Observatory of Griffith - a unique attraction of Los Angeles

Observatory of Griffith - this is a fairly popular tourist attraction of Los Angeles. It is on the slopes of Mount Hollywood. Griffith Park, where the observatory is located, is a beautiful viewpoint from which the entire terrain landscape opens. From there you can see Hollywood, and the Pacific Ocean, and Los Angeles. It is often shown in various sensational films. Now we will tell you about 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 walk around this amazing institution.

Tours in the USA

Excursions to this country are popular with different categories of the population. There are a lot of options for beach and winter recreation, as well as interesting trips. New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Washington - each of these cities can impress the imagination with its sights and cultural diversity. Many organized trips to the United States of America include a visit to Los Angeles. As a rule, their duration is from a week or more. Such tours in the US include trips to the outskirts of the city, various amusement parks, such as Universal Studios, Disneyland or Sea World in San Diego.

History

The Griffith Observatory and the park itself, where it is located, are named that way, because this is the name of the person to whom the land belonged. He gave it to the city of Los Angeles back in the late 19th century. They say that for a long time he speculated real estate, but once he glanced at the sky from the mountain in the best telescope at that time. The sight shocked him. Jenkins Griffith also decided to fund the construction of a planetarium and an 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 the Art Deco style. The opening of the planetarium was accompanied by a campaign in the press, and the public immediately poured into the mountain. In the first years of the observatory's work, 13 thousand people visited it. Among the exhibits was Foucault's pendulum, proving the rotation of the Earth around the axis, one of the first Zeiss telescopes, as well as a relief model of the northern pole of the Moon. Under the huge dome in the center of the building was a planetarium. There they demonstrated the mechanics of solar eclipses, and also told about the structure of the solar system. 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 Griffith Observatory?

Parking is quite far from the observation deck. Go from there for ten to fifteen minutes. However, the place for the car will have to be looked for a long time, and there are a lot of traffic jams, especially on weekends. Well, if you do not come by your own or rented transport, get ready for your ascent to the mountain. To the bottom you can get on special shuttle buses that run from Hollywood, Highland and the Los Angeles zoo. The fare is 8 dollars.

Working hours and prices

In 2002, the observatory was temporarily closed for reconstruction. Once again it earned in 2006. All the buildings were completely restored, and the dome of the planetarium was repaired. From the very opening people were allowed in here for free. So bequeathed the founder of the observatory. But tickets for a laser show in the theater are sold separately, at the ticket office. The price of presentation is seven US dollars. Children under five are admitted for free, but only for morning performances. On Monday, the Griffith Observatory is closed. Opening hours are from noon until ten in the evening. On weekends it opens from 10am.

Description

At the beginning of the 21st century, new buildings were built on the terraces of the mountain, below the observatory. These are new exhibition halls, souvenir shops, a cafe, as well as the Leonard Nimogy Theater "Event Horizon" and a museum of precious stones and products made of them. One of the walls of the observatory is decorated with a giant image of a galaxy of Virgo, which is called the Great Picture. There are about a million galaxies. This part of the cosmos can be covered with a finger on the starry sky accessible to our eye. The planetarium is equipped with telescopes and projectors, allowing to view photographs coming from space stations in high resolution. One of the popular exhibitions - "The Way of Humanity to the Sky" - is underground. In the same place, the whole history of the universe, beginning with the Big Bang, is marked with special plates. The most visited show in the observatory is the laser video "In the center of the Universe" in the planetarium. Within thirty minutes against the backdrop of the artificial starry sky created by them act actors led by Chris Shelton. Sometimes the Griffith Observatory offers visitors a live broadcast of various space activities, such as the landing of the Phoenix mission on Mars in 2008. This complex is loved to be shot in films and serials, such as "Mission Impossible", "Transformers", "Terminator 4" and others. Its 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 the telescope, check their weight on the Moon and Mars, touch the real meteorites with their hands. All the halls are technically very well equipped, interesting for adults and children alike. In the evening, the view of the shining lights of Los Angeles is simply unique. It is necessary to plan a trip here for the whole day. Here decent snack bars, you can take burgers, potatoes, salads, even soup. Tables with a view of 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 do not hurt, because you will have to walk a lot. In addition to the observatory itself, you can walk around the surrounding mountains. There are many marked hiking trails. There are tables for picnics.