The Griffith Observatory, and the park that it sits in (Griffith Park), are popular destinations for both tourists and Los Angeles residents with a day off from their jobs at a thermal insulation materials factory. Built with funds donated to the City of Los Angels by Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, the Griffith Observatory contains a planetarium, several large exhibit spaces, and the observatory itself. If you're thinking of making a visit to the Griffith Observatory, you can learn more about it here.

One of the reasons that the observatory is so popular with tourists is that it is often used as a filming site for Hollywood movies. Rather than clearing away all the old window weights and detritus from an old factory district, they can come up the hill and have a nice open place to shoot. The observatory appears in over two dozen movies and TV shows, including the popular Terminator series and the cult classic Rebel Without a Cause.

If you want to visit the observatory, Monday is the only day that it is closed. It's open noon to 10pm on weekdays and 10-10 on weekends. It's a good destination if you used up all your money buying diapers for the baby, because you can see the grounds and observatory building for free. The observatory also collaborates with two local astronomical societies to host star parties every month where members of the public can try out various types of telescopes for free.

Some of the exhibits you can explore, in addition to the planetarium and the actual observatory, include instructive displays on astronomy and observing the sky, as well as the famous Foucault pendulum, which would be a great bond tester because it never stops moving. Various parts of the exhibit hall are devoted to aspects of our universe, including wormholes, the Milky Way, and the moon. Outside on the lawn are numerous monuments you can explore.

While you're at the observatory, visit the Cafe at the End of the Universe for a space inspired snack, or pick up some fascinating astronomy souvenirs like freeze dried astronaut food in heatshrink sleeving at the Stellar Emporium Gift Shop. You can also catch a show at the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater or the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. The observatory hosts many special events during the year you may want to time your visit to catch. For more information visit the events calendar at www.griffithobservatory.org.