Calendar and Events
Special Events
| AT THE OBSERVATORY... | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| July 7 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. |
All Space Considered | Free admission |
|
| July 17 | Earths Above: From Mars and Titan to Exoplanets | Reservation Required | |
| July 29 | Public Star Party | Free admission | |
| August 2 7:35 – 8:35 p.m. |
Sunset Walk-and-Talk | Free admission | |
| August 4 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. |
All Space Considered | Free admission |
|
| August 14 | Sleeping on Mars: A Hidden Challenge for Human Space Exploration | Reservation Required | |
| August 21 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon |
Partial solar eclipse public viewing event | Free admission | |
| August 26 | Public Star Party | Free admission | |
| IN THE SKY... | |
|---|---|
| July 6 | Moon appears near Saturn in the evening sky. |
| July 20 | Moon, Venus and bright star Aldebaran appear close toether in morning sky. |
| July 24 and 25 | Moon appears near Mercury in the evening sky. |
| July 27 - 28 | Peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower. |
| July 28 | Moon appears near Jupiter in the evening sky. |
| August 2 | Moon appears near Saturn in the evening sky. |
| August 12/13 | Maximum of the Perseid meteor shower. |
| August 18 and 19 | Moon appears near Venus in the morning sky. |
| August 21 | Solar Ecipse, partial in Los Angeles, total only from with a 60 mile-wide path that runs from Oregon to South Carolina. |
| August 25 and 26 | Moon appears near Jupiter in the evening sky. |
| 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... | |
|---|---|
| July 28 | Launch of a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan carrying two new astronauts of crew 51S to the International Space Station. Time : 8:41 a.m. PDT |
| August 14 | Launch of classified National Reconnaissance Office payload NROL-42 on board a ULA Atlas V rocket, from Vandenberg AFB, California. The ascent of the rocket may be visible in the western sky from Los Angeles. Time : 12:01 - 4:00 a.m. PDT |
| August 24 | Launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg AFB. Carrying Taiwan's Formosat 5 communication satellite. The rocket's ascent may be visible in the sky west of Los Angeles. Time : TBA |
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.
2017 Holiday Schedule
| New Year's Day (Jan. 1) | OPEN |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 16) | CLOSED |
| Presidents' Day (Feb. 20) | CLOSED |
| Cesar Chavez Day (Mar. 27) | CLOSED |
| Memorial Day (May 29) | CLOSED |
| Independence Day (Jul. 4) | OPEN |
| Labor Day (Sept. 4) | CLOSED |
| Columbus Day (Oct. 9) | CLOSED |
| Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) | OPEN |
| Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23) | 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.