I went on the Docent led tour and we had a blast the man (I really wish I knew his name, he's a…read moreprofessor of physics). Such a fantastic tour and a lot of information to take in. The tour lasted 3 hours and we had two people that were using walkers and they were patient and got them up to the various areas, don't be discouraged, not a lot of walking. Though getting up the Elevator involved a pully system and we only had a few people almost fall off (kidding, you don't get to be on the elevator, the man you meet in the Sun Telescope room however does go up there to align the scope every day.) So yes your feet will be on the ground, aside from a few steps up to the main area. We plan to come up there at night, but it does require good driving skills to get up there, just drive safe and slow, you'll be okay. Was jazzed that I can see the Observatory from my location here at home w binoculars.

Visiting Mt. Wilson Observatory is a great opportunity to learn about astronomical history, as well…read moreas the history of scientific endeavors in the Los Angeles area. Einstein was here, after all! The location itself is stunning, offering great views of the L.A. area. And the observatories, preserved by the valiant efforts of firefighters after too many wildfires to count, are something to see. We, unfortunately, sprung for the allegedly 2-hour tour at $20/person. The funds support the observatory, so no problem there. However, our docent was extremely long-winded and had no sense of time management whatsover, even on one of the hottest days of the year. After we were almost 3 hours into a supposedly 2 hour tour, we decided to leave early due to exhaustion and boredom. (We were starting to feel like we were on a cruise to Gilligan's Island......)To be honest, there was not much that we saw or learned on the tour that couldn't be seen just walking around and looking up information online. So, my recommendation is: donate money to the Observatory by all means but skip the docent tour unless astronomy is your biggest passion in life. Also, remember you'll need an Adventure Pass to park in the Observatory parking lot near the trailheads. Definitely worth a visit!

Yesterday (March 18th, 2025) we made the drive up to Mt. Palomar Observatory, something my…read more93-year-old father-in-law said he wanted to do. Seeing this wonder had been in the back of my mind as well, so I said, "Let's do it!" Having only recently lost his wife, through tears he explained to our amazing, friendly and knowledgeable guide Christi that he'd hoped to bring her up to the observatory someday, but she passed before he'd had the opportunity to do so. To Christi, he said, "I'd love to look through that 200" telescope and try to find my wife in Heaven." Definitely a tug on the heartstrings moment... and she responded with the sort of compassion one would expect from a family member. As other reviewers have noted, the public is not allowed to look through the scope; that privilege is reserved for nighttime astronomers. News to this 70-year-old reviewer... learn something new every day! That said, Christi explained to us the intricate construction of the telescope, the "re-mirroring" every two years, how the entire dome rotates to accommodate the different astronomers' needs, why the inside of the observatory is kept at a chilly 40°, and so much more. She told us she was "...new here..." but would answer as many questions as she could. Well, I'm a questioner, especially when seeing an incredibly complicated device such as the Hale Telescope (named after astronomer George Ellery Hale). Christi was able to answer most of my inquiries, and I have no doubt she will research the answers to any questions that stumped her. I cannot recommend this young woman highly enough to the powers that be at Mt. Palomar Observatory. Next to the gift shop is a small but very informative room for visitors thirsting for more information. The infinity of the Universe has always fascinated me, along with the mind-boggling intelligence of those who wish to explore its vastness. This tiny room is bursting with their stories. To those who posted "glass-half-empty" reviews here, I'm sorry the wonder of this landmark was lost on you. Perhaps you'll give it another look sometime. Getting a feel for how tiny our little planet Earth is when compared to the infinite puts our very existence into an entirely new perspective.

I called the gift shop and told the date we were bringing our grandsons to the observatory. I knew…read morePalomar had no tours on weekdays but I did not see one staff member in the hour we were there. The gift shop was closed so we could not buy souvenirs of anything to drink. The observatory was cool but we had to look through glass into a dark room again not a staff member anywhere. I'm sure the weekend is a better time to visit but we went the only day available to us. There was no cost but for our experience maybe a fair price.

