Los Angeles is huge, traffic is real, and trying to “see everything” with kids will leave everyone exhausted. The key to planning a great family trip to LA is knowing what’s actually worth doing with kids — and grouping it by neighborhood so you’re not stuck in the car all day.

This guide covers the best things to do in Los Angeles with kids, from toddlers through teens, organized by area to make planning easier. I’ve included honest notes on what’s free vs paid, how long to plan at each stop, and which activities work best for younger kids versus older kids, so you can build realistic days instead of overpacked itineraries.

These are family-tested experiences we’ve done ourselves — including museums kids don’t get bored in, iconic LA sights they’ll recognize from movies, and outdoor stops where everyone can burn off energy. Whether you have one day in LA or a full week, this guide will help you choose the right activities for your family and skip the ones that aren’t worth the effort.

This guide focuses on family-friendly things to do in Los Angeles with kids — including toddlers, elementary kids, and teens — with notes on cost, time commitment, and neighborhoods to help parents plan realistic days.

 

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Quick Look at Los Angeles for Kids

Child’s Age	Best Things to Do in Los Angeles	Notes for Parents
Toddlers (2–4)	La Brea Tar Pits (grounds only), Santa Monica Beach, LA Farmers Market & The Grove, Los Angeles Zoo	Prioritize outdoor spaces and short stops. Avoid long museum visits and heavy traffic days.
Preschool & Early Elementary (5–7)	California Science Center, Natural History Museum, Santa Monica Pier, Griffith Observatory (views only), The Getty gardens	Hands-on museums work best. Plan for snack breaks and flexible timing.
Elementary Kids (8–10)	Petersen Automotive Museum, Griffith Observatory (exhibits), Studio Tour, Universal Studios, Grand Central Market	This age loves “how things work.” Mix one big attraction with one low-key stop per day.
Tweens (11–13)	Studio Tours, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Urban Light, Venice Beach, Santee Alley	Movie locations and pop culture landmarks really land at this age.
Teens (14+)	Studio audience tapings, Groundlings shows, Venice Beach, scenic drives (Mulholland), food spots like Oakobing	Teens appreciate independence, cool visuals, and recognizable LA culture.
All Ages / Mixed Groups	Santa Monica Beach & Pier, The Getty, LA Farmers Market, Beverly Hills drive, Third Street Promenade	Ideal for families with kids of different ages or limited time.

 

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Why This LA Guide Works for Families

• Grouped by neighborhood to avoid traffic

• Notes on what’s free vs paid

• Honest call-outs on what to skip with younger kids

• Written by a parent who’s actually done this with kids

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Must Do Los Angeles Kid’s Favorites

Best for: All ages | First-time visitors | Short trips

If you are only visiting Los Angeles for a short visit, these should be at the top of your list.

Griffith Observatory

Best for: Ages 6+ | Tweens & teens | All ages for views
Time: 1–2 hours
Cost: Free (paid parking)

The Griffith Observatory is a great place to learn all about astronomy but is most famous for the spectacular overlook of Los Angeles.

The observatory sits at the highest peak in Griffith Park and has been featured in movies like Rebel Without a Cause and LaLa Land. It is a veritable icon of Los Angeles.

I recommend going up right before sunset so you can get a great view of the city, but stay until the sunset so the twinkling lights of LA are on. Both are crazy cool views, but I like the nighttime view the best. (So do most people if the crowds are any indicator.) It reminds me of East Rock Park in New Haven or Mont-Royal in Montreal but on a much larger scale.

Admission is free but parking is $10 and limited. Get there before the nighttime rush so that you don’t have to hike all the way to the top.

Plan on 1-2 hours if the observatory is open but only an hour if it is closed.

La Brea Tar Pits (grounds free + museum paid)

Best for: Ages 4–12 | Dinosaur lovers
Time: 1 hour (grounds), 2 hours (with museum)
Cost: Grounds free / Museum paid

The La Brea Tar Pits are the site of oozy tar pits that still bubble and spurt today. Over 2 million fossils have been recovered from the tar pits over the years. The fossils are dinosaurs, rodents, seeds, and birds and are all on display in the La Brea Tar Pit Museum.

You can tour the grounds of the tar pit for free and watch the pits bubble. But the museum is paid and worth it if you have dinosaur lovers in your family!

 

Visit Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica

Best for: All ages | Strollers OK | Evening walks
Time: 1–2 hours
Cost: Free (food + shopping optional)

The Third Street Promenade is a great place to go shopping in Santa Monica. There are familiar stores, a few boutiques and places to eat. At night there are street performers, music and a really fun atmosphere.

