Griffith Observatory official: ‘There’s nowhere for people to go’

As L.A. eagerly awaits the flyover the space shuttle Endeavour, one spot they should probably avoid is the Griffith Observatory.

“Somebody leaving their house right now shouldn’t come,” said Mark Pine, deputy director of the observatory.

Parking lots were overflowing early this morning and authorities have started shutting down the streets near Greek Theatre, he added.

“There’s nowhere for people to go,” Pine said.

The observatory has been preparing about a week for the flyover and expected crowds, he said.

The gift shop, which has seen a steady stream of people buying up water as they cope with the heat, has been reporting higher than average sales, although not as big as during the solar eclipse, when it recorded roughly $21,000, an employee said.

With the observatory scheduled to open to the public at noon, Pine said he hoped the crowd stayed to check out the exhibits.

The free shuttle bus will run until 2 p.m., two hours later than originally scheduled.

--Brittany Levine, Times Community News, at Griffith Observatory

Follow Brittany Levine on Google+ or Twitter: @brittanylevine

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FULL COVERAGE: Endeavour: Final Journey

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