Demolished
East Hollywood, Los Angeles
Hollywood Star Lanes (site)
Shot here: The Big Lebowski (1998)
34.0906° N / 118.3050° W
Filming location · Griffith Park, Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory
The hilltop observatory where Mia and Sebastian dance among the stars, decades after James Dean’s knife fight.
Public space34.1184° N / 118.3004° W
Coordinates from published sources · on-site check pending
The scene
What happened at Griffith Observatory
In La La Land, Mia and Sebastian sneak into the observatory after a screening of Rebel Without a Cause, which was partly shot here, then float up into the planetarium sky.
Opened in 1937, the observatory offers free views of the Hollywood Sign and downtown. A bust of James Dean stands on the west lawn.
Then & Now
On location today
Still free to enter and one of the best views of Los Angeles.
Line up the shot
Stand on the west terrace with the dome to your left and the city below.
Field notes from this spot
Add a field noteAccess updateAugust 14, 2026
“The parking lot was full by 5 p.m. on a Saturday. Take the DASH bus from Vermont/Sunset instead.”
Nearby scenes
More in the Los Angeles guide1.9 mi
5.2 mi
Private · exterior only
Miracle Mile, Los Angeles
Johnie’s Coffee Shop
Shot here: The Big Lebowski (1998)
34.0627° N / 118.3616° W
5.5 mi
Ticket or tour required