My boys love wandering down the pedestrian street and they were ecstatic when they came upon an enormous chess board.

Santa Monica Pier

Best for: Ages 3–teen | Classic LA experience
Time: 2–3 hours
Cost: Free to enter / Rides paid

The main reason I love Santa Monica is the Santa Monica Pier. There is an entire amusement park built on the pier, and it is surprisingly reasonable compared to other piers around the city, like the one at Navy Pier in Chicago.

Even if you don’t have tons of time you can  do a few rides, get some really good food at Santa Monica Pier and then head to the beach.

Universal Studio Hollywood

Best for: Ages 8+ | Teens | Harry Potter fans
Time: Full day
Cost: Paid

Universal Studios wasn’t yet fully opened when we visited, so not every ride and experience was open, but we still had a great time.

We honestly went for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. My kids aren’t into amusement parks, they are not daredevils, they don’t love most roller coasters, and they hate waiting in line so it may seem like an odd choice.

 

So we went to Universal Studios knowing that we would probably only do a few rides, but we spend most of our time in the Wizarding world. My kids are big fans of Harry Potter, having listened to every book on Audible , and have grown up having a Harry Potter week each summer.

The Wizarding World is incredible! It feels like you have landed in the middle of the book in Hogsmeade and shopping alongside Harry and his friends.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR TRIP TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA

I highly recommend it!

While you are there you will want to go on the studio tour which is part tour and part ride. You will drive around the sets of “Desperate Housewives”, survive a Godzilla attack, see a flash flood, and more!

 

The Getty Museum

Best for: Ages 5+ | Art + outdoor space | All ages
Time: 2–3 hours
Cost: Free (paid parking)

The Getty museum is world-famous for its spectacular collection of art and for the gardens and views of Los Angeles.  The most famous artworks include Van Gogh’s Irises, Rembrandt Laughing, and other 19th-century masterpieces.

It is a great museum to visit with kids because you can go in and out of the museum quickly (Free Admission) and then enjoy the spectacular gardens and views. There is a lot of room for kids to wiggle.

Kid-Friendly Museums in Los Angeles and Hands-On Learning

Best for: Ages 3–12 | Educational days | Heat breaks

If you kids are into cars, science, or dinosaurs these should be top of your list.

Petersen Automotive Museum

Best for: Ages 5+ | Car lovers | Tweens & teens
Time: 2–3 hours
Cost: Paid

We were so excited that when we went there, the museum was offering free tickets to healthcare providers! So we could all go for free to see this museum of automotive history.  There are cars on display from the early 1900s to concept cars of the future. If you love racing cars, if you love high-end cars, or if you love history, you will not want to miss the  Petersen Automotive Museum.

California Science Center

Best for: Ages 4–12 | Hands-on learners
Time: 2–3 hours
Cost: Free (special exhibits paid)

The California Science Center is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles with kids, especially if you need something hands-on, educational, and mostly free. Admission to the main exhibits is free, and kids can explore interactive displays focused on space, ecosystems, inventions, and the human body.

The biggest draw is the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is permanently housed here and is genuinely awe-inspiring for both kids and adults.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Best for: Ages 4–12 | Dinosaur lovers
Time: 2–3 hours
Cost: Paid

Right next door, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is a fantastic option for kids who love dinosaurs, animals, and anything hands-on. The dinosaur hall is a huge highlight, with full skeletons and interactive exhibits that keep kids engaged without feeling overwhelming.

 Plan on 2–3 hours, especially if you’re visiting both this museum and the Science Center in the same day.

Iconic LA Experiences Kids Will Recognize

Best for: First-time visitors | Movie-loving kids

One of my kids favorite things about Los Angeles was that they could see things they had seen in movies. If your kids love movies, they will love visiting these places.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Best for: Ages 6+ | Short stop | First timers
Time: 30–60 minutes
Cost: Free

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is world-famous. We have all seen publicity pictures of a famous movie star posed near their new star. It always looks super fabulous and is a great honor. The walk of fame in your mind is seriously different than the walk of fame in real life.

While still fun to see, that area of Hollywood Boulevard is a little downtrodden. It’s not glitzy; there aren’t famous people everywhere, but you can walk the Walk of Fame, and that is still fun.

Spend some time walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard (the stars continue down some side streets as well) and look for names of people you recognize. My kids loved it!

Plan on 30 min to an hour.

