Griffith Observatory
Encyclopedia
Griffith Observatory is in Los Angeles, California
, United States
. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park
, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin
, including downtown Los Angeles
to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean
to the southwest. The observatory
is a popular tourist attraction with an extensive array of space
- and science
-related displays.
3015 acres (12.2 km²) of land surrounding the observatory was donated to the City of Los Angeles by Colonel Griffith J. Griffith
on December 16, 1896. In his will Griffith donated funds to build an observatory, exhibit hall, and planetarium
on the donated land. As a Works Progress Administration
(WPA) project, construction began on June 20, 1933, using a design developed by architect John C. Austin
based on preliminary sketches by Russell W. Porter
. The observatory and accompanying exhibits were opened to the public on May 14, 1935. In its first five days of operation the observatory logged more than 13,000 visitors. Dinsmore Alter
was the museum's director during its first years; today, Dr. Ed Krupp
is the Director of the Observatory.
, which was designed to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. The exhibits also included a twelve-inch (305 mm) Zeiss refracting telescope in the east dome, a triple-beam coelostat (solar telescope) in the west dome, and a thirty-eight foot relief model of the moon's north polar region.
Col. Griffith requested that the observatory include a display on evolution which was accomplished with the Cosmochron exhibit which included a narration from Caltech Professor Chester Stock and an accompanying slide show. The evolution exhibit existed from 1937 to the mid 1960s.
Also included in the original design was a planetarium under the large central dome. The first shows covered topics including the Moon, worlds of the solar system
, and eclipses.
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 planetarium theater was renovated in 1964 and a Mark IV Zeiss projector
was installed.
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 art deco
exterior. The $93 million renovation, paid largely by a public bond issue, restored the building, as well as replaced the aging planetarium dome. The building was expanded underground, with completely new exhibits, a café, gift shop, and the new Leonard Nimoy
Event Horizon Theater. The Café at the End of the Universe, an homage to Restaurant at the End of the Universe, is one of the many cafés run by celebrity chef
Wolfgang Puck
. One wall inside the building is covered with the largest astronomically accurate image ever constructed (152 feet long by 20 feet (6.1 m) high), called "The Big Picture" (http://bigpicture.caltech.edu), depicting the Virgo Cluster
of galaxies; visitors can explore the highly detailed image from within arm's reach or through telescopes 60 feet (18.3 m) away. The 1964-vintage Zeiss Mark IV star projector was replaced with a Zeiss Mark IX Universarium. The former planetarium projector is part of the underground exhibit on ways in which humanity has visualized the skies.
Since the observatory opened in 1935, admission has been free, in accordance with Griffith's will. Tickets for the show Centered in the Universe
in the 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium Theater are purchased separately at the box office within the observatory. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Children under 5 are free, but are admitted to only the first planetarium show of the day. Only members of the observatory's support group, Friends Of The Observatory, may reserve tickets for the planetarium show.
Centered in the Universe
features a high-resolution immersive video projected by an innovative laser system developed by Evans and Sutherland Corporation, along with a short night sky simulation projected by the Zeiss Universarium. A team of animators worked more than two years to create the 30-minute program. Actors, holding a glowing orb, perform the presentation, under the direction of Chris Shelton.
A wildfire in the hills came dangerously close to the observatory on May 10, 2007.
On May 25, 2008, the Observatory offered visitors live coverage of the Phoenix
landing on Mars
.
There are photo opportunities and scenery at and around the Observatory, with views of the Pacific Ocean
, the Hollywood Sign
and Downtown Los Angeles
. (Note: Pictures of these views are on the right side of the screen.)
Ideal for tourist destination, field trips, dates and outings with the family and friends.
The observatory was featured in two major sequences of the celebrated James Dean
film Rebel Without a Cause
(1955); a bust
of Dean was subsequently placed at the west side of the grounds.
