Griffith Park Observatory, Los Angeles

The construction of this art deco observatory was completed in the early 1930s and has provided a great view of the area during both day and night ever since. Anyone even vaguely interested in astronomy will find the exhibits and planetarium shows fascinating. Griffith Observatory is of an interest to cult film fans because it was a site in the James Dean movie "Rebel Without A Cause."

The best of all Hollywood, we left it for Sunday and we visited in our little tour around with Hans, Lori and Sharon. From here on a clear day, you can have great views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign.

The park seems very busy, but we did not had time to explore it :( The summer of 2004, the observatory and the car park was under renovations so it was difficult to park and we could not see the observatory

The Griffith Park is very nice place to start your day in LA. Built on the slopes of a mountain it gives you a great view of both the city of LA and the Hollywood Sign. The best viewpoint is the Griffith Observatory. As far as I know this place provides the closest (generally accessible) view on the Hollywood Sign. Mind that the Observatory building itself is not open to public.

One remark. If you want to take pictures of the city here during the morning, you will be looking into the sun.

We headed out from Manns Chinese Theatre and up towards the hills adjacent to the Hollywood sign. Although the Observatory is closed you can still park at the top and get a fantastic panoramic view over LA.

Griffith Park is a piece of desert, yet botanical nature escape within the heart of L.A. Similiar preserve and setup like NYC has Central Park, and Vancouver has Stanley Park, this is L.A.'s central park. Beautiful river walk (though dry from the drought while I was walking it), nice hill climbs with outlook of the city up by a observatory they are reconstructing. Good view of the Hollywood sign as well.

At the top of Griffith Park, the (largest?) public park area in the continental United States, lies one of the best views of the city.
I went during the day, but at night it must be brilliant with lights.
Here the observatory probably sees very little of the cosmos, what with the smog you can slice with a knife & take home in a doggie bag, but still, it's a well known landmark, and one of the best locations from which to see the famous Hollywood Sign.

The Griffith Park & Observatory
Nestled high above the Los Angeles skyline you will find Griffith Park. This beautiful natures wonder will bring you beautiful sunsets, marvelous views of the city, laser light shows to popular music and an opportunity to see Saturn up close and personal. And if the observatory looks familiar , maybe it is because you saw it in Rebel without a Cause?

Griffith Park
What a wonderful city park! It's a true haven for those who wish to escape the bustle of urban life.
This place is incredible. It has 53 miles of hiking trails, some of which provide incredible views of the city as a reward. The LA Zoo is here. Other attractions include: The Autry Museum, a Greek theatre, an observatory, an equestrian center and much more. You can stroll, ride a pony or rent a bike.

Check out Griffith Park Observatory located at Griffith Park. If you can, you must come here at night. The view of the entire city of Los Angeles from up here is nothing short of spectacular! Breathtaking indeed!

Photo Below: View of the entire city of LA on a smoggy day from GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY.

I would start out by going to the Griffith Observatory , at Griffith Park. You get a beautiful view of the entire area (if not smoggy) and a shot of the Hollywood sign. This is also a great place to start hikes, if interested.

If you want CHEESY - then definately go to Hollywood Boulevard for the Walk of Fame, Mann's Chinese theater and LOTS of tacky souveneirs