 

Chinese Theater in Hollywood

Best for: Ages 6+ | Movie fans
Time: 30–60 minutes
Cost: Free outside / Tours paid

Grauman’s Chinese Theater is another historical spot on Hollywood Boulevard. It opened as a movie theater in 1927 and was built to look like a Chinese pagoda.

It became the theater that hosted movie premieres, and it welcomed the biggest stars on the enormous red carpet. It hosted the Academy Awards in the 1950s as well.

It is famous today because 100s of stars put their handprints or footprints in the cement in front of the theater.

Prints are from stars like:

• Keanu Reeves
• Emma Thompson
• Judy Garland
• Mel Brooks
• Mariah Carey
• Stan Lee
• plus tons more!

The Chinese Theater is a great place to start walking on the Walk of Fame. So put them together and plan on spending 1 hour.

Drive through Beverly Hills

Best for: All ages | Easy with tired kids
Time: 30–60 minutes
Cost: Free

Beverly Hills is a beautiful neighborhood West of West Hollywood. It is famous for being a really expensive and beautiful neighborhood. Tons of Hollywood movers and shakers live here and you can plainly see why. Palm trees line the streets and mansions are hidden away behind walls and shrubs, so the peek you can get of the house beyond is spectacular.

It is a great place to drive around and look at the scenery, and if you are into looking at the homes of stars or looking at famous locations, you can use this information to find some cool homes.

From Beverly Hills, you can go up into the hills and go to Mullholland Drive.

 

Mulholland Drive (Hollywood Sign Views)

Best for: Ages 6+ | Scenic drive | Photo stops
Time: 45–90 minutes
Cost: Free

If you have watched the movie Mulholland Drive or listened to “Free Fallin,” you have heard of this epic stretch of road. The 21-mile-long Mulholland Drive runs along the top of the Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains.

The road has some of the most awe-inspiring views of Los Angeles on one side and the San Fernando Valley on the other. There are scenic stops that also get you close to the Hollywood sign.

I recommend going up Coldwater Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills and driving East along Mulholland to the 101 freeway. You will get the best of what the drive offers and take a great shot of the Hollywood sign.

Beaches and Boardwalks (By vibe + age)

Best for: Outdoor days | Free activities

If you want to “soak up the sun”as Sheryl Crow says, you will want to hit the beach. Here are the bet ones for familie in the area and a few with a caveat.

Venice Beach (only older kids)

Best for: Teens | Older kids
Skip if: Traveling with toddlers
Time: 1–2 hours
Cost: Free

Venice Beach is as crazy as you heard!  It also smells like weed, has loud music, and a lot of people trying to sell you things. However, it still is a cool beach to visit, especially if you have older kids. If you have younger kids, I would forget about it because they’ll find it weird and strange.

The beach is very nice, and there’s a breakwater that helps make some fairly large waves. We did see some surfers out there, and my kids happily went in the water despite the temperature being only 65 degrees.

But there are beaches up and down the coast, so unless there is a real reason for you to come here, I would skip it (especially with young kids.)

Santa Monica Beach

Best for: All ages | Families | First-time beach day
Time: Half day
Cost: Free

Santa Monica beaches combined with the Santa Monica Pier is a great way to spend an afternoon. Be warned, it’s a big trek on the sand to get to the water’s edge, so you will get a calf workout!

Santa Monica Beach is beautiful with tons of families enjoying the beach. There are decent waves, lots and lots of places to get away from other people, and the sand is beautiful.

If you don’t have time to do multiple beaches and you don’t have time to drive, I would recommend Sant Monica Beach wholeheartedly!

 

Newport Beach

Best for: All ages | Cleaner beach experience
Time: Half to full day
Cost: Free (parking varies)

We decided to take a drive down to Orange County to visit with some friends. While we were there we made a stopover at Newport Beach, and I have to say that LA beaches have nothing on the Orange County beaches!

Newport Beach sand seems to be finer and softer, and the there was very little trash on the beach, the waves were bigger and the parking slightly easier. Plus the downtown is charming and you will find great snacks within easy distance of parking and the beach.

We were able to rent boogie boards right next to the beach, and they had skateboards, bikes, umbrellas, and more to rent as well!

 

Awesome Things to do in Beverly Grove with Kids

Best for: All ages | Walkable area | Food breaks

Beverly Grove is an area of LA south of West Hollywood, East of Beverly Hills, and West of Fairfax. You might say it is the mid-west of the city of Los Angeles. There are some cool things to do here, and it is a great place to start your vacation!

