The Top Los Angeles Family Attractions

From movie star footprints to Koreatown, here’s a look at some of our favorite  Los Angeles family attractions. LA’s nickname the “City of Angels” originated from the earliest Spanish settlement, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, LA family fun is exciting, outdoorsy, culturally rich, sunny and beachy at the same time. One could easily call it angelic.

What’s not so angelic about this big city? The pricey attractions, non-stop traffic, and sky-high parking rates. Many Hollywood attractions and area museums, however, participate in the CityPASS Program which includes admission to many popular LA attractions for one discounted price.

Getting Around Los Angeles with Kids

Sustainable travelers love that a cool Metro with 2,200 low-emission buses and six rail lines is one of the best things to do with kids in LA. It covers the territory from Universal Studios Hollywood to Disneyland, from Watts Towers to the Santa Monica Pier. If you’re staying near one of the stations, you can get most of your sightseeing done with public transit. Check out our Hollywood to Santa Monica video.

Many of the top Los Angeles family attractions are accessible by public transport. However, most families – especially those with active teens — will want to book an Uber, Waymo autonomous car or rent their own car to make day trips.

Great Fun for the Kids

(Toddler to Age 8)

Natural History Museum of LA County

900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007
This museum, one of the top LA family attractions, is jam packed with activities and exhibitions from dinosaurs to bugs and gems. Don’t miss a 65-foot fin whale seen in a glass pavilion at the north end. A good place to start with little kids is the Parsons Foundatoin Discovery Center. Investigate the natural world with microscopes, magnifying glasses and binoculars. Peek behind the scenes of the fun puppet-led Dinosaur Encounters shows. Let off steam in their 3.5-acre Nature Gardens.  Admission is free for under-3s. With 33 million objects, there is enough to see for a week’s worth of museum trips, so pick and choose what you want to view before you wander around.

Petersen Automotive Museum

6060 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
A great museum, it’s devoted to all sorts of rare, antique, flashy and otherwise famous cars. See the gold, 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Coupe like the one in Back To The Future. Ogle  McLarens, vintage Teslas, Corvettes, Aston Martins are more. There are dozens of beautifully restored classics all ages will enjoy, plus a Vault of priceless vehicles. =Take advantage of the Discover Center’s activities on automobile technology, aerodynamic design and Story Time. Try the state-of-the-art racing simulators designed by Forza Motorsport. It’s free to admire the unmistakable molten chrome facade which makes the Petersen building look like a concept car. Open daily, under 4 free.

Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens

5333 Zoo Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Discover over 1,700 animals and 250 different species including amphibians, birds, invertebrates, mammals and reptiles. Along with a botanical garden, this “cageless” zoo is located in beautiful Griffith Park. It is a favorite of residents and tourists looking for LA family fun. Join Story Time, learn about gorilla families, look up in the aviary and catch the noon World of Birds show. Don’t miss a spin on the Conservation Carousel.

Los Angeles Childrens Museums and Discovery Centers

Choose one of these excellent kid-friendly, LA family attractions according to which neighborhood you are in to reduce travel time.

Skirball Cultural Center Museum

2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049-6833
Thanks to grandma Carol Martinez for introducing us to Noah’s Ark. The remarkably innovative kids playspace is at a renowned Jewish cultural center convenient to Beverly Hills, Westwood or Santa Monica. Work, climb and build within an 8,000-squre-foot wooden play structure. It’s filled with animals and diverse creatures made of recycled materials. It ranks among the top LA kid friendly attractions so you need timed-entry tickets for 90-minute sessions. Free to all visitors on Thursday.

Cayton Museum Children’s Museum

395 Santa Monica Place, #374
Santa Monica, CA 90401
The Cayton children’s museum, farther west, provides hands-on play for preschoolers with a focus on the arts and crafts. Their new food truck play area, Surfside Café, gets great reviews. Plan ahead for PNO, when museum staff run a three-hour kids-only play group. Open Wednesday to Saturday. Sensory play takes place Sunday.

Kidspace

480 N. Arroyo Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 91103
Kidspace promotes LA family fun by making almost all exhibits hands on. It’s thrilling for preschoolers who can’t wait to touch everything. Outdoor play areas include Muddy boot Farm and Winding Willow Lake, plus climbing and play areas, and a performance space. Note that the Pasadena location makes it most convenient to families staying in downtown LA or east.

Fun for Older Children

(Up to Age 18)

California Science Center

700 State Drive, Exposition Park
Los Angeles, CA 90037
This premier science museum is a top Los Angeles family attraction thanks to its specially focused Discovery Rooms for children age 7 and under. Explore exhibits devoted to human inventions and innovations, living things and more Permanent galleries free. Special exhibits and an IMAX theater charge admission. 

