Griffith Observatory

For those of you who don’t know, I lived in Los Angeles, CA for about 3-4 years. It was one of the most incredible journey’s of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. In all of my time living there though, I didn’t really partake in many of the typical touristy activities. I mean I was a local, why would I do that? Now, all that has changed. Every time I head back to the West Coast, I make it a point to do something that I haven’t done and the Griffith observatory was pretty high on that list.

The Griffith Observatory is one of the most notable and iconic buildings in LA. It is located in Griffith Park above Los Feliz on the South side of Mount Hollywood (yes, that’s a thing) and having never been there, it definitely took some finagling through the winding park roads. Griffith is completely free and features exhibits, an incredible telescope and some of the best views of both Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign. Griffith is listed as the third planetarium in the US and houses the most used telescope in the world.

I probably spent a good 2 hours just meandering through the park trying to take it all in. On a clear day you can see straight out to the Pacific, but on any day you will have your breath taken away at the beauty that is LA. I know, I know, LA isn’t often viewed as a beautiful city, but when you’re standing 1,134 feet above sea level, there’s a certain feeling that comes over you. High above the traffic and the lights, it’s almost as though nothing else exists and in LA that’s not a feeling you get very often.

Aside from those incredible views however, there are also exhibits where you can learn something. So for the price of nothing, you get incredible sites and gain some knowledge. My favorite exhibits are on the lower level and are all space driven, but they are all unique, beautiful and a bit educational.

Los Angeles is so much more than just celebrities but sometimes it takes a bit of digging to find it all.