Author: local researcher

LACMA Boone Children’s Gallery

 

Located next to the LA County Museum of Art, this gallery takes the stuffiness out of the museum experience and puts it into the hands of your children, with interactive art installations and a big green lawn in back with soft sculptures to play on. Some exhibits have paint or clay available, should inspiration strike. Live readings and music occur daily, so be sure to check the schedule before you go.

Contact number: (323) 857-6134

Location: 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Learn more here.

Getty Center

Visitors park in the garage before taking the tram up the hillside to this museum located at its peak. The exhibits rotate and cover art both old and new, but if they aren’t enough to impress your children, the beautiful gardens and breathtaking views should do the trick. Buildings are spaced so you have to walk outside between them, the better to get every chance to observe a huge chunk of the Los Angeles basin (smog permitting). Outdoor music events are often scheduled, check the website for a calendar.

Contact number: (310) 440-7300

Location: 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049

Learn more here.

California Science Center/IMAX

This interactive center features educational displays and a hall of Air and Space. Rotating exhibits are often tied to blockbuster movies, emphasizing the scientific content of superheroes or “Star Wars.” The showstopper for children will be the attached 3-D IMAX theater, which shows a changing repertory of nature and science films filmed and shown in high-tech 3-D.

Contact number: (323) 724-3623

Location: 700 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Learn more here.

Autry National Center

Honoring the legacy of the original “singing cowboy,” the Autry National Center displays Wild West meorabilia both geniune and cinematic, tracing the overlaps between the two. Featuring inventively interactive displays created by Disney Imagineers, there are spaces for your children to play dress-up in historical Californian gear, or ride a horse past an approaching steam engine through a blue-screen simulation. The real and the fantastic mingle freely; a room full of authentic Native American art and artifacts borders one detailing the history of the Hollywood Western with costumes, posters, and props.

Contact number: (323) 667-2000

Location: 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Learn more here.

Travel Town

 

This low-tech attraction in Griffith Park holds plenty of appeal for children, with its train-yard full of stationary choo-choos. It’s a modest affair, with a small gift shop and miniature train ride around the perimeter rounding out the facilities, but magical in its own way. Children, especially toddlers, love to climb through the old empty trains, pretending they’re passengers or conductors.

Contact number: (323) 662-5874

Location: 5200 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Learn more here.

Petersen Automotive Museum

Children who can’t wait for their driver’s licenses will love this three story museum devoted to cars and car culture. LA’s history is traced through its relationship to the auto industry. There are hot-rods and Model-T’s, custom cars and the former LA trolley system’s Red Cars. The third floor is geared specifically to kids, with hands-on exhibits that let them climb in the driver’s seat.

Contact number: (323) 930-2277

Location:  6060 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Learn more here.

Olvera St.

Located downtown in front of Union Station, this tidy tourist attraction approximates a Mexican Street with mariachis, taco stands, and craft vendors. Free docent-led tours take place daily at 12PM, 11AM, and 10AM, providing historical insight into the lives of early Spanish settlers in LA. Holiday celebrations are colorful and festive. A great place to immerse your children in the roots of LA’s vibrant Latino culture.

Contact number: (213) 628-1274

Location: Olvera Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Learn more here.

Dave and Buster’s — Franklin Mills Mall

This one-stop game emporium features a midway packed with hundreds of electronic games and simulators, plus billiards, shuffleboard, and just-for-fun blackjack. Expect loudness, all the games make a real racket; but the children will be in heaven. There’s decent pub fare and a kid’s menu for chow.

Contact number: (215) 632-0333

Location: 1995 Franklin Mills Circle, Philadelphia, PA 19154

Learn more here.

Doylestown Rock Gym Adventure Center

This indoor rock climbing gym and adventure facility offers 7,000 square feet of indoor climbing surface, including overhangs, boulders, chimneys, caves, and lead walls. Geared to climbers of all ages and abilities, the gym offers group and family climbing sessions, including a Kinder Climb for tots ages 2 and a half to 5.

Contact number: (215) 230-9085

Location: 3853 Old Easton Road, Philadelphia, PA 18902

Learn more here.

Lucky Strike Lanes

Who knew that bowling would become hip? But that’s the scene at this downtown bowling lounge with its neon lighting, cool art, and comfy seating. The children will love the tasty comfort food and fun atmosphere, and you’ll love the retro-chic vibe.

Contact number: (215) 545-2471

Location: 1336 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Learn more here.