La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

5801 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
It’s black and oozing, with occasional puffs of smoke and odor. Just one branch of the Natural History Museums of LA County, this is the only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site found in an urban location in the world. The molten tar preserves ancient mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. Visit more Ice Age fossils at the museum, which also features special exhibits.

Getty Museum at the Getty Center

1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Getting to the Getty is one of LA’s best free family attractions. Ride a tram almost a mile to the arrival plaza, catching glimpses of Century City, downtown, Westwood and UCLA in route. Explore five two-story pavilions around an open central courtyard where you can lounge or lunch. A waterfall cascades along the grand stairway. Beautiful gardens and terraces beckon you to lounge and relax. Browse European paintings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and traveling exhibitions. Don’t miss their free  family programs, weekly concerts and special Family Room Gallery for hands-on arts appreciation. Entrance to the museum and grounds is free.

Go to The Beach: Santa Monica, Venice and Surfing Los Angeles

An afternoon at the beach is one of the most fun things to do in LA with kids. The Pacific is probably too cold for swimming. Instead, go for the strolling, sunbathing, great people watching and much more.

Santa Monica, CA 90401
Start at the Santa Monica Pier. The pier hosts Pacific Park with its vintage Ferris Wheel and amusement park rides, fishing and dining spots. Throughout the year, concerts and special events take place on the pier. We love rollerblading and biking along the beach’s 27-mile concrete pathway. Your teens will love the hipness, the sunshine and the safe, protected, car-free zone. Ask your hotel concierge where to rent skates — or bikes if you prefer. There are several vendors near the Santa Monica Pier and up and down the boardwalk, offering all size bikes, baby trailers and helmets for all.

Venice, CA 90291
Venice Beach is another enticing Los Angeles family attraction with more of an artsy vibe than its upscale northern neighbor. Boardwalk shops. cafes, tattoo parlors, street performers and muscle builders add life and color to any beach visit. It’s busiest on Saturday mornings. Shop the craftspeople, watch graffiti artists, and have your portrait done. 

Surf the Pacific
Los Angeles boasts famous surfing spots for novices and experienced riders. Talk to locals about the day’s conditions before you dive into the legendary spots. Zuma Beach , Surfrider Beach and  Topanga Beach are in  Malibu. There’s Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach farther south.

Shop Los Angeles for Family Fun : Beverly Hills, Melrose, Culver City

This diverse, multicultural and creative city makes finding things to do with teens in Los Angeles easy. Start with great shopping, much of it very affordable, one of a kind, artisanal and stylish. Read on for the neighborhoods featuring gear from posh to preposterous.

Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Window shop on the main street of Beverly Hills, a posh neighborhood where high rent, high-priced shops display only the height of current fashion. Famous designers have their stores here, the celebs all shop here, and it’s fun to peer beyond the windows and look around.

Melrose Avenue in West Los Angeles and Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Park your car and stroll down Hollywood’s main thoroughfare. In addition to cafes and clubs, discover new, used, trendy, Eurotrash and new wave style along the West end. Go for great people watching and offbeat things to buy in all price ranges.

Shopping in Culver City 90232
The lower rents south of Beverly Hills spawned a thriving arts scene and one of LA’s trendiest areas to shop, dine and simply walk around. Start your visit at the Culver Hotel, which opened in 1924 to house many cast members making films at the MGM Studios nearby. MGM is now Sony Pictures Studios. Take their studio tour  (weekdays only) to see where “The Wizard of Oz” and Spider-Man movies are done. Stroll the boutiques and art galleries along Washington where it meets La Cienega.

Explore Historic Downtown LA With Kids

Since Los Angeles is a large and diverse city, the older downtown area known as DTLA warrants your time. Use our introduction to some kid-friendly highlights so you’ll know whether or not to plan a few extra days in town.

Angel’s Flight Railway and Central Market
California Plaza, 350 South Grand Avenue (top)
351 South Hill Street (bottom)
Los Angeles 90013
One of the stars of Downtown LA, Angel’s Flight is a vintage funicular – incline railway – dating from 1901 that climbed Bunker Hill. It’s the city’s most memorable and Instagrammable ride ($1 each way).

Grand Central Market
Drop into the classic Grand Central Market opposite the bottom of the funicular. It opened in 1917 with the name Wonder Market. Today, it’s brimming with unique vendors (craftspeople on weekends), nearly 40 food stalls from California chefs, and top values for those who like to sample it all.

Downtown LA Cultural Attractions

Cultural attractions include the Museum of Contemporary Art’s extensive collection of American and European works created since 1940. The popular Broad Museum is a wonderful private collection of modern art, and entry is always free. You can’t miss the undulating chrome-walled Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry. Encourage the kids to walk up on the sides.

Downtown Los Angeles Ethnic Attractions for the Family

On the opposite end of the cultural spectrum, Olvera Street is a vibrant marketplace
 built on the site of the original El Pueblo de Los Angeles. Stroll and admire the Old World Spanish architecture. Stop to taste the excellent Mexican cuisine. That is, unless you’re headed to DTLA’s Little Tokyo or K-Town for great shopping and cheap, authentic Asian fare.

