With kids · Los Angeles · United States
Los Angeles with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
LA is a big draw for families thanks to its theme parks, beaches and hands-on museums, but distances are long, so plan one area per day. Exposition Park, the Miracle Mile museums and Santa Monica make easy, compact family days. Top picks: Griffith Observatory, Santa Monica Pier and La Brea Tar Pits. Families usually base themselves in Santa Monica.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Santa Monica
- Rainy-day options
- 4
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Landmark · Griffith Park
1.Griffith Observatory
On the southern slope of Mount Hollywood since 1935, Griffith Observatory has free exhibits, a planetarium with paid shows, and terraces looking over the LA basin to the ocean and up to the Hollywood Sign. On clear evenings the public telescopes are free to use.
Parking near the building fills quickly around sunset; the LADOT DASH bus from Los Feliz runs up the hill.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- After dark
- Kids
- Couples
Waterfront · Santa Monica
2.Santa Monica Pier
The 1909 pier holds Pacific Park's solar-panelled Ferris wheel and roller coaster, a carousel in the 1916 Looff Hippodrome, a small aquarium under the pier and the sign marking the end of Route 66. Wide beaches stretch away on both sides, with a bike path running south to Venice.
Rent a bike near the pier and ride the beach path south to Venice, about 3 km along the sand.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- Views
- After dark
- Free
Museum · Miracle Mile
3.La Brea Tar Pits
In Hancock Park, natural asphalt seeps have trapped animals for tens of thousands of years, and scientists still recover mammoth, sabre-toothed cat and dire wolf fossils. The museum shows reconstructed skeletons and a glass-walled fossil lab, while the Lake Pit with its life-size mammoth models can be seen free from the park.
Walk the park first: the Lake Pit and the outdoor excavation areas are free to see before you decide on a museum ticket.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Nature
- Rainy day
Museum · Exposition Park
4.Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
In Exposition Park south of Downtown, the Natural History Museum has a dinosaur hall with a growth series of T. rex skeletons, the Becoming Los Angeles gallery on the city's history, and seasonal butterfly and spider pavilions. The California Science Center, with free general admission, is next door.
Pair it with the California Science Center and the rose garden between them; the Metro E Line stops right outside.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Nature
Theme park · Universal City
5.Universal Studios Hollywood
The working film studio's theme park combines the Studio Tour tram ride through real backlots with rides in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World. It sits in the hills above the Universal City/Studio City Metro station, with a free shuttle up from the station.
Arrive before opening and head straight for the most popular rides, then take the Studio Tour later when its queue eases.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Buy dated tickets online in advance; express passes are worth considering on summer and holiday weekends.
- Kids
- Iconic
Aquarium · Long Beach
6.Aquarium of the Pacific
On the Long Beach waterfront, about 40 km south of Downtown, the Aquarium of the Pacific covers Pacific habitats from Southern California kelp forests to tropical reefs, with sea otters, a shark lagoon with touch pools and a lorikeet aviary.
Take the Metro A Line from Downtown LA to its southern end in Long Beach, then walk about 15 minutes to the waterfront.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Museum · Miracle Mile
7.Petersen Automotive Museum
Wrapped in a red-and-steel ribbon facade on Wilshire Boulevard, the Petersen tells the story of car culture in a city built around the automobile, with Hollywood film cars, hot rods and supercars across three floors.
Car fans should book the guided Vault tour, which shows rarely displayed vehicles from the collection.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Rainy day
- Kids
- History
Rainy-day ideas
- La Brea Tar Pits — Walk the park first: the Lake Pit and the outdoor excavation areas are free to see before you decide on a museum ticket.
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County — Pair it with the California Science Center and the rose garden between them; the Metro E Line stops right outside.
- Petersen Automotive Museum — Car fans should book the guided Vault tour, which shows rarely displayed vehicles from the collection.
- Aquarium of the Pacific — Take the Metro A Line from Downtown LA to its southern end in Long Beach, then walk about 15 minutes to the waterfront.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, beach and couples
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is the most practical beach base: the pier and Pacific Park, the pedestrian Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park on the bluffs and a bike path along the sand to Venice. The Metro E Line runs from Downtown Santa Monica station to Downtown LA, and the centre is easy to explore on foot by LA standards.
- Good
- Beach, pier and promenade within walking distance; Direct Metro rail to Downtown; Cooler sea breezes in summer
- Watch out
- Expensive hotels; Long drive to Hollywood and the east side; Grey, foggy mornings in May and June
- Nearby
- Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park, Venice Beach
Family travel tips
- The California Science Center in Exposition Park has free general admission and pairs well with the Natural History Museum next door.
- Visit theme parks on weekdays outside school holidays and arrive before opening for the shortest queues.
- Pack sunscreen, hats and layers: coastal mornings are cool, while inland afternoons can be hot.
- California law requires child car seats in rideshares and taxis, and drivers rarely provide them; bring your own or rent one.
- Swim only near staffed lifeguard towers and watch children closely; Pacific waves and rip currents can be strong.
Day trips for families
- Disneyland Resort (About 45–90 minutes by car) — The original Disney park, opened by Walt Disney in 1955, sits beside Disney California Adventure in Anaheim.
- Santa Catalina Island (About 1 hour by ferry from Long Beach) — Avalon, the island's small harbour town, has a 1929 Art Deco casino building (a ballroom, not a gambling hall), glass-bottom boat trips, snorkelling at Lovers Cove and hiking in the protected interior, where a herd of bison roams.
- San Diego (About 2.5–3 hours by train or car) — The Pacific Surfliner runs beside the ocean for much of the way to San Diego, where Balboa Park's museums, the USS Midway Museum and the Gaslamp Quarter are close to the station.
When to go with children
The best months overall are March–May and September–November. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Los Angeles good for kids?
LA is a big draw for families thanks to its theme parks, beaches and hands-on museums, but distances are long, so plan one area per day. Exposition Park, the Miracle Mile museums and Santa Monica make easy, compact family days.
+What can kids do in Los Angeles?
Griffith Observatory, Santa Monica Pier, La Brea Tar Pits, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and Universal Studios Hollywood.
+Where should families stay in Los Angeles?
Santa Monica: Beachfront pier, the Third Street Promenade and the end of Route 66.