GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY #2, DAYTRIPPERS, ASTRONOMY, COSMOLOGY, LOS ANGELES, FOUCAULT, GALILEO 9.2009 Video

Griffith Observatory Location Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Architect John C. Austin and Frederick M. Ashley Construction started 20 June 1933
Style Art Deco
Griffith Observatory is located in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The observatory is a popular tourist attraction that features an extensive array of space- and science-related displays.

View from a trail in Griffith Park from the south, looking north.The land on which the observatory stands was donated to the City of Los Angeles by Col. Griffith J. Griffith in 1896. In his will, Griffith donated funds to build an observatory, exhibit hall, and planetarium on the donated land. Construction began on June 20, 1933 using a design developed by architect John C. Austin based on preliminary sketches by Russell W. Porter. The observatory and accompanying exhibits were opened to the public on May 14, 1935. In its first five days of operation the observatory logged more than 13,000 visitors. Dinsmore Alter was the museum's director during its first years. Today, Dr. Ed Krupp is the Director of the Observatory.