The Griffith Observatory, one of the worlds landmark museums and observatories, has re-opened its doors to the public after completing a comprehensive four year renovation and expansion project. One of Southern California's most popular attractions, with over 70 million visitors in the first 67 years since its original opening, the Observatory has had a major expansion with the addition of a major exhibit hall below the front lawn. With an additional 40,000 square foot of exhibit space, the Observatory will once more take its place as one of the leading museums in the world. Overlooking all of LA and the Hollywood hills, the amazing views from the observatory will once again be accessible to visitors.

We are proud to be involved on this project with Maltbie, the exhibit fabricators, and the Friends of the Observatory. Mad Systems implemented all the leading edge Audio-Visual systems for over 60 new exhibits, electro-mechanical telluria that show seasons, eclipses, tides and moon phases, and "magic boxes" including video Pepper's ghosts, designed by C&G Partners. We know that the Griffith Observatory, with its new exterior and interior, will prove to be even more popular in the future than it has been in the past.

The new addition to the Griffith Observatory, located below the front lawn.

The original telescope, ready to be re-deployed. With a new audio-visual system, and a connection to a viewing area below, Griffith Observatory takes ADA seriously to make sure that disabled guests can experience all the facilities on offer.

One of the interactives implemented by Mad Systems. The rotary knob allows you to view the sun's spectrum. The knob was designed and built in-house from brass stock. It actives a hidden high-precision industrial encoder, which in feeds its signal to the interactive computer to allow the visitor to scroll through the solar spectrum image.

To the right, the 152-foot-by-20-foot enamel panel that depicts a slice of space that you could hide from your view with just the tip of a finger.

Installed in the new exhibition space, there is a space for each of the planets of our solar system.

Mad Systems produced 4 telluria that show planetary movement. This one shows seasons; the video in the background is frame synchronous with the movement of the mechanical device to an accuracy well better than one degree of rotation.