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The sparkling white observatory has been the park’s chief attraction since 1935. It’s closed for renovation until early 2006, but a small satellite facility with planetarium shows and exhibits is in operation.

A favorite LA outdoor concert venue, the 1930 Greek Theatre presents a summer season of top musical talent in its leafy natural bowl setting. With just over 6,000 seats, it’s great for close-ups of legends.

The popular trek to the top of Mount Hollywood, the highest point in Griffith Park, rewards hikers with plenty of exercise and sweeping views of Los Angeles. Trailheads are located at Fern Dell and the Observatory.

A slice of nostalgia in the midst of futuristic LA, this beloved 1926 Stillman carousel has 68 exquisitely carved horses complete with real horse-hair tails.

Some 1,200 animals are found here, including koalas and chimps. The breeding program has brought the California condor back from near-extinction.

This great collection of art, artifacts, and memorabilia demystifies the history and mythology of the American West. Star exhibits include a Colt handgun collection.

A good-sized fleet of vintage locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and several cabooses (goods trains) draw railroad aficionados to this outdoor museum. Children love riding the miniature train.

Buster Keaton and Bette Davis are among the celebrities interred in this parklike cemetery dotted with patriotic art and architecture. It was founded in 1917 by Hubert Eaton, who invented the “full-service cemetery” concept satirized by Evelyn Waugh.

Scenes from Star Trek , Batman , Bonanza , and countless other film and TV productions were shot in this former rock quarry and its caves. Tucked away in a remote corner of Griffith Park, it requires a short hike.

Generations of children have boarded the three miniature trains that chug along a 1-mile (1.6-km) track past pony rides, a Wild West ghost town, a Native American village, moving over a bridge and through a tunnel, past grazing goats and a cactus garden.