|
Enjoy Griffith Observatory pics and discover info for planning your visit to the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles! Updated January 17, 2008. Related info--- HOME :: Latest News :: Griffith Park in Los Angeles :: Griffith Park Observatory :: Griffith Park FAQs :: Balboa Park in San Diego The Griffith Park Observatory has reopened!If you're planning to visit, check out the changes you'll need to note!
The pictures of Griffith Park Observatory's exterior (which you're viewing in the picture slide show to your left,) give you a good idea how the remodeling project has kept the same, traditional appearance of the Observatory, while adding a classy and modern dining and observation terrace. 
Here's a run-down on what pictures you're viewing in the slide show above---
*Pictures of Griffith Park Observatory's front lawn area *Picture of James Dean Memorial (he starred in the movie "Rebel Without a Cause" which was filmed here) *Photo of a bus which shuttles visitors from the LA Zoo's parking lot...plus a picture of the Griffith Park reservations bungalow (where you'll park & depart) *Pics of the views from Griffith Park Observatory *Photos of the dome in which the observation telescope resides Note: Both of the slide shows on this page (1 for the Griffith Park Observatory's exterior pictures, and 1 for the interior pics) were made at the free RockYou.com website. If you want to make a slide show, or plan to try one in the future, you can check out the "reviews of free slide shows" page of this website. You can discover websites for making your own free picture shows, and read about my own experiences with using several different companies.) Grand Re-opening Info: A great place to read articles about the gala events surrounding the observatory's grand re-opening in November 2007 is the Los Angeles Times website. You may use the following link to head directly to the
Griffith Park Observatory information page on the LA Times website.
Griffith Park Observatory's Great New Features
You'll be glad to know that the all-new, completely renovated and expanded Griffith Park Observatory is not only shiny & sparkling clean, it offers many new features, as well.First and foremost on this list of "great new items" is the fact that the Griffith Park Observatory's exhibit area has doubled in size! The list of exhibits that the Griffith Park Observatory display areas now contain makes for exciting reading! First of all, I recommend that you study the Griffith Park Observatory's map of exhibits before you go...because there WILL be crowds, and knowing where you want to head will make getting around a whole lot easier for you. Please use the following link to view a
PDF downloadable map of the Griffith Park Observatory's new exhibits.
Next, once you've seen the map, read the names of what exhibits are available, and learned where to find them in the Observatory building...you will want to learn a bit more of the details about your favorite exhibits. For that, you can use the following link to see the
"exhibit details" page of the Griffith Park Observatory official website.
After you've seen the exhibits, you're still not done with things to do at the newly remodeled Griffith Park Observatory! Do you love to shop? The remodeled Griffith Park Observatory has a cute new gift shop! Expect to find all sorts of astronomy & science-themed souvenirs, home decor, apparel, books and toys for sale in the gift shop. Some of the interesting & educational merchandise sold in this shop is hard to find elsewhere...and turns the gift shop into nearly as interesting an "exhibit" as the exhibit area itself! Want to grab a snack while you're at the observatory? The all-new cafeteria is shiny & gleaming...PLUS, it's run by the renowned Wolfgang Puck restaurants! The all-new Griffith Park Planetarium!You'll also notice that you not only SEE more clearly, but you'll HEAR more clearly, as well, because the planetarium's sound system has been upgraded for peak performance. And the new planetarium's seats? Plush and comfy! Check 'em out in the picture of the Griffith Observatory's new seats (to your right.) The show playing at the new Samuel Oschin Planetarium is called "Centered in the Universe." The Griffith Park planetarium is as follows: Saturday and Sunday, the planetarium's busiest days of the week, there will be 11 show times. The schedule of showtimes for the weekends will be: 10:45 pm, 11:45 am, 12:45 pm, 1:45 pm, 2:45 pm, 3:45 pm, 4:45 pm, 5:45 pm, 6:45 pm, 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm. Mondays, the Griffith Park Observatory and Planetarium are closed. Tuesdays through Fridays, the planetarim show schedule will be the SAME as on the weekends EXCEPT that there will be no 10:45 am nor 11:45 am shows given. 
GRIFFITH PLANETARIUM TICKET PRICES: What are the ticket prices for a show at the Griffith Park Planetarium? Adult ticket prices are $7 per show. Seniors (age 60+) cost $5. And kids' tickets (ages 5 through 12) cost only $3. Children age 4 and under get free admission to the Samuel Oschin Planetarium BUT...there are a few rules to observe. For one thing, young children must be seated on their parents' laps. And, most showtimes do NOT admit preschoolers age 4 and under, nor babies. The showtimes which accept very young children are the first shows of the day. (On weekdays, Tuesday through Friday, that's the 12:45 pm showtime. On weekends, Saturday and Sunday, that is the 10:45 am show time.)
