I am going to LA with my little-un, who is six. OTHER than Disneyland - what should we be doing/seeing?
Any thoughts?
Look into shows your kid is interested in. Often you can get seats in the audience while they are filming.
I hopped in to recommend theChildren’s Museum of Los Angeles which I’d heard was going to be good, but it doesn’t look like it opens until the spring of 2010. Anyone familiar with the Boone Children’s Gallery at the LA County Museum of Art? It was under construction when I was there a few years back so I didn’t get a chance to check it out. It’s supposed to be pretty great though. Also, I think, free!
Page Museum (Tar Pits) if your kid is into dinosaurs or animals; I remember going there in elementary school and being totally fascinated. I also always thought Knott’s Berry Farm was more fun than Disneyland, probably because it had more of a wild west theme, which appealed to my Cowboy ‘n’ Indians loving child self.
ETA: the “Haunt” thing at Knott’s is a Halloween special event, click through to the home page for actual info about the park.
A six-year old boy? the La Brea tar pits. He can see real life monsters like saber tooth cats.
Girls might be interested in the pits too of course. Or not.
We also went to a children’s museum a year or so ago, but damned if I can remember just where it was (not L.A. proper).
Here’s a site devoted to places to take kids.
Sorry, a girl…
I think the Observatory is a great thing to see while you are here. I loved it as a kid (and still do).
Also, when are you going to be here? It’s still been beach weather (off and on) and the beach is alway fun for the kids.
Missed the edit.
Also look into the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. It’s a great Aquarium, and tons of fun for both kids and adults.
Maybe eating should be classified into it’s own little category, but it’s my favorite entertainment… and the kids should love it:
Tommy’s
Pink’s
Roscoe’s
Oh yeah.
The lines at Pink’s might be tough for the kids, but if you go to the Aquareum (and I highly suggest you do) they have a Roscoe’s in Long Beach. That’s two destinations in one right there. And what kids don’t like chicken and waffles?
Tommy’s is great too, though I think the best Tommy’s is the original stand on Rampart and that neighborhood might be a tiny bit far away (and a little bit too sketchy) for tourists.
Oh, and hit an In-N-Out while you are down here for a great fastfood burger and milkshakes. You have to, it’s the law.
Another question, where are you staying in LA? It’s a big place, bigger than you expect and where you are located will change what you want to do.
There are nice beaches in LA.
When my kids were littler they liked Travel Town in Griffith Park.
The Zoo is nearby too, and the Autry Museum. Although be aware the zoo is big and requires a lot of walking.
I’ll also second the Tar Pits. It’s not a huge museum so it’s not overwhelming, but the exhibits are great. And if you walk around outside you can poke the tar that bubbles out of the ground with a stick. Lots of fun!
If your daughter likes the American Girl dolls, there a huge American Girl store in The Grove shopping center. That might be a treat for some, and hell for others.
The Skirball Cultural Center in LA is near the Getty Museum and they have a Noah’s Ark exhibit that is built for kids and fun for adults as well. The exhibit is pretty simple, just lots of very cute animals made from recycled materials. My favorite was the alligator made from a violin case. They have a playground incorporated within the exhibit so the kids can go run and play with all the different animals while the parents rest up. Here is their website.
I like the Tar Pits too and the plus side is that the museum is close to Fairfax which has a lot of Ethiopian food. If your kid is an adventurous eater, it might be a fun (but messy) experience since you can eat with your hands.
The beach is nice and there’s always a lot going on at the Santa Monica Pier.
This is really the first and only place you must go with a 6 year old girl child.
I’d still say the Tar Pits. Girls like Big Impressive Animals too.
Another vote for Knot’s Berry Farm.
I nominate the Tar Pits and the Skirball Center. I went to the tar pits as a young girl and I was quite impressed (of course, I was totally crazy for prehistoric stuff…I was a weird little girl). I was most amazed by the tar bubbling up through the asphalt in the parking lot. Like it was going to swallow our car very, very slowly.
I visited the Skirball Center as an adult and it made me wish I was a child. The Noah’s Ark exhibit there is the most awesome indoor playground ever. It has all sort of stuff to manipulate and experiment with and a multi-level play area to climb through and run around in.