The Best of Hollywood

Hollywood is a state of mind and a bustling industry as much as a place. It’s the top Los Angeles family attraction because of its universal appeal. Visitors from all over the world come to see the neighborhood’s Walk of Fame, Hollywood Sign and look at movie star homes.

Star spotting on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the perfect activity for a multigenerational group! Look for stars embedded in the sidewalks dedicated to celebs ranging from Douglas Fairbanks to Ludacris. Everyone in the family is likely to recognize someone. Visit Lourdes’s table at the corner of McAdden Place and Hollywood Blvd. For just $10, she provides gold block letters so you can spell out your own name on a blank star.

Before you go, stand on Hollywood Boulevard and look north into the hills. The 50-foot-tall white letters on top of Mt. Lee — once reading Hollywoodland —  are fitted with thousands of light bulbs for evening viewing. Our comprehensive Family Guide to Hollywood has many more details and how-to tips.

Fun Things To Do for the Whole Family

For guided tours to the major Hollywood sites, filming locations, movie star homes and more, check out top Los Angeles Hollywood tours on Viator.

The Academy Museum

6067 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
The graceful Academy Museum is a project of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. More engaging than a replay of blockbusters, the museum dives into the history and production of movies. The “Story of Cinema” starts with three floors of multimedia exhibits featuring award-winning, artistically innovative films. “The Godfather” parts one, two and three illustrate the art, science and craft of filmmaking. Explore themes such as women in film with Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar. John Singleton’s “Boyz n da Hood” illustrates Black street culture as seen in movies. Admission for ages 17 and under is free, as is the Oscar Experience attraction. Screenings cost extra. Closed Tuesday.

The Farmers Market

6333 West 3rd Street (at Fairfax)
Los Angeles, CA 90036
A landmark of LA family fun dating to 1934, this covered marketplace is chock full of 120 produce stalls, fast food counters, and gourmet eateries. For an irresistible slice of the past, peek into the famous Littlejohn’s English Toffee and fudge shop, Du-par’s breakfast restaurant or la Loteria taco stand. The Famer’s Market is truly fun for all ages and entry is free. Open daily; check their website for a schedule of Summer Sunday kids’ events and free year-round activities. Next door is The Grove, one of LA’s newer and very busy lifestyle malls with lots of free entertainment.

Watts Towers

1765 East 107th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90002
This architectural folly comprises 17 separate tile, glass and porcelain covered, wire-wrapped steel sculptures that rise to 100 feet near the USC campus. Completed in 1955 by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia after more than 30 years of dedication and labor, they are pure whimsy (or madness) and a delight for all ages.  This outdoor attraction, a registered landmark, has an arts center with tours, lectures, changing exhibits and an annual September Jazz Festival.

Autry Museum of the American West

4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Increased interest in indigenous culture has boosted the profile of The Autry, a family favorite history museum in Griffith Park. Experience stories of the of the American Southwest, from indigenous peoples to European American settlers and Hollywood cowboys. The underrated museum’s collection of 500,000 artworks and artifacts is very impressive. Entry free Tuesday and Wednesday from 1-4pm with extended hours Thursday nights for live performances.

Fantasy Days Away: Los Angeles Area Family Attractions

Save On Tickets To Southern California’s Famous Theme Parks

Disneyland

Anaheim, CA 92802
714/781-4636
The original Disney theme park is still one of the most popular family vacation destinations in the US. Colorful, character-full Disneyland and the more ride-oriented California Adventure Park are located about 90 minutes from downtown L.A. All ages will find thrills at Mickey’s Toontown, CarsLand, Stars Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avenger’s Campus. Read more about it in The New Disneyland Resort – Not Your Parent’s Disneyland. Plan to stay overnight at an Anaheim hotel.

Universal Studios Hollywood

100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
A great movie-themed amusement park and working motion picture studio in one. Universal’s stars include The Simpsons, Harry Potter, and Super Nintendo World. Get a behind-the-scenes look at movie making on the Studio Tram Tour. Learn the tricks of the stuntman’s trade in the live WaterWorld show. Hop on thrilling wet and dry rides themed to movies such as Jurassic Park and Transformers.

A day’s end, dine at CityWalk or, exit the studio to try one of Burbank’s culinary icons. The original Bob’s Big Boy serves up some of the best burgers in town. (In -N-Out Burger fans will argue this.) The Smoke House, featured in “La La Land,” has exuded pure star magic since 1946. Enjoy its extensive cocktail list, grill menu  and plenty of kid-friendly fare. Some families love staying in one of Burbank’s retro motels like the Safari Inn. It’s a quick hop by Metro “over the hill” to Hollywood.