After reading in the local newspaper Los Feliz Ledger a few days ago that roads to the Griffith Observatory and the parking lot would open on November 3, our family drove up to the observatory today around 11 AM for a visit.
There were three or four checkpoints on the way up, and access to the observatory was via West Observatory Road only (through the tunnel). There were quite a few cars parked along the road for the last one hundred yards or so, but the parking lot still had quite a few spaces left.
During my only other visit to the observatory since the re-opening, visitors were forced to enter the building from the underground level, passing in front of the new gift shop and Wolfgang Puck-run restaurant. We did go in through that entrance, but we did see people coming in from the old front entrance later.
The observatory seemed fully staffed, in anticipation of big crowds, but the crowds weren't there during the first couple of hours, though the 199-space parking lot was full by the time we left. From the rooftop, we saw a handful of hikers coming up the trail, so it seems that not everyone decided to drive their cars to get to the observatory today.
Also, visiting today with two small children, it really struck me that the observatory is more of a specialized science museum, and you really need to know a little bit about astronomy to get something out of your visit. I don't know if the observatory staff will disagree, but in my opinion, there wasn't much there to hold the interest of your average preschooler.
A few details from Saturday's Los Angeles Times story:
Before the observatory's five-year renovation and expansion project, caretakers counted more than 1.8 million visitors a year.
The change in policy comes after a 60% drop in attendance since the observatory reopened Nov. 2, 2006.
[snip]
The [parking] ban worked all too well. Instead of nearly 2 million visitors over the last 12 months, only 650,000 people made the trek up the side of Mt. Hollywood.
[snip]
The operator said he would have been happy to continue the shuttle on weekends.
"During the week, it was very obvious parking would be sufficient," said Maurice Vanegas, head of Sun Valley-based Transit Systems. "Overall, we did make money, but not as much as we had hoped."
And finally:
Limited weekend bus service will begin Nov. 24, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, a traditionally busy weekend.
The bus will originate at the Metro Red Line station on Vermont Avenue and make several stops, [observatory deputy director Mark] Pine said.
