Hollywood stars don't always age gracefully, but the Griffith Observatory is an exception.

Perched on a promontory offering sweeping views of Los Angeles, from the snowcapped peaks of the San Gabriels in the east, to the shores of Santa Monica on the west, the iconic landmark celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. And it still shines.

The kids have been studying the planets for their science curriculum, so a visit was definitely in order. Our recent field trip coincided with one of those rare days in L.A. where the sky is mostly clear.

The downtown skyline rose in the distance, while the Hollywood sign gleamed behind us. Hikers climbed the trails snaking down below, and squirrels harvested pine nuts in the trees overhead.

The kids, of course, just had to look through the pay telescopes. They immediately hit April and me up for quarters.

"I see people that look like ants," Drew announced as he took his turn looking. He then proceeded to being an annoying little brother and held his flip-flop in front of the telescope while it was Laurel's turn.

As we walked toward the entrance, the kids discovered the scale-model solar system orbits embedded in the sidewalks. Their schoolwork included discussions about the distance of the planets from the sun and each other, so they knew exactly what the lines in the sidewalk meant. They ran from marker to marker shouting out the names of the planets.

Once inside the observatory, we ducked into the planetarium for an informative show, "Water is Life." After a live introduction, the show takes visitors on a journey throughout the solar system in search of water, and, by extension, life.

We stretched out in the reclining seats and watched simulated rain fall from the domed ceiling screen. We dove through the ocean, and we visited Mars, along with one of Jupiter's moons. From what I heard later, it was a great show. All I can speak to is the comfort of the seats and the enveloping darkness of the planetarium.

We wandered through the exhibit halls after the show. Like most visitors, the kids were drawn to the Foucault Pendulum swinging from the ceiling of the central rotunda. It's been there since the observatory opened in 1935, serving as a demonstration of the earth's rotation. I remember my own elementary school field trip, hypnotized by the 240-pound brass orb gliding back and forth on a 40-foot cable.

Not just a place to study stars, the observatory is a star in its own right, having been featured in dozens of films and television shows over the decades. It boasts a diverse collection of co-stars, from Bart Simpson to James Dean to Jack Bauer. A bust of Dean on the west side of the observatory commemorates his 1955 performance in "Rebel Without a Cause," which was released a month after his death and featured a climatic knife fight shot at the observatory.

While the observatory's exterior appears largely unchanged over the past 75 years, it underwent a four-year renovation earlier in the decade. The $93-million makeover restored the building's original luster and doubled the public space by digging under the front lawn.

The nip/tuck has the Griffith Observatory looking its best. And it's clear this star will age gracefully for years to come while enjoying a long, distinguished career.
Eric Harnish lives in Castaic and used to own a telescope.

Mingle with the Stars
Griffith Observatory
www.griffithobservatory.org
213-473-0890
Open Wednesday through Saturday. Admission and parking are free.
Planetarium show tickets are $3 to $7.