It has also appeared in several other movies:
Television
The Observatory has appeared in episodes of the following TV shows:
Other media
In Bill Griffith's comic strip Zippy the Pinhead
, the cynical Griffy can occasionally be found in Griffith Observatory, aiming its telescope down into the valley to afford himself a view of the comings and goings in Hollywood.
In the Marvel series Runaways
, the James Dean memorial is often used as a meeting point for the six teenagers, as it is the same distance from all of their houses. In a later issue, the entire observatory is destroyed in a fight.
Video games
Music
The song Observatory Crest by Captain Beefheart
may refer to the location of the Griffith Observatory. The song includes the lyric "...drive up / and watch the city / from Observatory Crest." The front cover of The Byrds
' (Untitled) album features a photograph of the band on one of the stone staircases leading up to Griffith Observatory.
Also, Linkin Park performed their song "The Catalyst" live at MTV's Video Music Awards in 2010 from the Griffith Observatory.
Other
A Lego
model of this building is on permanent exhibit at Legoland California
in the Southern California section of Miniland. It has also been featured in the comic strip "Spiderman."
In "Macross Frontier," Episode 03, two characters hold a conversation in a future replica of the Griffith Observatory.
Movies
The James Dean
memorial at the Griffith Observatory is an important landmark that memorializes Dean's classic movie Rebel Without a Cause
.
In the movie Bowfinger
with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, film producer Bowfinger (Martin) has been secretly filming a movie without Kit Ramsey (Murphy) knowing about it. The film climaxes as Ramsey is running through the Griffith observatory. The camera crew follows him by filming the shots from the surveillance room, trying to catch him saying the phrase, "Gotcha Suckers!" to end the film.
The Observatory makes an appearance in The Rocketeer
as the setting for a showdown between Nazi spies and The Mob. The Observatory appears in the 1987 silver-screen adaptation of Dragnet
.
The Observatory is referenced in the movie The Hangover
. Phil Wenneck {Bradley Cooper
} asks his students for the field trip money to Griffith Observatory and then uses it for the trip to Vegas.
Television shows
In the Star Trek Voyager episode Future's End, Voyager is pushed back in time to 1996, to try to correct errors to the time line. Rain Robinson, played by Sarah Silverman
, is working for the SETI
project in the Griffith Observatory, and notices Voyager in orbit, tries to contact them with the standard SETI greeting, and eventually helps the crew to recover what was stolen and escape from earth.
In the "ALIAS" episode "The Coup" (Season 1/Ep.13) Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) meets her CIA handler, Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) at the Observatory to exchange information, and Vaughn tells her that he would like to become closer to her than just her handler. They stand on the walkway used in "Rebel Without A Cause." Later in Episode 22, "Almost Thirty Years," Vaughn goes looking for Sydney in the places that help her relax, one of which is the Observatory.
Books
In the novel The A-List
by Zoey Dean, the marriage of Samantha Sharpe's father, Jackson Sharpe, and Poppy is held at the Griffith Observatory. The inside is transformed with gold and red decorations.
The Griffith Observatory is prominently featured in the novel Eve of Destruction by Barry Broad.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles Basin
The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs...
, including downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the southwest. The observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
is a popular tourist attraction with an extensive array of space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
- and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
-related displays.
Griffith J. Griffith
Griffith Jenkins Griffith was a Welsh-American industrialist and philanthropist. After amassing a significant fortune from a mining syndicate in the 1880s, Griffith donated to the City of Los Angeles which became Griffith Park, and he bequeathed the money to build the park's Greek Theatre and...
on December 16, 1896. In his will Griffith donated funds to build an observatory, exhibit hall, and planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
on the donated land. As a Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) project, construction began on June 20, 1933, using a design developed by architect John C. Austin
John C. Austin
John Corneby Wilson Austin was an architect and civic leader who participated in the design of several landmark buildings in Southern California, including the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles City Hall, and the Shrine Auditorium.- Life :Born in Bodicote, Oxfordshire, England, Austin was an...
based on preliminary sketches by Russell W. Porter
Russell W. Porter
Russell Williams Porter was an American artist, engineer, amateur astronomer and explorer. He was a pioneer in the field of “cutaway illustration" and is sometimes referred to as the "founder" or one of the "founders" of amateur telescope making."-Biography:Russell W...
