Calendar and Events
Special Events
| AT THE OBSERVATORY... | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| August 18 2:00 – 9:45 p.m. |
Public Star Party | Free Admission |
|
| August 20 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. |
FOTO Cosmic Musings Lecture: The Soul of Psyche - Mission to the Heart of a Protoplanet | Reservation required | |
| August 22 7:20 – 8:20 p.m. |
Sunset Walk & Talk | Free Admission |
|
| September 3 | Labor Day | Building Closed |
|
| September 7 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. |
All Space Considered | Free Admission |
|
| September 17 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. |
FOTO Cosmic Musings Presentation | Reservation required | |
| September 19 7:20 – 8:20 p.m. |
Sunset Walk & Talk | Free Admission |
|
| September 22 2:00 – 9:45 p.m. |
Public Star Party | Free Admission |
|
| IN THE SKY... | |
|---|---|
| August 12-13 | Perseid meteor shower, strongest before dawn on 13th. |
| August 16 | Moon near Jupiter in evening sky. |
| August 20 | Moon near Mars and Saturn in evening sky. |
| September 10 | Comet Giacobini-Zinner (21P) closest to sun and Earth and possibly visible through binoculars from dark skies. |
| September 12 | Moon near Venus. |
| September 13 | Moon above Jupiter. |
| September 16 and 17 | Moon near Saturn. |
| September 19 | Moon above Mars. |
| September 21 | Venus at its brightest. |
| September 22 | Autumn starts at 6:54 p.m., PDT. |
| More sky information can be found at | |
| Griffith Observatory's Weekly Sky Report | |
| All times are local Pacific Daylight Time through November 4. On November 5 and thereafter all times are local Pacific Standard Time. | |
| EXPLORING SPACE... | |
|---|---|
| August 11 | NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is to be launched from Cape Canaveral Florida by a ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket. The probe will study the sun and its corona at close range. Time: 12:48-1:33 a.m., PDT |
| September 15 | NASA’s ICESat 2 polar ice monitoring mission is to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on the last United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, a type of rocket that first saw service in 1989. The launch may be visible in the sky to the west of Los Angeles. Time: 8:46-11:20 a.m., PDT |
Regular Programs
Griffith Observatory presents daily programs in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater.
The Observatory also hosts periodic special events and monthly public star parties.
Hearing assist devices are available upon request in both the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon.
2018 Holiday Schedule
| New Year's Day (Jan. 1) | CLOSED |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 15) | CLOSED |
| Presidents' Day (Feb. 19) | CLOSED |
| Cesar Chavez Day (Mar. 26) | CLOSED |
| Memorial Day (May 28) | CLOSED |
| Independence Day (Jul. 4) | OPEN |
| Labor Day (Sept. 3) | CLOSED |
| Columbus Day (Oct. 8) | CLOSED |
| Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) | OPEN |
| Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) | CLOSED |
| Christmas Day (Dec. 25) | CLOSED |
Note: Phone operators are not available on closed holidays.
Free public telescopes...
are available each evening the Observatory is open and skies are clear. Knowledgeable telescope demonstrators are available to guide visitors in observing. Please be aware that the demonstrators must cut off the line for each telescope by 9:30 p.m. or earlier to enable all viewing to be completed by 9:45 p.m. Hours for telescope operation are not the same as for the building (which closes at 10:00 p.m.).
Phone Contacts
General Information Line: 213-473-0800
L.A. City's "311" Information Line: 866-4LACITY
Those wishing to attend programs at Griffith Observatory may reach the Observatory by bus, bike, car, or on foot. For more information see our Getting Here page.
Please be advised that parking is limited and not guaranteed. Demand for parking is highest on weekends, holidays, and Greek Theatre show nights.