Griffith Observatory is Free, Stays Open Late, and Almost Everyone Leaves Too Early

Almost everyone who visits arrives in daylight, parks poorly, walks the terraces, photographs the Hollywood Sign, looks over the city, and leaves before sunset. Meaning the vast majority of visitors miss the whole point of an observatory, which is that it works after dark and gives you access to a telescope for free.

Which changes everything. Come later, stay later, and you have one of the great dates in Los Angeles rather than a quick photography stop. The Griffith Observatory Los Angeles takes for granted is best after dark.

Griffith Observatory Free Admission Policy

Let us start with the money question. Griffith Observatory free admission has been true since the observatory opened in 1935 – admission is free for everyone, with no tickets required.

The Griffith Observatory free admission policy was part of the original bequest of Griffith J. Griffith to the city of Los Angeles – the observatory should always be open to the public free of charge so that anyone could look through a telescope. And that remains true today, nearly a century later. Only the planetarium shows and parking cost money.

Griffith Observatory Tickets for Planetarium Shows

Except the dome. Griffith Observatory tickets for the Samuel Oschin Planetarium are about ten dollars for adults, with lower rates for children and seniors, and they are sold on the day rather than reserved ahead.

Planetarium shows run on a rotating schedule throughout the day and are well worth it – live narration by a speaker rather than pre-recorded, using a planetarium projector considered one of the best in the world. Griffith Observatory tickets for the first show of the day are easier to get – evening shows at weekends sell out. Arrive early enough to buy as soon as you get here, and spend some time browsing the exhibits until your show time.

Interior of the Griffith Observatory Planetarium and the Exhibits

The Griffith Observatory planetarium is the heart of the place, but the surrounding exhibits are what people remember – the Foucault pendulum in the entry rotunda, slowly demonstrating the rotation of the Earth, the Tesla coil which periodically fires, the Big Picture, the enormous photographic representation of the sky.

Beneath that, the Griffith Observatory planetarium rests above the basement level where the exhibits on the Moon, planets and the history of astronomy are presented. The building itself is art deco style, copper-domed, and white against the hillside and is a landmark of Los Angeles and has featured in many movies.

Free Telescopes at the Griffith Observatory

This is the point worth planning around. Every clear night when the observatory is open, the historic Zeiss refractor on the roof is available to the public at no charge, and staff set up additional telescopes on the front lawn.

More people have looked through the Zeiss telescope than any other in the world. The line keeps moving and the view is free, whatever it might happen to be – the rings of Saturn, the craters of the Moon, whatever is up on any particular night. Monthly star parties bring amateur astronomy groups with their own telescopes onto the lawn and those nights are special indeed. No one describes standing in line for twenty minutes to see Saturn through a telescope as a waste of time.

Griffith Observatory Hours and the Ideal Visit Timing

The Griffith Observatory hours generally run from Tuesday to Friday from noon to 10PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 10AM to 10PM, and the observatory closes on Mondays.

Those hours exist for night sky viewing and the crowds thin out noticeably past eight, while the telescopes remain open. Come in the afternoon, watch the sunset from the terrace, catch a show in the planetarium as the light fades, then line up for a telescope. That is the ideal visit, and almost nothing costs money.

Griffith Observatory Parking Situation and How to Avoid It

Here is the reality check. Griffith Observatory parking is by far the hardest part of any visit, and it will defeat you regularly.

Metered parking runs along Observatory Road and in a small lot near the building, and a busy afternoon on the weekends finds the line of cars extending all the way down the hill. The alternatives are better than most people know. The DASH Observatory Shuttle runs from the Metro station at Vermont and Sunset to the door for a small fare, which eliminates the need for Griffith Observatory parking entirely. Alternatively, park in the lower part of Griffith Park and walk up the hill – it takes about half an hour of walking and is quite nice in the evening.

The Griffith Observatory Address

The Griffith Observatory address is 2800 East Observatory Road, on the south slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. There is only one route up the mountain, and this is why the parking gets like it does.

Anyone looking for Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles needs to find the white dome visible from half the city. The Griffith Observatory address is above Los Feliz, and the hiking trails from Fern Dell and the Greek Theatre side also lead up to it, making walking up the hill a real possibility.

Griffith Observatory Events Calendar

Griffith Observatory events include monthly public star parties, telescope viewing during eclipses and transits, lectures and events organized by the Friends Of The Observatory.

Eclipse days at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles are huge, with thousands of visitors each, and filtered solar telescopes are placed on the lawn. In addition, Griffith Observatory events calendar also includes seasonal lectures and live-streamed viewing sessions organized by the observatory. Check the events calendar before selecting the day of the visit – a star party evening is a very different visit from a regular one.

Griffith Observatory Visitor Reviews

The Griffith Observatory reviews are consistently high across all sites and the praise always points to the free admission, views and the building itself. The panorama of the city at dusk is mentioned in practically every review.

The complaint in the Griffith Observatory reviews is always the same – the parking, without exception. The second is the crowd at the weekends. Both issues can be avoided in exactly the same way – come on weekdays or in the evening, use the DASH Shuttle. People doing it tend to write happy reviews, unlike those coming in a car at 2PM on a Saturday.

Creating a Night Out on the Hill

Practically, the Griffith Observatory Los Angeles visit pairs nicely with Los Feliz below for dinner, the Greek Theatre next door for a concert and with the entire Griffith Park for a walk beforehand.

But the group visits present a certain issue. The Griffith Observatory is a looking experience – it is contemplative, silent and beautiful. But after an hour or two of exhibits and lines, particularly with children or a restless companion, your group needs some activity to do together.

From Looking at the Stars to Being Inside a Story

This is our contribution. At Maze Rooms we organize escape rooms all around LA – six locations, more than twenty unique private escape rooms – and we have one just at the foot of the mountain, minutes from the park entrance.

It could not be a better fit. An observatory hour is a receptive experience – you look outward at something ancient and massive. An escape room hour is the opposite muscle – you and your group are inside a created story, an Egyptian tomb or an underwater research station or a Victorian mystery, sixty minutes on the clock and every member of the group needed. The telescope fills you with awe. The room gets you excited and gives you a story for weeks.

Why Group Visits Combine the Observatory With Us

Because the format suits anyone who made it up the mountain. Date nights – a free observatory and a private escape room for two is one of the great value nights in Los Angeles. Family outings – Temple of Lost Gold at our Robertson location is designed to be solved by a nine-year-old. Birthday parties – we hide the gifts inside the room for the birthday person to discover during the game, and the reception area can accommodate outside food, including a birthday cake. Corporate team building – half and full day event packages that beat any conference room.

Every game is private, your group only, no outsiders. Prices start from about $37 a person. Our hours range from 10AM to 11PM daily, covering the late hours of the observatory in both directions – book the room before driving up the hill, or after coming down. Five star reviews on all major sites are earned through many years of creating sets and telling stories – same dedication as putting a free telescope on a hilltop for everyone to look.

Our Locations & Rooms

Highland Ave
Robertson Blvd
Santa Monica Blvd
Playa Del Rey
Vermont Ave
Sepulveda Blvd
Ventura Blvd