Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 We (I and two sons, 9 and turning 12) will spend most of August in Los Angeles. I used to live there for a while and we have visited before so I do know the city and the main "tourist attractions". Still, if anyone has some additional ideas / tips for less well known events/activities I would very much appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Check groupon and amazon local for lots of deals on cruises, horseback rides, etc. I think the LA county fair will start at the end of Aug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 I lived in LA for 19 years. I have some favorites within the "tourist" attractions (Queen Mary, KidsSpace Children's Museum in Pasadena, Griffith Park and the Transportation Museum if you have kids, Museum of Tolerance, etc.....) There is a book that is a little outdated now, but it is helpful for extra (not so touristy) things to do: http://www.amazon.com/Educational-Places-Adults-Southern-California/dp/0983383200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405444971&sr=8-1&keywords=things+to+do+with+kids+in+southern+california Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 Thanks! Yes, the County Fair is on our list. We visited KidsSpace last time - liked it a lot but think my boys might be a bit old for it now. Definitely planning on Queen Mary and Griffith Park. The recommended book looks interesting - not sure I will be able to get it in time though as we are leaving in two weeks. Any other ideas would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 You should be able to get it from Amazon. I have met the author at a HS conference. She is a HS mom. Yeah, Kidspace is too young for my kids too but they loved it when they were little. How old are your kids? Dawn Thanks! Yes, the County Fair is on our list. We visited KidsSpace last time - liked it a lot but think my boys might be a bit old for it now. Definitely planning on Queen Mary and Griffith Park. The recommended book looks interesting - not sure I will be able to get it in time though as we are leaving in two weeks. Any other ideas would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalLynn Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 >Wells Fargo has a FREE museum that tells all about the Wells Fargo wagons and California's gold history. It's 1 block from <Walt Disney's Concert Hall, which also offers self guided tours. <If you want to drive a little bit, my favorite place is The Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino (next to Pasadena) We try to go about 3-4 times a year. The gardens are fantastic, especially the desert garden. The museums there are world class. You can easily spend an entire day there. >The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is another favorite place. .TheLos Angeles Zoo is fun and not so large that it feels overwhelming. >Across the way from the zoo is the Autry National Center which is all about western art and culture, including old western movies and cowboys. <The Santa Monica Pier has a fun little amusement park right on the beach. <The California Science Center in Exposition Park is fun and free, you just have to pay (cash) for parking. ETA: If your boys are interested in space, the space shuttle Endeavour is on permanent display there, but I notice that during the summer you must make a reservation time. If I think of more I'll add another post. Have Fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 We lived quite close to the Huntington Library. Do they still have a free day per month? ETA: First Thur of every month is what the website says. The Getty is free and interesting if your kids are old enough to appreciate it. Dawn >Wells Fargo has a FREE museum that tells all about the Wells Fargo wagons and California's gold history. It's 1 block from <Walt Disney's Concert Hall, which also offers self guided tours. <If you want to drive a little bit, my favorite place is The Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino (next to Pasadena) We try to go about 3-4 times a year. The gardens are fantastic, especially the desert garden. The museums there are world class. You can easily spend an entire day there. >The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is another favorite place. .TheLos Angeles Zoo is fun and not so large that it feels overwhelming. >Across the way from the zoo is the Autry National Center which is all about western art and culture, including old western movies and cowboys. <The Santa Monica Pier has a fun little amusement park right on the beach. <The California Science Center in Exposition Park is fun and free, you just have to pay (cash) for parking. If I think of more I'll add another post. Have Fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalLynn Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 We lived quite close to the Huntington Library. Do they still have a free day per month? The Getty is free and interesting if your kids are old enough to appreciate it. Dawn They do have the free day, but it's by on-line reservation a month in advance. It's first come-first served and I have never been able to get it quickly enough before all the tickets are gone. It's so popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 >Wells Fargo has a FREE museum that tells all about the Wells Fargo wagons and California's gold history. It's 1 block from <Walt Disney's Concert Hall, which also offers self guided tours. <If you want to drive a little bit, my favorite place is The Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino (next to Pasadena) We try to go about 3-4 times a year. The gardens are fantastic, especially the desert garden. The museums there are world class. You can easily spend an entire day there. >The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is another favorite place. .TheLos Angeles Zoo is fun and not so large that it feels overwhelming. >Across the way from the zoo is the Autry National Center which is all about western art and culture, including old western movies and cowboys. <The Santa Monica Pier has a fun little amusement park right on the beach. <The California Science Center in Exposition Park is fun and free, you just have to pay (cash) for parking. ETA: If your boys are interested in space, the space shuttle Endeavour is on permanent display there, but I notice that during the summer you must make a reservation time. If I think of more I'll add another post. Have Fun! These are most of my favorites. There is an aquarium under the pier