Looking for the best things to do with kids in Los Angeles? A dream family city, Los Angeles offers world-class free museums, a giant park with a train and pony rides, and endless sunny outdoor fun. This local family guide covers Los Angeles’s top kid-friendly attractions, museums, outdoor fun, and rainy-day options — plus how to find what local parents actually recommend.
Top things to do with kids in Los Angeles
The California Science Center (free, and home to the Space Shuttle Endeavour) and the Natural History Museum with its dinosaurs are top family attractions, alongside the adjacent La Brea Tar Pits with real fossils being excavated. Griffith Observatory’s planetarium and the LA Zoo round out the must-sees, and theme parks like Disneyland and Universal are nearby.
Kid-friendly museums & attractions in Los Angeles
The free California Science Center, the Natural History Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits, Griffith Observatory, and the LA Zoo form a world-class family lineup, plus Kidspace Children’s Museum in nearby Pasadena.
Parks & outdoor fun for families
Griffith Park is a family paradise — with a miniature train, pony rides, a vintage merry-go-round, and easy trails — and the Santa Monica Pier’s amusement park and beaches, plus the many parks and playgrounds citywide, offer endless sunny fun. For more, see our guide to the best parks and outdoor spots in Los Angeles.
Rainy-day & indoor options in Los Angeles
On the rare rainy day, families rely on the free California Science Center, the Natural History Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits, and Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena.
What local parents in Los Angeles recommend
Kids’ favorites, new attractions, and which spots are worth it at each age change all the time — and local parents know the details that listings miss. On Neighborhood Nurturers’ Los Angeles community, real Los Angeles parents share what their kids genuinely love. For more ideas, see our guide to the best things to do in Los Angeles. Join your Los Angeles neighbors free and get real family recommendations →
Fitting it into a day in Los Angeles
Family spots here range from playgrounds to hands-on museums, and locals know which hold up on a rainy day. What sets Los Angeles apart is how close everything sits together. Start near the free Griffith Observatory, work in one of the spots from this guide, and you are minutes from Griffith Park if you want to keep going. Locals often round out a day out with the kids with a detour to the Venice Boardwalk or a quieter stop at the free Getty Center. Because the distances are short, you can improvise as you go rather than lock the whole day down in advance.
More Los Angeles guides
Los Angeles rewards people who dig a little deeper. These related guides map the same neighborhoods from different starting points: Free things to do in Los Angeles, Parks in Los Angeles, Things to do in Los Angeles — enough to plan a whole day or two.
Get a local’s take
Guides are a starting point; the current, on-the-ground details come from people who live in Los Angeles. Hours shift, favorites change, and residents always know what is genuinely worth it now. Ask Los Angeles neighbors directly or join your town community free to hear from real locals.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do with kids in Los Angeles?
The free California Science Center (with the Space Shuttle), the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits, Griffith Observatory and Park (train, pony rides), the LA Zoo, and the Santa Monica Pier.
What can you do with kids in LA on a rainy day?
Visit the free California Science Center, the Natural History Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits, or Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena.
What do local parents recommend in Los Angeles?
LA parents share their kids’ genuine favorites and current tips by neighborhood in our community.