Los Angeles: What to See & Do: Sights: Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory

The good news is that this 1935 Art Deco Moderne monument reopened in 2006, after a five-year renovation and expansion; the bad news is that everyone wants to see it at once. The surge of popularity means that reservations are required for admission, and visitors must park at satellite lots and ride buses to Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. (There’s a stop at the Hollywood & Highland shopping center on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.) The bigger problem is that visitors have only a 50 percent chance of securing a ticket to the live planetarium shows throughout the day, and there’s no getting around it. (Believe me, I tried.) Well, there are lots of exhibits to see, Hugo Ballin’s fully restored murals, a Foucault pendulum, a killer view and a Wolfgang Puck café. Admission is free, shuttle bus $8; closed Monday; open Tuesday to Friday noon —10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. — 10:00 p.m. Planetarium show admission is $7.