. The observatory and accompanying exhibits were opened to the public on May 14, 1935. In its first five days of operation the observatory logged more than 13,000 visitors. Dinsmore Alter
Dinsmore Alter
Dinsmore Alter was an American astronomer and meteorologist.He was born in Colfax, Washington, and attended college at Westminster College in Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1909 with a B.S. degree, he married Ada McClelland...
was the museum's director during its first years; today, Dr. Ed Krupp
Ed Krupp
Edwin C. Krupp is an American astronomer and author. He has been the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles for over thirty years, since first taking over the position in 1974 from his predecessor, William J...
is the Director of the Observatory.
Exhibits
The first exhibit visitors encountered in 1935 was the Foucault pendulumFoucault pendulum
The Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
, which was designed to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. The exhibits also included a twelve-inch (305 mm) Zeiss refracting telescope in the east dome, a triple-beam coelostat (solar telescope) in the west dome, and a thirty-eight foot relief model of the moon's north polar region.
Also included in the original design was a planetarium under the large central dome. The first shows covered topics including the Moon, worlds of the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, and eclipses.
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 planetarium theater was renovated in 1964 and a Mark IV Zeiss projector
Zeiss projector
A Zeiss projector is one of a line of planetarium projectors manufactured by the Carl Zeiss Company.The first modern planetarium projectors were designed and built in 1924 by the Zeiss Works of Jena, Germany in 1924. Zeiss projectors are designed to sit in the middle of a dark, dome-covered room...
was installed.
Renovation and expansion
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
exterior. The $93 million renovation, paid largely by a public bond issue, restored the building, as well as replaced the aging planetarium dome. The building was expanded underground, with completely new exhibits, a café, gift shop, and the new Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
Event Horizon Theater. The Café at the End of the Universe, an homage to Restaurant at the End of the Universe, is one of the many cafés run by celebrity chef
Celebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Johannes Puck is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, businessman and occasional actor. Wolfgang Puck restaurants, catering services, cookbooks and licensed products are run by Wolfgang Puck Companies, with three divisions...
. One wall inside the building is covered with the largest astronomically accurate image ever constructed (152 feet long by 20 feet (6.1 m) high), called "The Big Picture" (http://bigpicture.caltech.edu), depicting the Virgo Cluster
Virgo Cluster
The Virgo Cluster is a cluster of galaxies whose center is 53.8 ± 0.3 Mly away in the constellation Virgo. Comprising approximately 1300 member galaxies, the cluster forms the heart of the larger Local Supercluster, of which the Local Group is an outlying member...
of galaxies; visitors can explore the highly detailed image from within arm's reach or through telescopes 60 feet (18.3 m) away. The 1964-vintage Zeiss Mark IV star projector was replaced with a Zeiss Mark IX Universarium. The former planetarium projector is part of the underground exhibit on ways in which humanity has visualized the skies.
Centered in the Universe
Centered in the Universe is a fulldome presentation that premiered the evening of October 29, 2006 at the "Galactic Gala" which marked the reopening of the renovated Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles...
in the 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium Theater are purchased separately at the box office within the observatory. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Children under 5 are free, but are admitted to only the first planetarium show of the day. Only members of the observatory's support group, Friends Of The Observatory, may reserve tickets for the planetarium show.
Centered in the Universe
Centered in the Universe
Centered in the Universe is a fulldome presentation that premiered the evening of October 29, 2006 at the "Galactic Gala" which marked the reopening of the renovated Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles...
features a high-resolution immersive video projected by an innovative laser system developed by Evans and Sutherland Corporation, along with a short night sky simulation projected by the Zeiss Universarium. A team of animators worked more than two years to create the 30-minute program. Actors, holding a glowing orb, perform the presentation, under the direction of Chris Shelton.
