An Evening Out

Griffith
Park

Los Angeles, California · March 2023

1935 Observatory Opened
9 Photos
1 Evening
Griffith Observatory & Park · Los Angeles

An Evening at Griffith

An evening drive up Mount Hollywood ends at Griffith Observatory, the art deco domes that have looked out over Los Angeles since 1935. The land came from Griffith J. Griffith, a Welsh-born mining speculator who donated over 3,000 acres to the city in 1896 to build a "Great Park" — today Griffith Park, at more than 4,000 acres, is one of the largest urban parks in the country. His will stipulated the observatory stay free forever, and it has: more people have looked through its 12-inch Zeiss refracting telescope than any other telescope on Earth.

We caught the view everyone comes for — the Hollywood Sign across the canyon and downtown LA's skyline turning from hazy daylight to a wall of lights — and then ducked inside the Samuel Oschin Planetarium for a show under its domed sky. By the time we came back out, a full moon had cleared the hills and the observatory's floodlit facade was doing its best impression of a postcard.

The Hollywood Sign seen from a distance on a green hillside under an overcast sky
The Hollywood Sign, seen from across the canyon.
Eddy and Ako close selfie smiling with the Hollywood Sign visible on the hillside behind them
Eddy and Ako with the Hollywood Sign behind them.
A hazy daytime view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline seen from a hillside above the city
Downtown LA in the afternoon haze, seen from up on the hill.
A person reclining and looking up at the blue projected sky inside the domed planetarium theater
Inside the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, looking up at the projected sky.
Eddy and Ako selfie inside the blue-lit planetarium dome with other seated visitors around them
Eddy and Ako under the planetarium dome, mid-show.
A close telephoto shot of a bright full moon against a dark night sky
A full moon cleared the hills right on cue.
The floodlit Griffith Observatory building with its domes against a darkening blue dusk sky, visitors on the lawn
Griffith Observatory, floodlit against the last blue of dusk.
A darker view of the Griffith Observatory domes and lit facade at night from a different angle
The observatory again, a little later, a little darker.
The downtown Los Angeles skyline lit up at night, seen through trees from the hillside
Downtown LA lit up after dark — the same view, a different city.