Shows, Telescopes, Exhibits, and More
Whether you experience the universe in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, observe the sky through a telescope, explore the exhibits, listen to a talk about the Tesla Coil, or pose with the Hollywood Sign, each day there’s something to engage and inspire you at Griffith Observatory.
Griffith Observatory is open today from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Local Noon – 12:52 p.m.
Sunset – 7:33 p.m.
When to Visit
Weekday (Tuesday - Friday) Hours
Open 12:00 noon - 10:00 p.m.
Weekend (Saturday - Sunday) Hours
Open 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Closed Monday
Daily Programs
While our most prominent daily programs are the shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, the Observatory offers many other stellar experiences while you visit. During the day, you can see the live image of the Sun on our coelostat (solar telescope) in the Ahmanson Hall of the Sky. Each evening, there are free public telescopes on the roof and lawn for you to observe the night sky. Leonard Nimoy narrates The Once and Future Griffith Observatory movie profiling the Observatory’s history, renovation, and current offerings. You can join our staff for talks about local noon, the Tesla Coil, and The Big Picture, or just walk through the exhibit galleries. Don’t forget to take in the views of Los Angeles, get a bite to eat in the Café at the End of the Universe, or buy a souvenir at the Stellar Emporium. That’s a busy day!
In addition to our daily programs offered each day the Observatory is open, you can find upcoming special events on our calendar.
Plan Your Visit
Buy Tickets for the Samuel Oschin Planetarium
| Box Office Schedule for Thursday, April 25, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Show Times | Show | Tickets on Sale * |
| 12:45 p.m. | Water Is Life | 12:00 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. |
| 1:45 p.m. | Signs of Life | |
| 2:45 p.m. | Centered in the Universe | |
| 4:15 p.m. | Signs of Life | 3:30 p.m. – 6:05 p.m. |
| 5:15 p.m. | Centered in the Universe | |
| 6:15 p.m. | Signs of Life | |
| 7:45 p.m. | Centered in the Universe | 7:00 p.m. – 8:35 p.m. |
| 8:45 p.m. | Signs of Life | |
Learn More About Our Daily Programs
Public Telescope Observing
Free telescope viewing is available each evening the Observatory is open and skies are clear. Knowledgeable telescope demonstrators are available to guide visitors in observing.
Observing usually begins around 7:00 p.m. Please be aware the demonstrators must cut off the line for each telescope at 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.).
The Once and Future Griffith Observatory
The Once and Future Griffith Observatory is a free film that offers an overview of the Observatory’s programs and exhibits and discusses how the building was renewed during the 2002-2006 renovation and expansion project.
Show Length: 29 min.
Local Noon in the Gottlieb Transit Corridor
When the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky, directly overhead the Observatory’s meridian line, we celebrate local noon. A Museum Guide gives a free 15-minute presentation explaining how we use the Sun’s light in the Gottlieb Transit Corridor to tell us what day it is and where the Sun is located in its pathway across the sky.
Show Length: 15 min.
Friday, April 26
12:42 p.m. (Local Noon: 12:52 p.m.)
Saturday, April 27
12:41 p.m. (Local Noon: 12:51 p.m.)
Sunday, April 28
12:41 p.m. (Local Noon: 12:51 p.m.)
Tuesday, April 30
12:41 p.m. (Local Noon: 12:51 p.m.)
Wednesday, May 1
12:41 p.m. (Local Noon: 12:51 p.m.)
Thursday, May 2
12:41 p.m. (Local Noon: 12:51 p.m.)
Big Picture Talk
Museum Guides use The Big Picture – the largest astronomical image in the world – to help explain the nature of the universe and our place in space. The eight-minute presentation is free. The Big Picture is located in the Gunther Depths of Space exhibit gallery.
Show Length: 8 min.
Tesla Coil Demonstration
With its giant arcing sparks and unnerving noise, Griffith Observatory's Tesla coil is one of its most memorable and iconic exhibits. Millions have seen it in operation, throwing its lightning-like discharges to the walls of its alcove.
Show Length: 6 min.
Clues from Comets
Clues from Comets is a free program for all ages that illustrates the importance of observing carefully and demonstrates modern methods of solving a mystery as cryptic as the nature of comets.
There are no shows currently scheduled.
Samuel Oschin Planetarium
Signs of Life
Signs of Life is an astronomical detective story that propels visitors to uncover what it took to put life in the universe. Earth is the launchpad to Mars, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and planets beyond our Milky Way Galaxy in a search for answers to the mysteries that captivate our imagination.
Show Length: 35 min.
Centered in the Universe
We often imagine ourselves at the center of things. That includes our place in the universe, ever since the first people looked up at the sky. Even as our scientific observation has shown the cosmos does not revolve around us, our ongoing investigations continue to keep us Centered in the Universe.
Show Length: 35 min.
Water Is Life
Water Is Life was written and produced for Griffith Observatory’s fifth grade school field trip program. Drawing on the fifth grade science content standards, Water Is Life explores where our water in California comes from, and how water on Earth keeps us alive.
Show Length: 32 min.