that is just fantastic. I want to say it's run by UCLA. They had an aquatic petting zoo when we went and had newly hatched octopi. The museum of natural history is wonderful and I love the Tar Pits, which iirc is right next to LAMOCA-also have a free day and easy to get into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 The Holocaust museum is supposed to be one of the best in the US. I haven't been, but my husband has and he enjoyed it. I don't know how old your kids are though, I think they have a recommended minimum age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 You should be able to get it from Amazon. I have met the author at a HS conference. She is a HS mom. Yeah, Kidspace is too young for my kids too but they loved it when they were little. How old are your kids? Dawn They are 9 and 12 (birthday while we are there). Kidspace was really nice last time though. We live overseas and while we can get most books through Amazon it gets more complicated for older / used books etc. I probably could get it but not in time for our trip as we are leaving in two weeks (last time I tried ordering something similar it took about six weeks). Too bad as it does look interesting. I pretty much have all the Southern California/Los Angeles guide books I could find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 >Wells Fargo has a FREE museum that tells all about the Wells Fargo wagons and California's gold history. It's 1 block from <Walt Disney's Concert Hall, which also offers self guided tours. <If you want to drive a little bit, my favorite place is The Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino (next to Pasadena) We try to go about 3-4 times a year. The gardens are fantastic, especially the desert garden. The museums there are world class. You can easily spend an entire day there. >The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is another favorite place. .TheLos Angeles Zoo is fun and not so large that it feels overwhelming. >Across the way from the zoo is the Autry National Center which is all about western art and culture, including old western movies and cowboys. <The Santa Monica Pier has a fun little amusement park right on the beach. <The California Science Center in Exposition Park is fun and free, you just have to pay (cash) for parking. ETA: If your boys are interested in space, the space shuttle Endeavour is on permanent display there, but I notice that during the summer you must make a reservation time. If I think of more I'll add another post. Have Fun! Thanks - we visited the California Science Center (pre-Endeavour) and the Santa Monica Pier last time and definitely plan on going again. LACMA, the zoo and Autry are also on the list (it is pretty extensive) though I am not sure we will get to all of them. We have a great zoo where we live but there are quite a number of animals we don't have there (elephants, hippos, koalas) so would be fun. I have never visited the Wells Fargo even though I used to work right around there. I have been wondering about the Huntington - I visited once a long time ago and really liked it but wasn't sure whether it was child-friendly. Again thanks for the recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 We lived quite close to the Huntington Library. Do they still have a free day per month? ETA: First Thur of every month is what the website says. The Getty is free and interesting if your kids are old enough to appreciate it. Dawn We went to one of the free concerts at the Getty last time and I thought it was great. Older son didn't like it that much (he says). Might have been though because it took us forever to get there. We didn't have a car and on a Sunday it took about two hours to get there with public transportation so we were running out of steam before we even got started. Hopefully, he will like it better this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 The Holocaust museum is supposed to be one of the best in the US. I haven't been, but my husband has and he enjoyed it. I don't know how old your kids are though, I think they have a recommended minimum age. Have thought of this but kids are REALLY sensitive/ easily upset. We can barely watch any movies so I think it would be too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 These are most of my favorites. There is an aquarium under the pier that is just fantastic. I want to say it's run by UCLA. They had an aquatic petting zoo when we went and had newly hatched octopi. The museum of natural history is wonderful and I love the Tar Pits, which iirc is right next to LAMOCA-also have a free day and easy to get into. We did the aquarium under the pier and really enjoyed it - definitely on our repeat list. Also went to the Natural History museum and the Tar Pits last time and it was great (though I am not sure we will go again this time). It seems we did hit many of the highlights on our previous trip (many of which we would love to repeat). I do appreciate all the ideas, but would especially love any less well known activities/destinations. I am thinking a great place for ice cream, a cool playground, interesting store, special summer events, etc. as these are often harder to find out about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalLynn Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Thanks - we visited the California Science Center (pre-Endeavour) and the Santa Monica Pier last time and definitely plan on going again. LACMA, the zoo and Autry are also on the list (it is pretty extensive) though I am not sure we will get to all of them. We have a great zoo where we live but there are quite a number of animals we don't have there (elephants, hippos, koalas) so would be fun. I have never visited the Wells Fargo even though I used to work right around there. I have been wondering about the Huntington - I visited once a long time ago and really liked it but wasn't sure whether it was child-friendly. Again thanks for the recommendations. The Huntington has a separate children's garden with all kinds of neat things "hidden" into the gardens. It also has a tropical conservatory right next to it. Part of that is a room with all kinds of carnivorous plants, like venus fly traps, etc. Boys like that kind of stuff, right? lol! The Chinese garden is stunning and has a great little tea/snack shop all its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 If you like roast beef or pastrami sandwiches and chili cheese fries 'The Hat' is awesome and there are several in the area. Philippe's is good too but