Griffith Observatory

Iconic Art Deco observatory in the Hollywood Hills — free admission, planetarium shows and a spectacular view across all of Los Angeles.

The Griffith Observatory has towered above Los Angeles from the Hollywood Hills since 1935 and is one of the city's most iconic landmarks. The Art Deco building with its distinctive copper domes offers not only a breathtaking 360° view across the city basin to the Pacific — it is also a working observatory and a public science centre. The planetarium hall runs daily shows about the universe; exhibits explain astronomy and spaceflight in accessible ways. Admission is free. Made cinematically immortal by the film "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), the observatory today draws millions of visitors who come for the views, the architecture, or simply the magical sight of the Hollywood Sign.