Griffith Observatory is a fairly popular tourist attraction in Los Angeles. It is located on the slopes of Mount Hollywood. Griffith Park, where the observatory is located, is an excellent viewpoint from which the whole landscape of the area opens. From there you can see Hollywood, and the Pacific Ocean, and Los Angeles. She is often shown in various sensational films. Now we will tell you what kind of observatory it is, how they appeared, and why its visit is often included in the program of travelers who make excursions in Los Angeles. The Americans managed to combine two things at once - this is a scientific organization and a popular tourist site. Let's take a walk through this amazing place.
Tours in the USA
Excursions to this country are enjoyed by different categories of the population. There are lots of options for beach and winter holidays, as well as interesting trips. New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Washington - each of these cities can amaze your imagination with its sights and cultural diversity. Many organized trips to the United States include a visit to Los Angeles. As a rule, their duration is from a week or more. Such tours in the United States include trips to the outskirts of the city, various amusement parks such as Universal Studios, Disneyland or Sea World in San Diego.
History
Griffith's Observatory and the park itself, where it is located, are called so because it is the name of the person who owned the land. He transferred it to the city of Los Angeles at the end of the XIX century. They say that for a long time he speculated on real estate, but once he looked at the sky from the mountain with the best telescope at that time. The view shocked him. Jenkins Griffith also decided to finance the construction of a planetarium and observatory on Mount Hollywood. The project, whose architect was John Austin, was completed in 1935. Then the buildings of the observatory and exhibition halls were ready. They were decorated in art deco style. The opening of the planetarium was accompanied by a campaign in the press, and the audience just surged into the mountain. In the first years of the observatory, 13 thousand people visited it. Among the exhibits was a Foucault pendulum, proving the rotation of the Earth around its axis, one of Zeiss's first telescopes, as well as a relief model of the moon’s north pole. Under a huge dome in the center of the building, a planetarium worked. They demonstrated the mechanics of solar eclipses, and also talked about how the solar system works. During the Second World War, the planetarium was used as a simulator for pilots, and in the sixties of the last century - astronauts.
How to get to the Griffith Observatory?
Parking is quite far from the observation deck. To go from there ten to fifteen minutes. However, you will have to look for a place for a car for a long time, and there are many traffic jams, especially on weekends. Well, if you don’t arrive by your own or rented transport, get ready for a mountain ascent on foot. You can get to the foot by special shuttle buses that run from Hollywood, Highland and the Los Angeles Zoo. The fare is $ 8.
Opening hours and prices
In 2002, the observatory was temporarily closed for reconstruction. She earned it again in 2006. All the buildings were completely renovated, and the planetarium dome was renovated. From the very opening, people were allowed here for free. So bequeathed the founder of the observatory. But tickets for a laser show in a theater are sold separately at the box office. The submission price is seven US dollars. Children under five years old are allowed free of charge, but only for morning performances. Griffith Observatory is closed on Monday. Opening hours in the middle of the week are from noon to ten in the evening. On weekends, it opens from 10 in the morning.
Description
At the beginning of the 21st century, new buildings were built on the mountain terraces below the observatory. These are new exhibition halls, souvenir shops, cafes, as well as the Leonard Nimim Theater “Event Horizon” and a museum of precious stones and articles made of them. One of the walls of the observatory is decorated with a giant image of the galactic cluster of the Virgin, which is called the Big Picture. There are about a million galaxies. This part of space in the starry sky accessible to our eyes can be closed with a finger. The planetarium is equipped with telescopes and projectors that allow you to view photos coming from space stations in high resolution. One of the most popular exhibitions - “The Way of Humanity to the Sky” - is underground. There, special plates mark the entire history of the universe, starting with the Big Bang. The most visited show at the observatory is the laser video “In the Center of the Universe” at the planetarium. For thirty minutes, actors led by Chris Shelton perform against the backdrop of the artificial starry sky he created. Sometimes the Griffith Observatory offers visitors a live broadcast of various achievements in the field of astronautics, such as the landing of the Phoenix mission on Mars in 2008. They love to shoot this complex in films and series, such as Mission Impossible, Transformers, Terminator 4, and others. Her design was also used in computer games.
Reviews
Tourists write that the Griffith Observatory is especially interesting for visits in the mornings and evenings. Very impressive view from the mountain. Travelers are advised to look through a telescope, check their weight on the moon and Mars, touch real meteorites with their hands. All halls are technically very well equipped, interesting for both adults and children. In the evening, the view of the shining lights of Los Angeles is simply unique. You need to plan a trip here for the whole day. There are decent eateries, you can take burgers, potatoes, salads, even soup. Tables overlooking the mountains and the inscription "Hollywood". However, if you do not want to spend money on local cafes, take water with you. Comfortable shoes also will not hurt, because you will have to walk a lot. In addition to the observatory itself, you can walk in the surrounding mountains. There are many marked hiking trails. There are picnic tables.