Calendar and Events
Special Events
| AT THE OBSERVATORY... | ||
|---|---|---|
| January 1 |
New Year's Day | Building OPEN |
| January 3 |
All Space Considered | CANCELED |
| January 4 2:00 – 9:45 p.m. |
Public Star Party | Free Admission |
| January 8 4:50 – 5:50 p.m. |
Sunset Walk & Talk | Free Admission |
| January 17 7:30 – 9:45 p.m. |
All Spitzer Considered | Free Admission |
| January 20 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Building CLOSED |
| January 27 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. |
FOTO Cosmic Musings Lecture | Reservations and tickets required |
| February 1 2:00 – 9:45 p.m. |
Public Star Party | Free Admission |
| February 5 5:20 – 6:20 p.m. |
Sunset Walk & Talk | Free Admission |
| February 7 7:30 – 9:45 p.m. |
All Space Considered | Free Admission |
| February 17 | Presidents' Day | Building CLOSED |
| February 24 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. |
FOTO Cosmic Musings Lecture | Reservations and tickets required |
| February 29 2:00 – 9:45 p.m. |
Public Star Party | Free Admission |
| IN THE SKY... | |
|---|---|
| January 4 | Before dawn, peak of Quadrantid meteor shower |
| January 4 | Earth at perihelion (closest to sun) at 11:48 a.m. |
| January 20 | Moon near Mars in the morning sky |
| January 22 | Moon near Jupiter in the morning sky |
| January 27-28 | Moon near Venus in the evening sky |
| February 1 | Saturn becomes visible to the lower left of Jupiter starting 30 minutes before sunrise |
| February 10 | Mercury is visible to the lower right of Venus in the evening sky |
| February 11 | Mars makes the upper point of a triangle with star Antares to the lower right, and Jupiter to the lower left |
| February 18 | Crescent moon near Mars at dawn |
| February 19 | Crescent moon near Jupiter at dawn |
| More sky information can be found at | |
| Griffith Observatory's Weekly Sky Report | |
| All times are local Pacific Standard Time through March 09, 2019. On March 10 and thereafter all times are local Pacific Daylight Time. | |
| EXPLORING SPACE... | |
|---|---|
| January 18 Approx. 5:00 a.m., PST | SpaceX to perform an unpiloted in-flight abort test from on a Falcon 9 rocket to be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center to demonstrate the safety of the Crew Dragon capsule in order to clear it to carry astronauts to the International Space Sptation as early as next month. Time: 5:00 a.m., PST |
Regular Programs
Griffith Observatory presents daily programs in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater.
The Observatory also hosts periodic special events and monthly public star parties.
Hearing assist devices are available upon request in both the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon.
2020 Holiday Schedule
| New Year's Day (Jan. 1) | OPEN |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 20) | CLOSED |
| Presidents' Day (Feb. 17) | CLOSED |
| Cesar Chavez Day (Mar. 30) | CLOSED |
| Memorial Day (May 25) | CLOSED |
| Independence Day (Jul. 4) | OPEN |
| Labor Day (Sept. 7) | CLOSED |
| Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Oct. 12) | CLOSED |
| Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) | OPEN |
| Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) | CLOSED |
| Christmas Day (Dec. 25) | CLOSED |
Note: Phone operators are not available on closed holidays.
Free public telescopes...
are available each evening the Observatory is open and skies are clear. Knowledgeable telescope demonstrators are available to guide visitors in observing. Please be aware that the demonstrators must cut off the line for each telescope by 9:30 p.m. or earlier to enable all viewing to be completed by 9:45 p.m. Hours for telescope operation are not the same as for the building (which closes at 10:00 p.m.).
Phone Contacts
General Information Line: 213-473-0800
L.A. City's "311" Information Line: 866-4LACITY
Those wishing to attend programs at Griffith Observatory may reach the Observatory by bus, bike, car, or on foot. For more information see our Getting Here page.
Please be advised that parking is limited and not guaranteed. Demand for parking is highest on weekends, holidays, and Greek Theatre show nights.