Griffith Park
Home to such attractions as the Los Angeles Zoo and the Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park admission and parking are free. There are picnic areas, hiking trails and playgrounds. Admission to the Observatory is complimentary and on clear nights, visitors can look through the powerful telescopes to see the moon and sometimes planets.
A day at the zoo is something children love and the Los Angeles Zoo terrain is extremely hilly. The relaxing stroll through the zoo doesn't feel much like a workout, but it is. Animal habitats are reminiscent of their homes in the wild and interpretive signs help convey the importance of conserving wild places.
Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs Dr
Los Angeles, California 90027
(323) 913-4688
www.laparks.org
Griffith Park Observatory
2800 E Observatory Ave
Los Angeles, California 90027
(213) 473-0800
www.griffithobs.org
Los Angeles Zoo
5333 Zoo Dr
Los Angeles, California 90027
(323) 644-4200
www.lazoo.org
Hollywood Walk of Fame
A walking tour of Hollywood is filled with sights and sounds unlike anywhere else in the country. Everyone is familiar with the celebrity stars outside of Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the celebrity handprints in cement, but there are also 42 signs posted to teach visitors more about the historic buildings and landmarks in the area. See the apartment Doris Day lived in, the Three Stooges bank and several other things that are only seen in L.A. You can order a map ahead of time from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
7018 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, California 90028.
www.hollywoodchamber.net
Visit the Santa Monica Pier
At the very end of Route 66, the vintage Carousel at the Santa Monica Pier has been entertaining families since 1922. A day spent boogie-boarding or surfing on the beach can make a kid hungry. In addition to the merry-go-round, the pier at Santa Monica has county-fair style attractions like food vendors, a game arcade and other rides. Also on the boardwalk is the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, a family-friendly themed restaurant with plenty of fresh seafood dishes.
Kid have fun playing at the beach, running through the waves and picking up sea shells and building sand castles. The boardwalk is a world of fun on its own; kids enjoy looking down between the cracks to see the ocean waves underneath. If you walk out to the end of the boardwalk, there's a telescope and occasionally you can see Catalina island or spy on passing cargo ships. You may see California Sea Lions, dolphins playing in the surf or migrating whales. It's windy at the end of the boardwalk, though, so bring a jacket or keep moving.
If you happen to visit on a full moon between March and September, you can take part in a traditional Southern California Grunion Run. Thousands of silvery fish, five or six inches long flop around on the shore to spawn and then return to the sea. If you're quick, you can catch them by hand. For adults, removing them from the beach is only legal with a fishing license, but kids under 16 are permitted to remove them. Catching them, even just to throw them back, makes for a memorable bit of fun.
Santa Monica Pier
200 Santa Monica Pier # A
Santa Monica, California 90401
(310) 458-8900
www.santamonicapier.org
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
301 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, California 90401
(310) 393-0458
www.bubbagump.com