you've probably heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 The Huntington has a separate children's garden with all kinds of neat things "hidden" into the gardens. It also has a tropical conservatory right next to it. Part of that is a room with all kinds of carnivorous plants, like venus fly traps, etc. Boys like that kind of stuff, right? lol! The Chinese garden is stunning and has a great little tea/snack shop all its own. That does sound neat. Not sure about the venus fly traps etc. My boys are easily grossed out. Hate spiders etc. and think mummies are icky... Now I on the other hand loved mummies and anything gruesome as a little girl - go figure. If you like roast beef or pastrami sandwiches and chili cheese fries 'The Hat' is awesome and there are several in the area. Philippe's is good too but you've probably heard of it. I will have to definitely check into that - sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Descanso Gardens Los Angeles Arboretum Natural History Museum La Brea Tar Pits The Getty Venice Canals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Thanks - we visited the California Science Center (pre-Endeavour) and the Santa Monica Pier last time and definitely plan on going again. LACMA, the zoo and Autry are also on the list (it is pretty extensive) though I am not sure we will get to all of them. We have a great zoo where we live but there are quite a number of animals we don't have there (elephants, hippos, koalas) so would be fun. I have never visited the Wells Fargo even though I used to work right around there. I have been wondering about the Huntington - I visited once a long time ago and really liked it but wasn't sure whether it was child-friendly. Again thanks for the recommendations. The Huntington was my absolute favorite place in the world as a child. I spent a lot of time with with Pinkie and the Blue Boy, as well as in the rose garden. I miss it dearly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfknitter.# Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 You might want to sign up for free emails from here: http://redtri.com/los-angeles-kids/ They send weekly ideas for things to do around LA. Many are free or low cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Shane' s Inspiration near the carousel at Griffith Park is the best playground. It's Universal access, suitable for all ages and ability levels. 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, the boardwalk in Venice Beach, and City Walk outside of Universal Studios are all places I used to hang out. There are some new high end shopping centers (understatement, but I don't know what they call them) that were surprisingly enjoyable. One is called the Americana. There's another that I can't recall. Lots of shops, big and small, great food stands, a water show, a little playground, I want to say one had a trolley. Something of a commercial paradise. Also check out cultural festivals. There are tons. Olvera Street is fun. It's right outside Union Station. You mentioned riding busses. The trains might be a better option for some travels. We love them. Cheap, fun, clean, and fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Shane' s Inspiration near the carousel at Griffith Park is the best playground. It's Universal access, suitable for all ages and ability levels. 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, the boardwalk in Venice Beach, and City Walk outside of Universal Studios are all places I used to hang out. There are some new high end shopping centers (understatement, but I don't know what they call them) that were surprisingly enjoyable. One is called the Americana. There's another that I can't recall. Lots of shops, big and small, great food stands, a water show, a little playground, I want to say one had a trolley. Something of a commercial paradise. The Grove. It also has an American Girl Store if that's interests anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 The Grove. It also has an American Girl Store if that's interests anyone. Yes! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalLynn Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 If you like roast beef or pastrami sandwiches and chili cheese fries 'The Hat' is awesome and there are several in the area. Philippe's is good too but you've probably heard of it. This reminds me that Pink's hot dogs is a Los Angeles icon. We went there for the first time about 3 months ago and it was fun and delicious. It's located on N. La Brea Ave and Melrose. If you are in to music, we recently went to the Ringo Starr exhibit at the Grammy Museum. That's located on Olympic Blvd not far from Staples Center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Have you gone to Alvarado Street? We always enjoyed that too. We also enjoy visiting California Missions around the area. You can google the ones near LA. As for the book I mentioned, IF you wanted to get it, you could probably have it shipped to the location you will be staying a couple of days before you leave and it would be there soon after you get to LA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Fabulous site for family travel and they have LA on the site: FamilyVacationCritic.com. It's a Trip Advisor site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri in MI Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 We lived quite close to the Huntington Library. Do they still have a free day per month? ETA: First Thur of every month is what the website says. The Getty is free and interesting if your kids are old enough to appreciate it. Dawn I miss the Getty! We used to live in L.A. and we took our son there several times between the ages of 4 and 8. He loved the tram ride and when he got bored we would walk around the grounds outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri in MI Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 I second The Getty (they have a children's room and self-guided tour and outdoor grounds Long Beach Aquarium Scripps Aquarium near San Diego (smaller than Long Beach) The beach of course! We liked Westward Beach (south of Zuma) but Leo Carillo Beach was less crowded and had a small cave. Hollywood Bowl depending on who is playing. They also have fireworks during some of their summer concerts. Griffith Park Observatory That's all I can think of for now. I lived there for 19 years and am trying to think of what we liked to do, or what I miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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