Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory has kept the same bargain since 1935: astronomy for everyone, free, forever - the condition of Griffith J. Griffith's bequest to Los Angeles. The building holds up its end in style, a triple-domed Art Deco temple on the south slope of Mount Hollywood where the terraces serve the city's definitive view - the basin's grid running to the Pacific, downtown's towers to the east and the Hollywood Sign posing on the next ridge. Inside, a Foucault pendulum swings its slow proof of the turning earth, a Tesla coil crackles on schedule, and the Samuel Oschin Planetarium runs some of the best star shows anywhere under its dome. The heart of the bargain still beats after dark, when the historic Zeiss refractor and lawn telescopes open to the public queue - more people have looked through the Zeiss here than any telescope on earth, the observatory plausibly claims. Hollywood has filmed on the terraces for ninety years.

What you actually see

• The terrace views - the LA basin, downtown and the Hollywood Sign.
• The Zeiss telescope - the public eyepiece queue after dark.
• The planetarium dome - the Oschin's celebrated star shows.
• The pendulum and Tesla coil - the 1935 crowd-pleasers still performing.

When to go

Sunset into darkness is the full program - city lights igniting below, telescopes opening above; winter's post-rain clarity beats summer haze. It is closed Mondays, and weekend evenings draw the biggest crowds of the week.

Honest expectations

Admission is genuinely free, but arriving is the tax: parking on the hill is paid, scarce and contested, so the DASH Observatory bus or a hike up from Fern Dell is the saner route. Telescope queues on busy nights run long - treat the wait as part of the evening.

Nearby

Griffith Park's trails, the Greek Theatre and Hollywood below.