Griffith Observatory Braces For Large Crowds, Limited Parking For Eclipse

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Skywatchers hoping to catch a glimpse of the "Great American Eclipse" next week could face large crowds at Griffith Observatory, officials said Monday.

The Observatory will offer a free public viewing of next Monday's solar eclipse from 9:05 a.m. to 11:44 a.m. in anticipation of "very large crowds".

While a total solar eclipse will be visible in a northwest to southeast swath of the continental United States from the Oregon coast to South Carolina, Angelenos will only see a partial eclipse - about 70 percent of the sun's surface will be obscured.

Even so, the Observatory will have several solar telescopes available for safely viewing the event, along with special glasses at the gift shop.

Visitors were also urged to wear a hat, sunscreen and appropriate shoes in the event they are required to walk a significant distance uphill if parking becomes limited.

Should parking become completely full, officials will close off vehicle access via the Vermont Avenue and Fern Dell gates and instead encourage visitors to take the DASH Observatory bus from Metro's Vermont/Sunset Red Line station, which is scheduled to run earlier than usual.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)