You may NOT make advance reservations for a planetarium show (unless you're a member of Friends of the Observatory, that is.) Therefore, if you'd like to enjoy the planetarium, buy your tickets for a planetarium show as soon as you arrive at the Griffith Park Observatory! That way, if the next several showtimes are already "sold out," no problem! You will have time to enjoy the exhibits and the gift shop while you're waiting for your show to start!
Griffith Park Observatory Shuttles
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY PARKING: Parking is no longer permitted next to the Griffith Park Observatory. Now, you need to park at the Griffith Park Observatory's Reservations Center (formerly called the Griffith Observatory Satellite Center.)
Griffith Observatory Parking Address: The Griffith Park ticket center and shuttle parking address is 4800 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027. This sounds complicated, but it isn't. It's really Crystal Springs Drive, only the name has been changed to Western Heritage Way as it passes by the Autry National Center for Western Heritage! Griffith Observatory Parking Map: Here's a Google map to the Griffeth Park Observatory parking lot if you'd like help finding your way. Reason for the Griffith parking shuttle: There's a reason for these changes: Before the observatory closed, it was inundated with a deluge of 25,000 guests all in one day! Now, the Observatory honchos want to make SURE they don't get more than 8,000 visitors/day.) Using the shuttle parking lot is not as convenient as being able to park by the observatory itself...and not as inexpensive, either! But, now that the crowds are winding down, it's not really that bad. On a recent trip to the observatory, I parked at the Satellite Center, bought my shuttle ticket, and was able to board the very next bus to the observatory. (If you go during the most popular times...like weekend mornings...you may still have to wait awhile until you can board a shuttle. To avoid waiting, it's still recommended that you make Observatory Shuttle Reservations IN ADVANCE.)
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY SHUTTLE BUS TICKET FEES: The Griffith Park Observatory Shuttle charges a fee. For adults, the Observatory Shuttle ticket price is is $8/person. Seniors age 60+ are charged $4.00 for an observatory shuttle ticket, and so are children ages 5 thru 12. Kids age 4 and under may board the shuttle...and gain admission to the Griffith Park Observatory & Planetarium...free of charge.
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY SHUTTLE SCHEDULES: The Griffith Park Observatory Shuttle schedules are complicated. The shuttles will run at odd intervals...sometimes every ten minutes, sometimes every 30 minutes, and on occasion, even a bit longer. A sample weekend shuttle schedule is as follows...but, of course, this is subject to change: Leave Parking Lot at 9:30 am, 9:40 am, 9:50 am, 10 am, 10:30 am, 10:40 am, 10: 50 am, 11 am, 11:30 am, 12 noon, 12:10 pm, skip to 1:30 pm, 1:40 pm, 1:50 pm, 2 pm, 2:30 pm, 2:40 pm, 2:50 pm, 3 pm, 3:30 pm, 4 pm, 4:10 pm, 4:20 pm, 4:30 pm, skip to 5:20 pm, 5:30 pm, 5:40 pm, 5:50 pm, 6 pm, 6:10 pm, 6:30 pm (last shuttle.) The last shuttle will usually leave at 6:30 pm (or sometimes 7 pm) beacuse the Observatory closes nightly at 10 pm...and this schedule will still allow the latest-arriving visitors a chance to view the exhibits for several hours.
FREE OBSERVATORY ENTRY TO HIKERS AND CYCLISTS: Hikers and cyclists may enter the Griffith Park Observatory free of charge. (The $8 shuttle ticket fee has been imposed to cover the costs of running the Griffith Park Observatory Shuttle...and the actual Observatory admission itself is "free.") Bikers and hikers may make timed-entry appointments to the observatory up to 48 hours in advance of their arrival; a certain number of entry slots each day will be held open for guests arriving in this manner. And, it's perfectly OK for hikers to park in the Greek Theater area parking spaces! So, to avoid the shuttle fees, all you have to do is hike up a big, long hill! GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY SHUTTLE RESERVATIONS: You may call the Griffith Park Observatory Reservations Phone Number at 1/888/695-0888 between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm Pacific Time. Or, you may make reservations online at the Observatory's website. You may use the following link to hop over to the Griffith Park Observatory official website. A 3rd way to make your reservations is to go to the Griffith Park Observatory Satellite/Reservations Center in person. The Griffith Park Observatory phone number is 213/473-0800. This is the phone number to use to ask questions about the exhibits or planetarium shows.
|