They have a "folded lens " telescope. Basically, a huge telescope that takes up way less space…read more It's a little difficult to find, the gps failed us on that one. But when we called, they knew exactly how to guide us. We had to find the entrance behind a high school football field if I recall. Great tour, the kids had a blast. Wonderful gift shop as well. They treated us wonderfully.

Great little observatory run by passionate and educated locals! Events are paused for COVID but you…read morecan take a free guided tour of the telescope on Saturdays and visit the gift shop.

This is mostly for the VIP area. I'm at the age where I don't want to stand for an entire show nor…read moredo i want to push and throw elbows with fellow music fans. Bought reserved seats upstairs. Decent view of the stage. Great sound. I paid extra for premium parking. There is free parking within a couple of blocks. I think premium parking is worth it as I've heard there are predatory tow services that tow cars parked in lots of nearby CLOSED businesses. Douchey move. Enjoyed the show, food was decent "pub grub" but pretty limited menu. Nice selection of beers, cocktails and seltzers, really limited wine options.

I never have been to the Observatory before. I've been to every type of venue over several decades…read moreand the way PARKING is handled is the WORST. I'm writing this in line. I'm not in the venue yet. I prepaid $10 for parking. The attendant at the lot on sight said this lot is VIP $30 parking. He directed me where to park; following the signs. I ended snaking through a industrial/commercial building area, passing several empty parking lots. Finally found where I'm allowed to park. It's a third of a mile walk. Not a problem for me but ridiculous. Let's hope the venues sound is good. This place has been in business a long time and from reading other people's opinion on parking, management still doesn't have a clue. edit: security would not allow a sealed plastic water bottle to be brought inside.

This review is regarding The Alchemist & DJ Premier World Tour. First time at this venue. FIVE…read morethings I look for and hope for at my age (44) when going to see live shows: 1) Seat view. Here, VIP balcony or Lower Balcony is the only way to go. 2) Sound. Here, especially on the balcony, bass and clarity for a hip hop show of this caliber was on point. 3) Cleanliness and Space. Restrooms were very clean, well tended to and sufficient with enough stalls so no lines stealing from your time to enjoy the show. Whole venue has simple, real class to it. 4) In & Out with ease. Security smooth, plenty of exit options, including an elevator with an attendant. I don't like feeling crowded or like I'm gettin' caught in a cow herd. The Hollywood Bowl is the only venue I'd compromise this preference for simply because it's the only venue worth that sacrifice. 5) Parking. Lots of parking but get there early enough and check for other events the same day as your show. We made the mistake of not coming early enough to account for the Laker game that day. I had a great time, especially for it being my first time there.

I came here twice for two concerts, the most recent one being Machine Girl's tour with Bonnie…read moreBaxter/Kill Alters and Lightning Bolt (this is a late review). I enjoyed this show WAY more than the previous show with Dayseeker, but this is mainly because I am more familiar with the artist, so this would be the second time that I got to see Matt and their crew perform twice. The venue itself is really nice and modernized, and is located in an entertainment hub, so you will see a good amount of bars and other entertainment venues nearby. I do know that it is not a ground-floor venue, so you have to climb stairs or take an escalator/elevator. I personally do not buy concessions here due to me being cheap, but they offer free water at the bars, which I personally like, as most venues force you to purchase bottled water or use a drinking fountain. The cheap tickets are all part of the upstairs seated area, while the lower floor area costs more. From what I know, there aren't really any assigned seats, so it's first come first serve, but you will have people standing up during the main act, of course, because concertgoers will be concertgoers. The seats are very comfortable, bathrooms are accessible, and people who need ADA seating get their own separate section. The location, given that it's in DTLA, is so accessible by public transit that I can't even name all of the buses that run nearby off the top of my head. You can also take the 2 nearby trains, the A and the E, and get off at Pico station the same way you would for a Lakers, Sparks, or Kings game, Crypto.com Arena concert, or LA Convention Center event. I am somewhat familiar with the DTLA area, and I recommend concertgoers, if they feel comfortable doing so, to explore cheaper eating options away from the area if they plan to save money-- I do this all the time. I know that there is a Denny's, Wendy's, and Fatburger down the street. You have Chick Fil-A, Chipotle, 7-Eleven, and Jollibee along 7th Street by the BLOC area. You can also ride the train or bus to go further out-- there is a Dave's Hot Chicken by Little Tokyo Japanese Plaza that I love going to all the time. Dutch Bros by USC just opened up, by the California ScienCenter.

