14 Best Family Things to Do in Los Angeles

The California Science Center is an interactive museum dedicated to space travel, the environment and incredible inventions from different time periods. Its air and space exhibits feature many impressive artefacts, including the original 1902 Wright Glider and an awe-inspiring Gemini 11 capsule.

You can enjoy breathtaking documentaries during an immersive film experience at the onsite IMAX cinema. Kids will particularly love conducting fun experiments at the cell lab and observing rare marine life at the aquarium. Don’t miss a thrilling ride on the motion simulator or the live demonstrations in the Fire! Science and Safety zone.

Santa Monica Pier attracts families from around the world with its beachfront promenade, impressive carnival rides and kid-friendly games. Founded in 1909, this traditional amusement park is where you can ride the iconic Santa Monica Pier Carousel, which dates back to the late 1930s. Don’t leave without picking up a souvenir seashell necklace and sampling delicious funnel cakes or a tasty hotdog. 

Cycling is also a popular activity as the pier features a 26-mile-long pathway that runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean. Fitness enthusiasts can work out at an outdoor body-building gym, located south of the pier.

Paramount Pictures Studios offer daily tours of its many sets and sound stages, offering you a chance to glimpse behind the scenes of Hollywood history. The 2-hour tour takes place in the morning and afternoon, with a guide sharing interesting facts about this renowned film studio. You may even catch some of your favourite TV shows being filmed as you visit iconic locations like the New York Street Backlot and the Prop Warehouse.

If you’re a fan of ghost stories, Paramount Pictures Studios’ After Dark tour is a 2.5-hour-long walking tour that includes a visit to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery during the Halloween season.

Annenberg Community Beach House on Santa Monica Beach is a much loved community building equipped with many facilities for visitors of all ages. Escape the heat in the swimming pool while the kids run riot on the playground. You can rent a sun chair and lounge on the viewing deck while the little ones have fun at the beach.  

The property also offers swimming, yoga, stand-up paddleboard, synchronised swimming lessons and beach volleyball should you and your family fancy a livelier activity. On summer days why not let the kids cool off on the splashpad after an intriguing tour of the guest house?  Admission to the Beach House is free, though charges apply for pool usage and equipment rental.

Griffith Park, located 2.5 miles east of the Hollywood Bowl, is one of the largest municipal parks in the USA. It offers a variety of thrilling outdoor activities for all visitors, including hiking, golfing, cycling and horseback riding. There are also over 50 miles of trails, many of which are set close to the spectacular waterfalls and lagoons within the park.

You can also take the kids to marvel at rare wildlife at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, catch a concert at the awe-inspiring Greek Theatre and enjoy panoramic views of Los Angeles at the Griffith Observatory. And, of course, you simply must snap a selfie with the famous Hollywood sign in the background.

The illustrious Hollywood Walk of Fame commemorates notable actors and filmmakers by memorialising their handprints and signatures with a large, golden star and nameplate. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, this area is often packed with camera-toting tourists looking to spot their favourites along the sidewalk.

It’s free to walk the path, and the way is dotted with restaurants and boutiques, giving you and the kids plenty of rest spots as you hunt for your favourite celebrities. Another popular landmark here is the TCL Chinese Theatre with its huge, colourful pagoda. It’s been showcasing the latest Hollywood films and prestigious premieres since 1927, so it’s the perfect addition to your family day in Hollywood.

The charming Bob Baker Marionette Theater dates back to 1963, making it the longest-running puppet theatre in the USA. A Los Angeles landmark, families get to enjoy plays featuring handcrafted puppets, many of which were created by the founder of the theatre. Kids will be delighted by the magical shows and special events, including live music and pop-up exhibitions.  

You and your family can even adopt a puppet of your own, with proceeds going towards funding educational programmes and preserving the art of puppetry in the city. Don’t worry, there are smaller puppets available to purchase, along with fun and colourful merchandise, should your child want to take a marionette home.

A 150-acre botanical park located 5.4 miles northwest of the Kidspace Children's Museum, the Descanso Gardens is a living exhibition. It’s teeming with oak trees, rare herbs, medicinal plants and beautiful flowers, including North America’s largest camellia collection. Visit the Sturt Haaga gallery for a fascinating blend of contemporary art and garden science. You and your family will love the plant sculptures and green roof garden.

You can also spot over 100 species of birds and mammals such as squirrels, mule deer and American bullfrogs. Why not turn spotting them into a fun game with your little ones? The best way to explore Descanso Gardens is by taking the Enchanted Railroad.

The delightful non-profit Kidspace Children's Museum lets your little ones enjoy hours of indoor and outdoor educational fun. There’s 3.5 acres of interactive exhibits and special events, including storytelling sessions, building workshops and even a giant ant hole climbing structure. Be sure to check out Physics Forest, where kids put science into motion with levers and pulleys.

The Arroyo Adventure is one of the highlights at the Kidspace, where children can learn how to build dams, play naturally made musical instruments, make clay art and climb a giant hawk's nest. Things can get rather messy, so be sure to bring along extra clothes, towels and shoes.

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is home to a massive collection of marine life and primarily focuses on species native to SoCal waters, as well as community outreach and education. Kids will love exploring different animal habitats and marvelling at the touch tanks for a more up-close and personal experience. Don’t miss the Aquatic Nursery where you and your family can learn about growing and caring for young animals and plantlife.

Hours will be spent observing the octopuses and stingrays in the Crawl-In Aquarium and traversing with mud-dwelling organisms in the Mud Walkthrough. All ages are welcome at this museum, and you'll find different lessons designed for specific age groups.

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is the perfect attraction for animal lovers of all ages. With over 270 species of mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, you can spend all day immersed in an animal kingdom. Fifty-eight of these species are endangered, so you can look forward to the rare opportunity to view them close up while supporting conservation efforts.

Besides a wide variety of exotic and native animals, the zoo is also home to over 800 plant species, and admission to the gardens is included in your admission. Make sure you see the plant rescue centre that works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to maintain rare plant species smuggled into the country.

For a day of learning about the wonder that is our world, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County should be top of your list. Here you’ll discover over 35 million artefacts, many of which are prehistoric, all showcased in their permanent exhibits on dinosaurs, mammals, insects, birds, gems and minerals.

A must-visit is the Dinosaur Hall, which has a remarkable T-Rex growth series and more than 300 fossils of ancient dinosaurs and sea creatures. You also get to watch the museum staff handling real archaeological findings at the 2nd floor Dino Lab. There’s always special events going on, like opportunities for young girls to explore STEM activities, bug fairs or thrilling dinosaur encounters.

The incredible and unusual La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is where you can check out over 1 million fossils from 650 species. These bubbling asphalt pits trapped numerous creatures that once roamed southern California during the Ice Age, and you and your family can see how this might have happened in the iconic Lake Pit.

Over the years, bones of mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers and dire wolves have been excavated and put on display at the onsite museum. Your family will love the Excavator Tour, where they can learn about the history of Brea Tar Pits and see scientists working at the Fossil Lab.

Madame Tussauds Hollywood is your opportunity to take a selfie with your favourite Hollywood stars. The wax figures here are so lifelike you’ll almost believe they’re the real thing. Get up close and personal with over 125 wax sculptures, including a massive 'life-size' sculpture of King Kong.

Don’t miss the 4D Marvel film experience or the cutting-edge 7D Robot Riot game. Whether you’d like to strike a pose with Harry Styles, recreate classic cinema in the ring with Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky or face your fears with a replica of Frankenstein, you and your family are sure to be star-struck.