
Observatories in Los Angeles and Southern California
See Attractions for more fun things to see
and do.
- Griffith Observatory.
"The Griffith Observatory has been a major Los Angeles landmark since
1935. It was visited by nearly two million people each year and ranked as
one of the top tourist attractions of Southern California. It sits on the
southern slope of Mount Hollywood where it commands a stunning view of the
Los Angeles basin below. Tens of millions of people enjoyed the view from
its balconies and terraces, especially at night. For safety reasons, the
grounds (and some nearby hiking trails) are closed to the public and the
Observatory site is a fenced-off hard-hat construction area. There is no
public access to the Observatory or its lawn. The trail from the
Observatory parking lot up to Mt. Hollywood remains open during
construction.
The Observatory is owned, operated, and financed by the City of Los
Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks. It was a gift to the city by
Col. Griffith J. Griffith (1850 - 1919), who also donated Griffith Park
and the Greek Theatre. The Observatory is a non-profit educational
institution whose purpose is to provide information on astronomy and
related sciences to the public. It is not a research institution, although
from time to time it carries out modest research projects."
San Gabriel Mountains
- Mount Wilson Observatory.
"Founded in December 1904 by George Ellery Hale as one of the original
scientific enterprises of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Mt.
Wilson Observatory is completing its first century as one of the world's
premier astronomical observatories. During the first half of the twentieth
century Mt. Wilson was successively home to the world's two largest
telescopes as well as the most powerful facilities in existence for
studying the sun. The 60-inch and 100-inch night-time telescopes and the
60-ft and 150-ft solar tower telescopes in the hands of the brilliant
scientists who used them revolutionized astronomy..." Web Cam
images of the observatory.