Parents sometimes hesitate to visit Los Angeles with kids. Hollywood, trendy restaurants and velvet-rope clubs don’t scream child-friendly. But there are a lot of things to do in L.A. for families. And you can’t beat the sunny, temperate Southern California weather and nearby beaches.
The concierge at the Peninsula Beverly Hills was kind enough to provide his top ten list of things to do in L.A. with kids.
Whether you are dropping in for a weekend or doing a longer So-Cal vacation, I thought it was a handy round-up of all the must-see attractions for families. It also clued me in to a few hidden gems I didn’t know about, like glow-in-the-dark mini golf.
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10 Activities Things Your Family Will Love On An L.A. Vacation
Things You Can Only Do In L.A.
1. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits
The Tar Pits are still an active excavation site in the middle of a modern city. And a visit to this family-friendly archeology museum here takes you back to a time when LA was really cool: The last Ice Age, when saber-toothed cats and mammoths walked the streets.
Inside the Page Museum, you can watch scientists piece together fragments of real fossilized bones. See Ice-Age saber-tooth cats come to life via Jim Henson Puppets or watch a 3D movie about Wooly Mammoths.
Outside in the park, where tar pits still bubbles, you can learn about ongoing excavations and what recent discoveries can tell us.
Kids can run around giant replicas of extinct mammals, too. Great fun and great photos!
2. Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory
• Griffith Park is the largest urban-wilderness municipal park in the U.S. and is full of free and paid attractions for all ages.
With older kids and teens you can hike along any of 53 miles of trails, including those that will give you great views of the Hollywood sign. or tackle the paved paths with rented bikes.
Amuse little ones with the carousel and the (free) playgrounds, including the colorful and inclusive Shane’s Inspiration.
Have a tot (or grown-up) who loves trains? Take a mile-long ride on a miniature train or admire the collection of locomotives and other historic train cars at the Travel Town Museum.
• The Griffith Observatory and planetarium is open daily with exhibits, movies and stargazing opportunities.
Admission is free, but there you need to buy tickets for the fantastic planetarium shows that are always have live narration. You can also join outside tours led by former Griffith employees, to make sure you see everything.
Take teens and older kids in evenings. The observatory is open until 10:00 on most nights and on any clear night you can take a turn gazing through its large revolving telescope. You’ll find smaller but extremely telescopes outside, too.
3. Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour
Everyone wonders what goes on behind the scenes of their favorite movies and television shows.
Warner Bros. Studios offers a variety of tours that let you find out. Choose to look behind the scenes at popular TV shows, modern movies, classics like Casablanca and even Warner’s scariest horror flicks.
For more than 75 years, Warner has been making movies at their Burbank studios. They generously share their heritage with visitors.
See actually stage sets, costumes, props and more. Then take a break in a café that looks a lot like Central Perk.
4. Hollywood Walk of Fame
This is one of the few popular activities in Los Angeles that is completely free. And it’s your excuse to explore Downtown L.A. a bit.
After spotting the sidewalk stars with your favorite actor’s names try stepping in stars’ footprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Delve into Hollywood’s glamorous history at the Hollywood Museum or step into the fram with some of your favorite movie characters at Madame Tussaud’s.
Be sure to grab lunch at one of the food trucks that set up shop within few blocks of where you are.
More Resources on Southern California:
• Plan this Fun Fall Weekend in San Diego
• An Ideal Weekend In San Diego With Kids
• I Had Surprisingly Fun Night at the Legoland Hotel
Theme Parks You Can’t Miss
5. Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios is a unique theme park. And what could be better than enjoying rides and attractions that immerses you in movies and TV while you are steps away from Hollywood.
It’s more of an all-ages attraction than you might expect, too.
Little ones will enjoy Minion Land, a Secret Life of Pets ride and Hogsmeade shops. Tweens and teens head straight for the Wizarding World and Jurassic Park thrill rides. With The Simpsons and Back to the Future rides, there’s even something for parents.
Consider paying a little extra for the skip-the-line tickets, especially if you only have one day to devote to this. The most popular thrill rides can have lines that stretch to an hour or two. Avoiding those lines allows you to get much more out of your day. Rides for little ones tend to be shorter, but can still be longer than they have patience for.
Read More:
• The Best & Worst of Our Experience at Universal Studios in Florida
6. Disneyland
Disneyland, the original “Happiest Place on Earth” still charms visitors 70 years after opening its gates.
In addition to the classic Small World and submarine rides, there’s always something new, such as the Marvel-centered attractions they’ve been adding for a few years.
Toontown is full of rides and attractions for littles. But I could appreciate that the topsy-turvy cartoonish architecture represents some of Disney’s best imagineering.
My family loves the Disneyland/California Adventure duo because they are more walkable and manageable than Disney World, especially with younger kids. It’s also easier to let teens go off on their own and trust that you might meet up again later.
Read More:
• Celebrate Walt & Mickey at the Disneyland Hotel
• The 7 Best All-Ages Attractions at Disneyland
• Disneyland Vs Disney World: Which Fits Your Family?
Sure-To-Please Kid Classics
7. Glo Indoor Mini-Golf
This is mini golf with a touch of Hollywood magic. Plus, it’s a fairly cheap night out by L.A. standards. And it will appeal to all ages, possibly in very different ways.
27 holes surrounded by glow-in-the-dark details, including the seven Wonders of the World. You can wear 3D glasses to enhance the visual experience. Though, I don’t know how that might impact your putting.
There’s also an escape room, virtual reality games and other activities if you want to go to town and make a night of it.
8. Aquarium of the Pacific
Visit this West-Coast Aquarium to learn all about the world’s largest ocean. Your visit will take you on a journey from the frigid waters of the North Pacific, through the local waters of sunny Southern California and onward down to the colorful reefs of the Tropical Pacific.
Along the way, you’ll meet more than 12,500 sea creatures, including the ocean’s ultimate predators in Shark Lagoon.
After drawing inspiration from all the sea life you’ve seen, color the craziest fish you can dream up on a virtual coral reef.
9. Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
The L.A. Zoo is home to more than 1,100 creatures representing more than 250 species, of which 29 are endangered.
They hail from North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia. You can easily spend a full day here and not get to see all the birds, mammals and reptiles. Take a look at the zoo map before you arrive to decide where you want to head first.
The botanical gardens feature more than 800 plant species and more than 7,400 individual plants. One garden is designed to be an attractive stop for migratory birds that pass over Los Angeles.
10. California Science Center
This science center has the usual stable of permanent science museum exhibits that explore physics, space travel, the eco-system and biology.
There’s also a unique look at the science of fire and fire safety. And rotating temporary exhibits are usually fun, exploring things like the science of fear, sports and even dogs’ tails.
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Photos of Disneyland by Eileen Gunn©. All other photos as credited.