A wildfire in the hills came dangerously close to the observatory on May 10, 2007.
On May 25, 2008, the Observatory offered visitors live coverage of the Phoenix
Phoenix (spacecraft)
Phoenix was a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The Phoenix lander descended on Mars on May 25, 2008...
landing on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
.
Visiting Griffith Observatory
Admission to the building and grounds of Griffith Observatory is free of charge, excluding some of the shows for a minimal price at the planetarium. The Observatory is open five days a week. There is a small parking lot next to the Observatory. Additional parking is along the steep road leading up to the observatory. Parking is free of charge.There are photo opportunities and scenery at and around the Observatory, with views of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, the Hollywood Sign
Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign is a landmark and American cultural icon in the Hollywood Hills area of Mount Lee, Santa Monica Mountains, in Los Angeles, California. The sign spells out the name of the area in and white letters. It was created as an advertisement in 1923, but garnered increasing recognition...
and Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
. (Note: Pictures of these views are on the right side of the screen.)
Ideal for tourist destination, field trips, dates and outings with the family and friends.
Filming location
FilmThe observatory was featured in two major sequences of the celebrated James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
film Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
(1955); a bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of Dean was subsequently placed at the west side of the grounds.
It has also appeared in several other movies:
- The Phantom EmpireThe Phantom EmpireThe Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy, was a 12-chapter 1935 Mascot serial that combined the western, musical, and science fiction genres. The first episode is 30 mins, the rest about 20 minutes...
(1935) - The Spy with My FaceThe Spy with My FaceThe Spy with My Face is a 1965 spy-fi spy film based on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. television series. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprised their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin respectively. THRUSH tries to steal a super weapon by substituting a double for Solo.It is the...
(1964) - The Cosmic Man
- The Terminator (revisited as a ruin in 2009's Terminator SalvationTerminator SalvationTerminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
) - Dragnet (1987)Dragnet (1987 film)Dragnet is a 1987 film comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, directed by Tom Mankiewicz, based on the television crime drama of the same name starring Jack Webb. The screenplay is written by Aykroyd, Alan Zweibel and Mankiewicz. The original music score is by Ira Newborn...
- The RocketeerThe Rocketeer (film)The Rocketeer is a 1991 period superhero adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and based on the character of the same name created by comic book writer/artist Dave Stevens. Directed by Joe Johnston, the film stars Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino...
- The End of ViolenceThe End of ViolenceThe End of Violence is a 1997 film by the German director Wim Wenders. The film's cast includes Bill Pullman, Gabriel Byrne, Traci Lind, Rosalind Chao, Andie MacDowell, and Loren Dean, among others. It also features a soundtrack marked with the signature sounds of Wenders regulars Jon Hassell, Ry...
- Midnight Madness
- BowfingerBowfingerBowfinger is a 1999 comedy cult film directed by Frank Oz. It depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film...
- Charlie's Angels: Full ThrottleCharlie's Angels: Full ThrottleCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
- Flesh GordonFlesh GordonFlesh Gordon is a 1974 American science fiction adventure comedy film. It is an erotic spoof of the Flash Gordon serial films from the 1930s. The screenplay was written by Michael Benveniste, who also co-directed the film with Howard Ziehm...
- War of the Colossal BeastWar of the Colossal BeastWar of the Colossal Beast is a 1958 black-and-white science fiction film, directed by Bert I. Gordon and produced by Carmel Productions and distributed by American International Pictures. It continued the storyline of the 1957 movie The Amazing Colossal Man, although it was not marketed as a direct...
- The People vs. Larry FlyntThe People vs. Larry FlyntThe People vs. Larry Flynt is a 1996 American biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman about the rise of pornographic magazine publisher and editor Larry Flynt, and his subsequent clash with the law. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, and Edward Norton.The film was written by...
