Griffith Observatory

About 8 million people have looked through Griffith Observatory’s historic 12-inch Zeiss refracting telescope — more than through any other telescope on Earth. On clear evenings, that still means joining a very public ritual: queuing for a free look through an instrument with a century’s worth of fingerprints, questions and first glimpses behind it.

Admission to the Observatory building, grounds and public telescopes is always free, which keeps the place feeling properly civic rather than exclusive. It is the most-visited public observatory in the world and Southern California’s civic gateway to the cosmos, with regular telescope viewing and monthly Public Star Parties turning astronomy into something you can actually take part in, not just read about.

Inside, the Samuel Oschin Planetarium adds a different scale: live, ticketed shows have been seen by more than 18 million people. Between that, the Tesla Coil demonstrations and the restored central rotunda, the visit becomes part science show, part landmark. Outside, the south slope of Mount Hollywood gives you close views of the Hollywood Sign and the city below.