Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California: Renovated & Re-Opened

I was thrilled and extremely pleased when I finally got the opportunity to visit the newly renovated Griffith Observatory. After 6 years of repairs and extensive expansion, it finally opened to the public. For years, I have brought my students to this famous site. They always had a great time with its special shows, valuable collections of displays and hands-on exhibits. A colleague told me that the renovation took a long time because every part of the construction process involved very detailed work, and, having seen the place for the first time after so many years, I believe the painstaking labor on the Observatory has paid off.

The Observatory is now regarded as one of the finest, if not the finest, observatory in the world. The Samuel Oschin Planetarium stages an amazing show of the universe. It is state-of-the art, giving the visitors an immersive planetarium environment with its new dome, digital laser projection system, sound system and lighting, and a 200-seat theater. The Observatory is also proud of its large exhibit gallery that entices visitors to explore and become an eager observer. It gives all this for a small entrance fee.

In the Griffith Observatory Visitor's Guide pamphlet, it hails Griffith Observatory as an icon of Los Angeles, a national leader in public astronomy, and one of southern California's most popular attractions.

Further reading of the pamphlet gives you the history of the Observatory as one man's vision for inspiring people through astronomy and has become the most visited public observatory in the world. Griffith J. Griffith first gave Griffith Park to Los Angeles in 1896. He left money in his will in 1919 to build the Observatory and the Greek Theater.