I don’t think I’ve ever done Griffith Observatory the ‘easy way.’ Every time I’ve gone, it’s been through the trails – the long, dusty paths that wind up through Griffith Park and make you work for it. It starts off manageable, almost casual, and then somewhere along the way you realise you’re fully in it: sun overhead, no shade, and a steady incline that doesn’t really let up.
By the time I’ve gotten close, I’ve been desperately hot, slightly irritated, and wondering why I didn’t just Uber up like everyone else! But then I start to see Los Angeles differently. The skyline sits in the distance, slightly hazy, not quite the polished version you see in films, but still, it makes the city feel bigger and awe-inspiring… kind of like the ‘wtf, pinch me, I’m in LOS ANGELES right now’ moment – but over and over again, the more you scale higher.
Then the full grandeur of the Observatory gradually comes into view. The edges I see from the beginning then morph into the full structure up close, along with its full symmetry, as it sits above the city. Despite the perfumed, well-dressed crowds via vehicular access, there’s something satisfying about arriving this way… sweaty, breathy, ravenous. You feel like you’ve earned it.
Opened in 1935 and gifted to the city by Griffith J. Griffith, the Observatory was designed to be accessible to everyone. That part still holds (especially with me rocking up multiple times in my dusty hiking gear). It’s busy all the time, full of tourists, locals, people stopping post-hike like me – but it never feels exclusive or out of bounds.
Then, of course, Griffith Observatory is one of the most iconic filming locations in Los Angeles, adding another cinematic layer that makes the place feel instantly familiar even if it’s your first time here.
Standing out front, it’s hard not to think of La La Land. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling moving through this space, the skyline glowing behind them, LA presented in that soft, almost dreamlike way that those swarm to the city like, armed with a suitcase, a few dollars, and a big ol’ vision. But in honesty, in real life, the view is slightly harsher, a little hazier, thanks to the car fumes and understanding that everyday life continues on the ground below – but I always think that the beauty of Griffith Observatory is somehow better for it.
Long before that, Rebel Without a Cause made Griffith Observatory iconic. James Dean, standing here, gave it a kind of permanence – the sense that the structure wasn’t just a backdrop, but somewhere tied to something emotional and unresolved.
At the same time, it’s been used in completely different ways. In The Terminator, with Arnold Schwarzenegger moving through a darker version of the city, Griffith feels exposed, almost stark. In Transformers, it becomes part of something bigger and louder – scaled up for spectacle. And then in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, it leans into something more playful, part of that glossy, high-energy female girl power version of LA.
All of those versions exist up there at once – and that’s what has made it so magical to me every single time I sweat my way up in that heat … it’s one of the most stunning love letters to Hollywood.
As you can see, Griffith Observatory remains such a popular filming location for a myriad of reasons.
