Griffith Observatory

Perched on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, the Griffith Observatory is a free public science center and planetarium that has overlooked Los Angeles since 1935. It was built with a gift from Griffith J. Griffith, a Welsh-American mining tycoon who wanted ordinary people — not just scientists — to have access to the sky. That democratic spirit still defines the place. The building itself is a landmark of Art Deco design, with its three copper domes and gleaming white facade, and it appears in more films, TV shows, and music videos than almost any other structure in the city. James Dean's Rebel Without a Cause was filmed here. So was Terminator. So was La La Land. But none of that pop culture heritage would matter if the observatory weren't genuinely wonderful to visit.

Inside, you'll find exhibits on the history of astronomy and the universe — everything from a massive Tesla coil to a scale model of the solar system — plus live telescope viewings at the Zeiss refracting telescope on clear nights. The Samuel Oschin Planetarium runs several different dome shows throughout the day, narrated by the likes of Leonard Nimoy and Whoopi Goldberg in different programs. Outside, the observation decks give you one of the great urban panoramas on earth: downtown LA to the east, the Pacific and Catalina Island on clear days to the west, the Hollywood Sign close enough to feel within reach to the north. Sunset here is legitimately one of the best experiences in the city.

Parking on Observatory Road is extremely limited and traffic backs up badly on weekends, so the smartest move is to take the DASH Observatory bus from Vermont/Sunset station or hike up through Griffith Park. The observatory is free to enter — you only pay for planetarium shows, which are worth booking ahead. Tuesday through Friday, crowds are much lighter than weekends. Come late afternoon, stay for sunset, and if the sky cooperates, stay for the free telescope viewing after dark.