for adults and $ 3 for children is considered symbolic. To date, the entire complex is recognized as a historical and cultural center aimed at the development and education of Americans.
Exhibitions
Americans are very fond of shows, bright and interesting exhibitions, so on any day of the week, except Monday, when there is a day off, there are a lot of people in the park. None of them pass by free access to the Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles). Exhibits of the permanent exhibition also attract attention.
Here are:
- The huge Foucault pendulum, which demonstrates how the Earth rotates in its orbit.
- Tesla’s coil is perhaps the most striking exhibit of the observatory, as from time to time it releases strong violet lightning bolts into the walls of the chamber where it is placed.
- An interesting periodic table is made, in each cell of which its “representative" and an image of a chemical symbol are represented.
- Microscopic pieces of the moon can only be examined under a microscope, but this does not stop anyone.
- A copy of our solar system in compliance with the proportions of the planets in relation to each other.
Important: you should not miss such entertainment as information about who would weigh how much on each of the planets.
These are permanent "inhabitants" of the observatory, but themed exhibitions are often held here, which locals like to visit.
Updated Observatory
In 2002, it was closed for restoration, and surprisingly, all 93 million dollars that were required for this were collected by distributing specially issued bonds for this case. When the Griffith Observatory opened in 2006, it appeared in its enlarged and updated form, while the interior was familiar to all residents of the city.