Built in 1935, the Griffith Observatory is a recognizable astronomical observatory.
Built in 1935, the Griffith Observatory is a recognizable astronomical observatory.
Located on the Mount Hollywood at 300m of altitude, the place is particularly appreciated by the tourists and the inhabitants.
Projections at the planetarium, scientific exhibitions or simply for the incredible panorama, the reasons to come to the observatory are numerous.
It owes its name to Colonel Griffith J. Griffith (1850-1919) who donated land and funds to build an observatory in order to make astronomy accessible to all.
This incredible donation hides a much sadder story. In 1903, Griffith shot his wife while they were staying at the Arcadia Hotel in Santa Monica. He did not kill her, but he did cause her to lose the use of her right eye and disfigure her. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
When he was released, the “philanthropist” made his substantial donation to Los Angeles as a “Christmas present”, to redeem himself and thus go down in history not as a murderer, but as a lover of science.
Moreover, his title of colonel does not appear on any official register.
The San Francisco Fantrippers map, an original way to discover the Californian city! Through 100 pop culture places, walk its streets from another angle. Movies, TV shows, music, comics and novels, will allow you to spend a pleasant moment in The City by the Bay. With a folded size of 10 x 18 cm and an unfolded size of 60 x 54 cm, it slips easily into your pocket or bag for easy reference.
