Griffith Observatory sits on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. The facility is a popular tourist attraction and since the observatory's opening in 1935, admission has been free, in accordance with the benefactor's will, after whom the observatory is named - Colonel Griffith J. Griffith.
Construction began in 1933 and the outstanding Art Deco observatory was opened to the public on May 14, 1935. In its first five days of operation the site logged more than 13,000 visitors.
During World War II the planetarium was used to train pilots in celestial navigation. The planetarium was again used for this purpose in the 1960s to train Apollo program astronauts for the first lunar missions.
The observatory closed in 2002 for renovation and a major expansion of exhibit space. It reopened to the public on November 3, 2006, retaining its fine art deco exterior. The $93 million renovation restored the building, as well as expanding underground, with completely new exhibits.
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All images © Mike Kwasniak Photography, 2017