- House on Haunted HillHouse on Haunted HillHouse on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American B movie horror film from Allied Artists. It was directed by William Castle, written by Robb White, and starring Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. He and his fourth wife, Annabelle, have invited five people to the house for a "Haunted...
(1999 remakeRemakeA remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
) - Queen of the DamnedQueen of the Damned (film)Queen of the Damned is a 2002 film adaptation of the third novel of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series, The Queen of the Damned, although the film contains many plot elements from the latter novel's predecessor, The Vampire Lestat. It stars Aaliyah as the vampire queen Akasha, and Stuart...
- Transformers (2007 live-action film)
- Yes ManYes Man (film)Yes Man is a 2008 comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Maile Flanagan, Danny Masterson, and Terence Stamp...
- Earth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 American musical comedy film directed by Julien Temple. It stars Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Michael McKean, Julie Brown, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans. The film is marketed with the tagline "An out-of-this-world, down-to-earth comedy adventure"...
- Terminator SalvationTerminator SalvationTerminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
- Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)Devil in a Blue Dress (film)Devil in a Blue Dress is a 1995 American neo-noir film directed by Carl Franklin and photographed by Tak Fujimoto.The film was based on Walter Mosley's novel of the same name, was executive produced by Jonathan Demme, and starred Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, and Don Cheadle.In...
- Valentine's Day (2010)Valentine's Day (film)Valentine's Day is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and based on the novel by Michael Connelly. The screenplay and the story was written by Katherine Fugate, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Akiva Goldsman, Rob Reiner, P. J...
(In the opening scene of credits in the theater version a quick shot of the Observatory is shown)
Television
The Observatory has appeared in episodes of the following TV shows:
- 2424 (TV series)24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
(Day 1 3:00pm–4:00pm; aired on March 19, 2002) - Adventures of SupermanAdventures of Superman (TV series)Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
(first episode, as Jor-ElJor-ElJor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
's laboratory on Superman's home planet KryptonKrypton (comics)Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
; some other episodes, as the Metropolis observatory.) - AliasAlias (TV series)Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
- AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
(episode "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been," with Angel wearing a red jacket in homage to James Dean's Rebel Without a Cause character). - Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
("Rebel with a Cause") - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (episode "Shadow")
- Brothers and Sisters ("The Road Ahead")
- CHiPsCHiPsCHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
- Danny PhantomDanny PhantomDanny Phantom is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. The show was about a teenage half-ghost boy, who frequently saves his town and the world from ghost attacks, while attempting to keep his ghost half a secret...
(The Amity Park Observatory modeled on The Griffith Observatory.) - Jonas L.A. (Date Expectations)
- The Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
(appears at the beginning of the opening title sequence, 2009 to present) - MacGyverMacGyverMacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
(pilot episode) - Melrose Place ("Till Death Do Us Part")
- Millionaire MatchmakerMillionaire MatchmakerMillionaire Matchmaker is a television series produced by Bravo and presented by Patti Stanger. Stanger founded the Beverly Hills-based "Millionaire's Club" in 2000 to cater to wealthy men looking for partners...
(Shown in random episodes) - Mission: ImpossibleMission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
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- Quantum Leap ("Goodbye Norma Jean")
- Remington SteeleRemington SteeleRemington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic...
- Rocky Jones, Space RangerRocky Jones, Space RangerRocky Jones, Space Ranger is a syndicated science fiction television serial originally broadcast in 1954. The show lasted for only two seasons and, though syndicated sporadically, dropped into obscurity. But because it was recorded on film rather than being broadcast live as were most other TV...
- Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
(two-part episode "Future's End") - The Man from U.N.C.L.E
- The New Adventures of Wonder Woman between 1977 and 1979.
- The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(duplicated as SpringfieldSpringfield (The Simpsons)Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
Observatory) - The Wonder YearsThe Wonder YearsThe Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
. - 2010 MTV Video Music Awards2010 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year...
. Linkin ParkLinkin ParkLinkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
performed their single "The Catalyst" at the Observatory.