The staff are nice and fast with check in. The room is well decorated but it can get very stuffy…read moreeasily. If you like more air, highly recommended to stand near the door. The drinks are reasonable. You can request less ice in cocktails. Do not buy parking in advance online. The GA parking is very far from the entrance. They sell parking right in front of the entrance for $30. The music and the lights are ok. They are not night clubs so we can't expect too much. Will definitely come back for their next events :)

I saw my cousins Henri and Bill play in their band Starcrawler here a couple of weeks ago. I…read morebrought along with me the inimitable Dave Benitez. My sister and brother-in-law were there, as was my cousin Buddy, father of Henri and Bill. OK, enough name-dropping. I'll talk about the venue itself--I really will--but I have to focus on parking, because it's an utter joke. We knew we would be late because of when we left, but we did arrive at the parking lot in time to see at least part of the opening act--or we would have, if the place's parking lot hadn't been tiny. The attendant told us to make a left and right and then turn right on the first street and look for parking there. If there wasn't any, we were to proceed to the following street, in front of the Jack in the Box, and if there was no parking there, we could probably (!) park in the Jack in the Box parking lot without getting a ticket (!!). I followed his directions to a tee, and there were no spaces on either street in indicated, and I wasn't about to get my car towed two days before I had to drive it back to San Francisco. This part of Santa Ana is all commercial and industrial businesses in strip malls with parking lots, but for some reason, there's no street parking. I would understand a no-overnight-parking restriction to prevent people from living in their vehicles, but what purpose does the current restriction serve? None, other than to frustrate would-be spenders of sales tax in Santa Ana--stupid policy. Anyway, we spent the next twenty minutes driving up and down similarly long blocks, hoping for some legal parking. Then my brother-in-law saved the day by calling us and telling us to go to the Jack in the Box parking lot and look for the guy in the safety vest. We did so, and after we paid him $20, he directed us to one of those empty business parking lots. And we still had to walk like a half-mile to the venue. The Constellation Room is part of the Observatory, which was also hosting another band in a separate room at the same time. That explains the lack of parking, but why exactly is a venue booking more bands than it has parking for? Why don't they proactively reach out to their neighbor businesses and pay them (or have us pay them) to use their empty parking lots? It makes no sense. The Observatory looks pretty cool, but we only walked through it into the Constellation Room, which also looks very neat with the lights on. When we arrived, Buddy was right next to the door, and my sister was talking to Henri's girlfriend, who was manning the merch table in the back. I walked toward my sister and proceeded to fall flat on my stomach (I broke my fall with my hands, so I didn't hit my head). There's a single large step to get up onto the platform where the table is set up, but I couldn't see it even with the lights on, and there's no handrail. I didn't care at the time besides being embarrassed, but the following week, I had a some excruciatingly painful case of sciatica that lasted almost five days, and I'm still taking steroids for it. I don't know whether that fall caused the sciatica to flare up, but it couldn't have helped, and it's the only weird jarring-type of thing that I experienced a few days beforehand. The show itself was amazing. The sound quality is really good. I'm sure it helped that I was standing against the back wall. I think they allowed in more people than the official capacity, but I didn't have to worry about crowd churn where I was standing. It's always worth it to see and support my cousins, but this venue needs some serious nuts-and-bolts work. Parking is zero stars. Get more; don't encourage people to park illegally. Maybe spend less time on the glow tape and other nice details on the venue's interior signs and ripoff-price-drink menus and add some glow tape to the edge of that single stair. For the majority of the concert, the room was a sold four-and-a-half stars.

Came here on 11/25/2023 to find out that they are closed...it seems like they are currently kept…read moreclosed and they are not doing public tours for now according to their website

"Daddy. It looks like a ghost. Or Eva from the movie Wall-E."…read more I love those goofy kids!!