Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Free for ninety years
Arrive 60–90 min before sunset. The single-lane road backs up badly — leave the car at the Greek Theatre lot and walk up, or take the DASH shuttle (50¢) from Vermont/Sunset.
Arrive before sunset, not after. Sunset is 7:58 PM and the building closes at 10:00 PM.
Front lawn and west terrace first for the Hollywood Sign. Inside for the Foucault pendulum in the rotunda. Back out on the terrace by 7:40 PM — the light coming off the basin is the thing.
After dark, get in line for the free public telescope on the roof. It is the building's actual purpose: Griffith J. Griffith's 1935 mandate was that every person in Los Angeles should have access to a telescope, and it has been free for ninety years. Most visitors never go up.
Skip the $10 planetarium unless you want to sit down.
Bring a layer. The terrace drops into the 60s and it is fully exposed.