Los Angeles is the land of plenty — lots of good weather, beaches, and hopefuls with stars in their eyes. It’s also the place where you’ll find plenty of free things to do when your kids – or the kids you care for – just need to get out of the house.
The catch: Many places are free to access, but you have to pay to park. So, in some cases, it may make more sense to use a ride-sharing service, like Lyft or Uber, or take public transportation.
Travel Town
Address: 5200 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Hours: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: 323-662-5874
Seventy years ago, the Los Angeles superintendent of recreation decided that the city needed a place for children to see up close the trains and planes they had — until then — admired only from afar. A 9-acre plot of land was set aside, and by 1952, children were pouring into Travel Town to see the flagship exhibit: Southern Pacific Railroad Engine 3025. Today, the great-grandchildren of those original kids can hop in and out of 3025 and other vintage train cars around the museum. Travel Town also offers an optional mini-train ride around the perimeter of the grounds for $3 per person.
Griffith Observatory
Address: 2800 E. Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, noon – 10 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Parking: $4 per hour in the lot, or park for free down the road and hike up.
Phone: 213-473-0800
At more than 1,100 feet above the city, the deck of the Griffith Observatory offers one of the best vantage points in Los Angeles. On clear evenings, you can take advantage of Griffith’s free telescope viewings of the night skies. Inside, visitors will learn about astronomy, peruse the exhibits, or attend “All Space Considered,” a free public program about current topics in space science. “All Space Considered” is held on the first Friday of the month in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon presentation theater. The outside grounds have a lovely lawn for picnicking, letting small kids run around, or simply recovering from your hike up the hill — if that’s how you arrived.
Fun fact: The observatory is a favorite location for movie and TV shoots. Look for its cameo in “The Terminator,” “Rebel Without a Cause,” “La La Land,” and “Bowfinger.”
Free Concerts in Pasadena
Address: 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena, CA 91103
Hours: People can start arriving at 5 p.m. on concert nights | Music starts at 7 p.m.
Phone: 626-683-3230
The programmers for Levitt Pavilion have a knack for picking acts that make kids dance, laugh, and sometimes even swarm the stage. Spread a blanket on the lawn, enjoy dinner alfresco, and kick back and enjoy this precious time when you don’t have to provide the entertainment. Concerts are Thursdays through Sundays in the summer, but the Thursday concerts are curated specifically for families. Look for free face painting and sponsor giveaways. There’s food on-site to purchase, and plenty of takeout places in the neighborhood within walking distance.
Angeles National Forest
Address: 701 N. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m
Phone: 626-574-1613
If you thought Woodsy Owl and Smokey the Bear had retired long ago, it’s probably time for a visit to the Angeles National Forest. The center’s mission is to teach people of all ages about conservation, safety, and the regional ecosystem — with appearances from your two forest favorites. The several visitor centers also host opportunities for schoolchildren of all ages to learn about nature, and the forest offers spaces for activities such as biking, hiking, picnicking, and water play.
Marion Davies Guest House
Address: 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Hours: Friday – Monday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Winter hours may vary. Check the calendar.
Phone: 310-458-4904
The 5-acre site on the Santa Monica beach was originally home to William Randolph Hearst and his mistress, actress Marion Davies. Though the main residence couldn’t be salvaged after years of neglect (except for the grand pool that’s open to the public for an all-day $10 admission fee), Davies’ guest house has been lovingly restored by the Annenberg Foundation. Take a break in the ocean-view sitting rooms or stroll out to the patio. Just a few steps away from the house, visitors will find a sprinkler for splashing about, as well as a sandy beachside playground. Take a docent tour and learn how the celebrities of yesteryear really had fun. At least twice, Davies and Hearst removed a wall to install a carousel. Drop in during open hours, when eager docents are available to share history, answer questions, and provide brief tours. There are scheduled tours at 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m.
Kids Yoga on the Green
Address: 889 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210
Hours: Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Phone: 818-637-8982
Usually when you go to the sprawling shopping mecca the Americana at Brand, you’re going to drop some serious cash. But you won’t spend a dime with free yoga on the well-manicured “grass,” led by teacher Heather Mendoza! These classes are designed for children ages 3-6, but parents are encouraged to downward dog with everybody else if the mood strikes. Also look for free cultural festivals, games, and storytimes on the Americana’s calendar.
NextGen at LACMA
Address: 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Friday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Closed Wednesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Phone: 323-857-6010
To foster a lifelong appreciation of art and culture, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers free memberships for kids under 17 and free entry to the adult who accompanies them. There are plenty of things for families to do and see over many visits. You can learn about traditional brush painting from Korea and China, and try your hand at it in the Boone Children’s Gallery. Sit for a free storytime on Mondays and Fridays at 2 p.m., and then peruse the exhibits of the day. Kids can run around the outdoor installations and sculptures to let off steam.
Free Museum Days
Address: Depends on the museum.
Hours: Depends on the museum.
Most museums open their doors to everyone for free on designated days. Consult the Free Museum Day website to learn which sites are free, and when. For example, the California African American Museum is always free, while others, like the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, are free only on certain days and during certain hours. Make sure to visit the specific museum’s website before you go to be clear on any requirements. The grand Huntington Library, for example, requires non-members to print out their free tickets at home.
Los Angeles Public Library
Address: 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071 (and many other branches)
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m.
Phone: 213-228-7000
The library offers so much for kids to do. They can sit in on a free preschool storytelling session, join a music jam session, or maybe catch a ’‘zine-making workshop, concert, or puppet show. Check the calendar for events, which change regularly, and look at smaller branch libraries for other fun ideas. And, of course, there are so many books, which are free to read on-site or to check out with a Los Angeles Public Library card.
Pro tip: There are frequent road closures around the Central Branch building, and sometimes parking can be tricky, so take public transportation or plan your trip by checking for closures.
Self-Guided Walking Tours
Phone: 213-744-0016
It’s true that the car is king in Los Angeles, but you’ll be amazed at what you can learn when you slow down and hoof it. Angels Walk LA makes the art of the self-guided neighborhood tour easy with free maps and guides for Chinatown, Bunker Hill (focusing on immigrant dreams), Union Station (with Little Tokyo and the region’s original Native American residents), Hollywood (where dreams of stardom are divined and dashed), Chinatown (always an exotic tourist attraction since the 1930s), Figueroa (places that make Downtown great), Wilshire (which went from a dirt road to a haven of glamorous homes and attractions), San Pedro (the city’s harbor), and NoHo (bustling with theaters, cafes, and nightlife).
