Featured
Table of Contents
Venice Beach in Los Angeles (Photo credit: oneinchpunch,) The 2nd most significant city in the United States is filled with family-friendly activities. Los Angeles is home to over 90 museums, and the urban area boasts around 15,000 restaurants. Not surprising that L.A. is one of the very best places to go to in California with kids! Los Angeles also offers 24 miles (38.5 km) of sandy beaches along the California Coast.
Take in its unique SoCal ambiance, an expansive skate park, and an outdoor health club with musclebound locals raising weights under the California sun. Olvera Street in Los Angeles (Image credit: Colleen Lanin) The Getty Center is among the most popular tourist attractions in the Los Angeles location. The museum is filled with artwork by such artists as Van Gogh, Monet, and Cezanne.
Located on Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, Griffith Observatory wows visitors with its planetarium, high-powered telescopes for public usage, and space exhibits. Families seem like they've crossed the border into Mexico on Olvera Street, also known as El Pueblo Historic Monolith. This is the birthplace of Los Angeles. It includes 27 historic buildings and a main Mexican plaza.
Then, action method back in time at La Brea Tar Pits and Nature Museum. Kids may question if they have actually gotten in Jurassic Park as they look at life-sized statues of woolly mammoths, huge sloths, and other extinct animals in pools of gooey asphalt bubbling from the earth. Posturing at The Huntington (Picture credit: Phil Journeys In between) An individual favorite, The Huntington Botanical Gardens stretches throughout 130 visitable acres (half a square kilometer).
Kids particularly take pleasure in Helen and Peter Bing Children's Garden, which includes playful, hands-on elements such as tunnels, splash areas, fairy doors, and more. Cover a great deal of ground with a Los Angeles Go City All-Inclusive Pass for 40+ Tourist attractions, including the Los Angeles Zoo, Knott's Berry Farm in close-by Buena Park, and much more.
A suburb of Los Angeles, Burbank has hundreds of significant film and tv studios. Of course, you will likewise desire to view the iconic Hollywood Sign and walk along the famous Hollywood Walk of Popularity.
Yosemite National Park Valley landscape (Picture credit: haveseen,) Resplendent with treking trails, waterfalls, and towering trees, Yosemite is a location of natural marvel. In 2024, a record-breaking 4.1 million visitors visited this precious national park. It covers almost 750,000 acres (3,035 sq km) and is home to wildlife like foxes, deer, cougars, and black bears.
Yosemite opened in 1890 and remains one of the country's finest examples of land conservation. Households looking for to check out California's natural charm will like visiting Yosemite.
While in this desert sanctuary, don't miss out on a crave-worthy date shake made with fruits from the area's plentiful palm trees. This excellent zoo and botanical garden provides ingenious play spaces for kids and an enjoyable design train display.
The vehicle's floor turns throughout the ride, so travelers get a 360-degree view of the Coachella Valley. The Channel Islands in Ventura County (Image credit: Colleen Lanin) For a special range of family activities, consider a Ventura County vacation.
Households also take pleasure in strolling Ventura Harbor Village for ice cream and waterside views, or investing an unwinded afternoon on the wide, uncrowded beaches that specify this seaside area. Discover more special things to do in Ventura County with kids. Santa Monica Beach & Pier (Photo credit: oneinchpunch,) Santa Monica exemplifies Southern California with its surfable waves, beachy downtown, and seaside amusements.
Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier features a dozen rides, consisting of the 130-foot-tall Pacific Wheel and a full-sized roller coaster. You'll also find every reward your cravings for sweets could crave and a wide variety of arcade games with prizes. Families likewise delight in strolling the Third Street Boardwalk for shopping, street entertainers, and simple dining simply a few blocks from the beach.
Grownups and kids of all ages can't help but feel awestruck by the massive sequoias in the Giant Forest. This nationwide park boasts the world's biggest tree, General Sherman. You can even drive through another remarkable huge sequoia called the Tunnel Log. This beautiful location offers an assortment of great things to do in nature, like hiking, mountain cycling, outdoor camping, and horseback riding.
Known for its glacial-carved canyon, Kings Canyon, is one of the deepest in The United States and Canada. This park provides remarkable rock formations, rugged wilderness, and remote hiking tracks. Discover more about Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and other national forests in California, like Death Valley and Channel Islands, in my list of the finest national forests in the U.S. Joshua Tree National Park (Photo credit: lunamarina,) Situated about an hour from Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park is vital for families who desire to check out natural wonders in California.
These uncommon trees grow just in the Mojave Desert in the Southwestern U.S. Kids will take pleasure in scrambling over the park's giant boulders and checking out brief, easy routes that showcase the desert's otherworldly landscape. Schedule an assisted Joshua Tree National forest trip with our relied on partner, GetYourGuide. Calico Mine Trip at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, a suburb of Los Angeles (Picture credit: Colleen Lanin) Simply a brief drive from Los Angeles, Buena Park is a dream for families who like amusement parks, themed adventures, and simple trip enjoyable.
Summer visitors can cool down at Soak City Water Park, while yearround home entertainment includes Medieval Times and Pirates Supper Adventure. It's a simple addon to any Southern California trip and a terrific online for exploring neighboring beaches, Orange County, and LA. Check out more in my guide to Buena Park with kids.
Latest Posts
Comparing Popular Regional Youth Outings
Selecting Premium Family Art for Growing Kids
Highly Rated Neighborhood Experiences Each Family Should Try