LA Farmers Market and the Grove

Best for: All ages | Strollers OK
Time: 1–2 hours
Cost: Free to enter

The first thing we did was we hit the Grove in the LA farmers market. The LA farmers market has been his existence since 1934. It is the best place to get some really amazing produce and it’s a great place to get a bite to eat. There are so many options here for everyone, including Gluten-free and Vegan options.

The produce is as delicious as you would expect it to be in California and the prices are reasonable.

Grab something yummy and enjoy sitting outside to enjoy your food.

Right next to the farmers market is The Grove. (really, you can walk from one into the other) The Grove is a fairly new addition to the Fairfax area of Los Angeles. It is an outdoor shopping mall/mini-city. It incorporates a lot of famous stores, including Sephora, Barnes and Noble, Athleta, Coach, and many others.

They also have a tram that takes you around the entirety of the Grove, which is free and a lot of fun if you’re going with your children.

Downtown Los Angeles for kids

Best for: Ages 6+ | Short, planned visits

Downtown Los Angeles is a completely different experience from West Hollywood or Beverly Hills. It is grittier, densely packed, and way harder to find parking. There are some really cool things to do though, and it is worth spending a day or an afternoon Downtown.

 

Grand Central Market

Best for: Ages 5+ | Food lovers
Time: 45–90 minutes
Cost: Free to enter

This food market was once the  Downtown Los Angeles grocery and meat seller, farmstand, and more. Today it is more of an eclectic food hall similar to those in most major cities. It is quite similar to the markets in Toronto, Montreal, or Philadelphia. Great food, not too much seating, and prices that are very reasonable.

 

Olvera Street

Best for: All ages | Cultural stop | Souvenirs
Time: 30–60 minutes
Cost: Free

Olvera Street is the oldest street in the City of Los Angeles. It was settled in 1781 by Mexican families and is named after the first judge in the county, Agustin Olvera, who lived on the street.

When you visit Olvera Street today you will find a charming street lined with shopping stalls selling Mexican goods, delicious Mexican food aromas, and flowers tumbling from every building. It is a beautiful place to grab food and shop for souvenirs.

Santee Alley

Best for: Teens | Bargain hunters
Skip if: Toddlers
Time: 1–2 hours
Cost: Free

Santee Alley is a bargain hunter’s paradise. This pedestrian street in Downtown Los Angeles is lined with over 100 shops selling everything from shoes, suits, electronics, makeup, toys, and more. Don’t come expecting fashion labels you know, but there are some great deals to be found if you do a little bit of looking.

Plan on an hour or two.

Studio + Entertainment in Los Angeles

Best for: Ages 8+ | Tweens & teens
Time: 2–3 hours
Cost: Paid

You can tour the local movie and tv studio and I highly recommend doing at least one tour. The studios are:

• Warner Bros.
• Sony Pictures
• Universal Studios
• Paramount Pictures

Each offers a different look at how movies are made and focuses on a different aspect of movie-making. If you want to know which one is right for you visit this site to see the differences.

Tours sell out so don’t head there one day and expect that you will be able to get in. Buy tickets ahead of time.

Be Part of a Studio Audience

Best for: Teens | Older kids
Time: Half day
Cost: Free (tickets required)

Here are a few tips for being part of a studio audience in  Los Angeles:

– Check show websites. Many shows will post information about upcoming tapings and how to get tickets. Popular talk shows like The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy often have online ticket request forms.

– Sign up for email newsletters. Subscribing to newsletters from shows you’re interested in is a great way to get notified about upcoming tapings and ticket availability.

– Check ticket distribution sites. Sites like 1iota and studioticket.com distribute tickets for various TV shows filmed in LA. You can sign up for alerts about upcoming tapings. Here is a great resource for tickets to live tapings.

– Be flexible with dates/shows. Signing multiple shows across different genres increases the odds of a taping.

– Make sure to plan as far ahead as you possibly can to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience with your kids.

Go See the Groundlings

Best for: Teens | Comedy fans
Time: Evening
Cost: Paid

The Groundlings are an LA-based comedy troupe that does improv almost every night of the week. While it isn’t appropriate for young children, several shows each week would be fine for a teenager. Make sure to check the listings well in advance to book.

I recommend buying your tickets through their website, as shows often sell out quickly due to the theater’s small size. Show up at least 30 minutes before the listed start time to get a good. The doors will open and you can find your seat while mingling with other audience members.

Off the Beaten Path in Los Angeles

Best for: Repeat visitors | Slower days

Here are some things that aren’t part of most people’s trips to Los Angeles but are awesome things to do in Los Angeles with kids or teenagers!