Other media
- Was a filming location for the music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Rush RushRush Rush"Rush Rush" is the first single released from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound. Written by Peter Lord, and produced by Peter Lord and V. Jeffrey Smith , the song achieved major success in the U.S...
" by Paula AbdulPaula AbdulPaula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
which starred Keanu ReevesKeanu ReevesKeanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
and was directed by Stefan Würnitzer. This video was based on Rebel Without a CauseRebel Without a CauseRebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
.
- An image of the observatory is shown in a 2Pac music video, To Live And Die In L.A.To Live and Die in L.A.To Live and Die in L.A. is an American neo-noir thriller film directed by William Friedkin and based on the novel written by former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich, who co-wrote the screenplay with Friedkin. The film features William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, and John Pankow, among others....
. The video pays homage to Los Angeles and its best known landmarks.
- Some interview segments with rock musician Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
for the Beatles Anthology video were conducted on the observatory grounds during the early 1990s.
Popular culture references
ComicsIn Bill Griffith's comic strip Zippy the Pinhead
Zippy the Pinhead
Zippy is an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. The character of Zippy the Pinhead initially appeared in underground publications during the 1970s...
, the cynical Griffy can occasionally be found in Griffith Observatory, aiming its telescope down into the valley to afford himself a view of the comings and goings in Hollywood.
In the Marvel series Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
, the James Dean memorial is often used as a meeting point for the six teenagers, as it is the same distance from all of their houses. In a later issue, the entire observatory is destroyed in a fight.
Video games
- Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
& Grand Theft Auto VGrand Theft Auto VGrand Theft Auto V is an upcoming open world action-adventure video game being developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. The game will be the first major title in the Grand Theft Auto series since Grand Theft Auto IV , which started the fourth "era" in the...
- This landmark is featured and is very similar to the real life Griffith Observatory. - Vampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesVampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesVampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, abbreviated as Bloodlines or VTMB, is a computer role-playing game for Windows developed by Troika Games in 2004...
- The observatory is a playable area. - Future Cop: LAPDFuture Cop: LAPDFuture Cop: LAPD is a third-person shooter published and developed by Electronic Arts and released first for the PlayStation, then Mac OS and Windows. It was originally supposed to be a sequel to the popular Strike series of games...
- The observatory and the whole Griffith Park are the setting for the first mission of the game, on which the observatory was taken over by a villain and the telescopes turned into plasma cannons. - Red Alert 3 - The Griffith Observatory appeared in the Rising Sun campaign during the invasion of Santa Monica as a heavy artillery cannon that could be destroyed as an optional objective.
- Mafia IIMafia IIMafia II is a third-person action-adventure video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, and is published by 2K Games...
- The Zavesky Observatory, based on the Griffith Observatory complete with the observatory grounds, exterior, rooftop, and the interior with a planetarium, form the stage for the final mission.
Music
The song Observatory Crest by Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
may refer to the location of the Griffith Observatory. The song includes the lyric "...drive up / and watch the city / from Observatory Crest." The front cover of The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
' (Untitled) album features a photograph of the band on one of the stone staircases leading up to Griffith Observatory.
Also, Linkin Park performed their song "The Catalyst" live at MTV's Video Music Awards in 2010 from the Griffith Observatory.
Other
A Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
model of this building is on permanent exhibit at Legoland California
Legoland California
Legoland California is a theme park located in Carlsbad, California, focused on Lego bricks. It opened on March 20, 1999. It is the third Legoland park to open, and the first Legoland outside of Europe...
in the Southern California section of Miniland. It has also been featured in the comic strip "Spiderman."
In "Macross Frontier," Episode 03, two characters hold a conversation in a future replica of the Griffith Observatory.
Movies
The James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
memorial at the Griffith Observatory is an important landmark that memorializes Dean's classic movie Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
.
