Know before you go

Where: 2800 E. Observatory Road, Griffith Park, L.A.

When: Reopens Friday. The observatory will be open noon to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and closed Mondays. It will close on Thanksgiving and Christmas. As of press time Wednesday, a limited number of tickets were available for this weekend.

Price: Admission is free, but reservations are required, and shuttle fees are $8 per adult and $4 per child, ages 5 to 12.

Getting there: Shuttle buses will collect passengers from parking lots near the Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive (which is free), and Hollywood & Highland, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. (which costs $2 to $10). Buses will feature observatory-related videos.

However, if you’re willing to walk or pedal up to the site from the Greek Theatre parking lot, there will be up to 1,200 free reservations per day available to hikers and bikers on one- or two-days notice.

Planetarium show: The hourly “Centered in the Universe” show seats 300. Tickets, sold inside the observatory, are priced at $7 for adults, $3 for children 5 to 12.

Food: Café at the End of the Universe, run by Wolfgang Puck’s catering team, has casual fare, with prices up to $10, and seating for 54 indoors and 84 outdoors.