Go to the Zoo 

Best for: Ages 2–10
Time: 2–3 hours
Cost: Paid

Visiting the Los Angeles Zoo is a fun way to spend the afternoon with kids.

Located in Griffith Park, the LA Zoo sits on 40 acres and is home to over 1100 representing over 250 species. It isn’t a huge zoo but is a great spot for younger kids who want to see lots of animals. When we went on a weekday afternoon, it was fairly quiet and seemed like the perfect time to go.

Urban Light

Best for: All ages | Evening stop
Time: 20–30 minutes
Cost: Free

5905 Wilshire Blvd

Urban Light is an outdoor sculpture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art entrance. 202 street lamps are arranged in a grid pattern and lit up at night. Most of the street lamps in the sculpture were first lining California streets in the 1920s-1930s.

It is a great place to go admire at night time, you can take some beautiful pictures!  Entrance to the area is free, but security guards are ensuring you treat the exhibit carefully.

 

Hobbit House

Best for: All ages | Quick photo stop
Time: 10–15 minutes
Cost: Free (view from sidewalk only)

The Hobbit house is a home built by Lawrence Joseph in Culver City. He was an animator for Disney and an engineer and he made this charming house for he and his wife. He later added on two additional apartments on the same land.

The house looks likes it’s straight out of a Disney movie and there are so many adorable touches that make this an enchanting place to visit. There is a stream in the front with little turtles as well as charming statuary near the home.

Please remember that people live here and stay on the sidewalk to admire the house!

The Last Bookstore

Best for: Ages 6+ | Book lovers
Time: 45–90 minutes
Cost: Free

453 S. Spring St.

This new and used bookstore is housed in a bank in Downtown Los Angeles. Books are piled, stacked and displayed and there are some awesome literary treasures to find if you don’t mind doing a little searching.

The best things to eat in Los Angeles

The food scene in Los Angeles is pretty darn good, and I’ve heard some claims that the food scene in LA is better than in New York. I don’t buy it.

LA has some great food, if you want Korean, Mexican or Burgers but in New York, you can get a flavors from all around the world in a single street block.

That doesn’t mean that we didn’t eat some delicious food, we did!

Guelagetza for Mole

Our very favorite place to eat in LA (and we have been there multiple times on multiple trips, including twice on this trip) is Guelagetza! It is the best mole, that we have ever found in the city of Los Angeles or anywhere else for that matter.

I recommend that you go and you get the mole sampler so that you can try all the moles at once.

My personal favorite is the Coloradito which is what comes as an appetizer on your chips. My husband loves the black Mole  because of the smokiness and the complexity of flavor. But no matter what mole get you’re not going to go wrong.

The great thing too is if you get hooked. They also sell their jars so you can make them all at home. I don’t think it’s quite as good, I think it’s close, but it’s a whole lot better than nothing at all. Considering that we live in the Northeast it’s pretty much the best mole we have!

Oakobing

Oakobing makes a Korean shaved ice dessert called bingsu. It is made with flavored shaved ice, toppings and generally a shot of sweetened condensed milk on top.  We tried a bunch of shaved ice places while we were in Los Angeles. Oakobing was by far our very favorite. ( It might be our favorite ever!)

We went there three times and wished we could have made it again. All of the dishes are huge and beautifully spectacular.  Our favorite was the black sesame bingsu, and the mango bingsu that was served in half a honeydew melon with honeydew melons on the side. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a bad choice there but those happen to be the two that we kept gravitating towards again, they’re huge. They are meant for sharing.

In and Out Burger {a review by a Northeasterner}

Is In and Out Burger good and is it the better than Shake Shack?

I don’t know if you know this but there’s a big rivalry between, between In and Out Burger and Shake Shack. And I’ve got to be honest, I think Shake Shack wins by a landslide, I think their burgers are better. I think their fries are better especially their cheese fries which are amazing.

Overall, if I had to pick one and I could only go to that burger place for the rest of my life I’d go with the Shake Shack, hands down.

What I think is good about In and Out, is the fact that you get a lot of burger for a lower price that is really a good burger. (You can get a double double for the same price as a single burger at Shake Shack.) However, I find the In and Out burgers are on the salty side, and I’m a person who likes salt!

 But you’re in LA, you have to try and In and Out, and be prepared to wait, because Californian’s love their double double!

 

I hope this has given you a great road map to planning your own trip to LA with kids, we had a blast and can’t wait to go again!