In the movie Bowfinger
Bowfinger
Bowfinger is a 1999 comedy cult film directed by Frank Oz. It depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film...
with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, film producer Bowfinger (Martin) has been secretly filming a movie without Kit Ramsey (Murphy) knowing about it. The film climaxes as Ramsey is running through the Griffith observatory. The camera crew follows him by filming the shots from the surveillance room, trying to catch him saying the phrase, "Gotcha Suckers!" to end the film.
The Observatory makes an appearance in The Rocketeer
The Rocketeer
The Rocketeer is a superhero created by writer/illustrator Dave Stevens. The character first appeared in 1982 and is a homage to the Saturday matinee heroes of the 1930s and 1940s....
as the setting for a showdown between Nazi spies and The Mob. The Observatory appears in the 1987 silver-screen adaptation of Dragnet
Dragnet (1987 film)
Dragnet is a 1987 film comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, directed by Tom Mankiewicz, based on the television crime drama of the same name starring Jack Webb. The screenplay is written by Aykroyd, Alan Zweibel and Mankiewicz. The original music score is by Ira Newborn...
.
The Observatory is referenced in the movie The Hangover
The Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
. Phil Wenneck {Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
} asks his students for the field trip money to Griffith Observatory and then uses it for the trip to Vegas.
Television shows
In the Star Trek Voyager episode Future's End, Voyager is pushed back in time to 1996, to try to correct errors to the time line. Rain Robinson, played by Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....
, is working for the SETI
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
project in the Griffith Observatory, and notices Voyager in orbit, tries to contact them with the standard SETI greeting, and eventually helps the crew to recover what was stolen and escape from earth.
In the "ALIAS" episode "The Coup" (Season 1/Ep.13) Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) meets her CIA handler, Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) at the Observatory to exchange information, and Vaughn tells her that he would like to become closer to her than just her handler. They stand on the walkway used in "Rebel Without A Cause." Later in Episode 22, "Almost Thirty Years," Vaughn goes looking for Sydney in the places that help her relax, one of which is the Observatory.
Books
In the novel The A-List
The A-List (novel)
The A-List is the first novel in The A-List series by Zoey Dean. It was released in 2003 through Megan Tingley Books by Poppy.- Plot summary :The A-List follows Anna Percy, who has been raised on New York City's Upper East Side...
by Zoey Dean, the marriage of Samantha Sharpe's father, Jackson Sharpe, and Poppy is held at the Griffith Observatory. The inside is transformed with gold and red decorations.
The Griffith Observatory is prominently featured in the novel Eve of Destruction by Barry Broad.
See also
- Dinsmore AlterDinsmore AlterDinsmore Alter was an American astronomer and meteorologist.He was born in Colfax, Washington, and attended college at Westminster College in Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1909 with a B.S. degree, he married Ada McClelland...
- Ed KruppEd KruppEdwin C. Krupp is an American astronomer and author. He has been the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles for over thirty years, since first taking over the position in 1974 from his predecessor, William J...
- Laura DanlyLaura DanlyLaura Danly, Ph.D. is an American astronomer and academic. Currently, Danly serves as Curator at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Prior to her current positions, she served as chair of the Department of Space Sciences at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.Previously, Danly held academic...
- Don DixonDon Dixon (artist)Born in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1951, Don Dixon is an astronomical artist practicing space art in the tradition of Chesley Bonestell, who believed that scientific accuracy is a fundamental aspect of the esthetic of this genre. Space artists attempt to depict realistically parts of the universe that...
- Russell W. PorterRussell W. PorterRussell Williams Porter was an American artist, engineer, amateur astronomer and explorer. He was a pioneer in the field of “cutaway illustration" and is sometimes referred to as the "founder" or one of the "founders" of amateur telescope making."-Biography:Russell W...
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood and Los Feliz
External links
- Griffith Observatory Home Page
- Friends Of The Observatory
- Collection of articles on the observatory at the LA Times
- Live Lecturers sent into a Black Hole by Danny King at Bloomberg News
- Make Astronomers the Stars Op/Ed by Margaret Wertheim in the LA Times
- Light Pollution in L.A. Area