There are a staggering number of things to do and see in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. While, no doubt, a good majority of families will be headed to Anaheim for a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth, there is no shortage of other major attractions, sports teams, concert venues, theatre events and activities to fill the rest of your days. Disneyland Resort, which encompasses the original Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, is easily the area's biggest attraction for kids. But that's just a start!
What to Do in Los Angeles with Kids
Whether your family is into Hollywood, movies, sports, theatre, theme parks, animals, shows or beaches, Los Angeles has something for you.
Get Your Thrills at a Theme Park
Theme park lovers (that’s us!) have many options. For thrill-seekers, nearby Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia offer several Coasters with a capital C. Just to be clear, we're talking about reaching top speeds of 82 mph in 2.3 seconds up 205 feet in the air ... and then coming back down at a death-defying 90-degree angle aboard the Xcelerator at Knott's. Six Flags Magic Mountain has no shortage of thrills. It boasts the most roller coasters in the world and added its 20th roller coaster in 2022! Of course, tweens and teens would be better suited for these parks.
For those of you interested in movies or Harry Potter, Universal Studios Hollywood should be on your Los Angeles must-do list. With shows, rides, the World-Famous Studio Tour and water play areas for the kids, it has something for movie lovers of all ages.
No visit to Los Angeles is complete without a trip to Disneyland. Located to the south of Los Angeles in Orange County, you might want to take a couple of days to stay at a hotel near Disneyland so you have time to see everything in both theme parks. We recommend spending two to three days at Disneyland.
Tour a Movie Studio
Of course, you can tour the Backlot during the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour when you visit the theme park. A VIP Experience ticket will even take you behind the scenes. But you can also take a Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Burbank! This tour offers a more intimate experience with the studio. Get sorted by the Wizarding World sorting hat, explore backlots and soundstages and see sets and sit on iconic couches from favorite shows such as "Friends" and "The Big Bang Theory." This is one of our favorite things to do in Los Angeles for TV and movie fans. Hop over to our guide to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour for more details. And save money on tickets when you purchase through Undercover Tourist!
Visit Hollywood
Stargazers can hit The Original Farmers Market and its next-door neighbor The Grove shopping mall or Beverly Hills for shopping and celeb-spotting. Celebrate Hollywood with a visit to the famed sign that sits atop the Hollywood Hills (but bring your hiking shoes!). Then, see a movie at Disney's El Capitan Theatre or make stops at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
See a Play
Treat your family to some live theatre at The Hollywood Pantages Theatre. See a play, catch a comedian or enjoy some music. Upcoming acts include "Aladdin," Chelsea Handler and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert." In December, catch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" for a special seasonal show. This 1930s art-deco theatre is full of design detail that will dazzle you.
Visit the Dolby Theatre, which is where the Oscars take place. You can catch all kinds of shows there. It's located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Ahmanson Theatre has some upcoming shows — "Peter Pan Goes Wrong" is Aug. 8 and "Hadestown" is Oct. 3.
If you'll be staying near Disneyland, Segerstrom Center for the Arts has many family-friendly shows through spring 2024, including "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" in December, "The Lion King" in February, "Beetlejuice - The Musical" in April and "Aladdin" in May.
Catch a Concert
Photo: Andemaya / Licensed by Creative Commons/ CC BY 4.0
Your favorite artists are coming to LA and Orange County in the next few months. You'll be a hero if you get these tickets for the tweens and teens in your family (or yourself!). Best. Vacation. Ever.
"Taylor Swift 17 - Live in Paris - 2011" by oouinouin is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Here are a few not-to-miss shows if you happen to be in town:
- Taylor Swift for six nights at SoFi Stadium between Aug. 3-9, 2023 (yes, we have tickets!)
- Beyonce for three nights at SoFi Stadium between Sept. 1-4, 2023
- P!nk at So-Fi Stadium on Oct. 5, 2023
- Post Malone at Glen Helen Amphitheater on Aug. 19, 2023
- Metallica for two nights at So-Fi Stadium on Aug. 25 and 27, 2023
- Ed Sheeran at the Shrine Auditorium on Sept. 22 and So-Fi Stadium on Sept. 23
And so many more! Head to our concerts page and click "Los Angeles" to see the full list of artists coming to Tinseltown.
Catch Your Favorite Sports Team
There is always a sport in season in Los Angeles. You can score great seats for all of them with Undercover Tourist.
Dodger Stadium even has climbing areas so your kids can get the wiggles out. And the new SoFi Stadium, where the Chargers and Rams play, is definitely worth seeing.
Check out the tickets on the following Los Angeles team pages:
- Baseball: Angels (located near Disneyland) and Dodgers
- Football: Rams and Chargers
- Basketball: Lakers and Clippers (catch the NBA Preseason)
- Hockey: Kings and Anaheim Ducks (located near Disneyland)
Take a Hop-on Hop-Off Bus Tour
It's easiest to get around LA on a Big Bus Tour. It stops at all the iconic LA stops, including Hollywood Boulevard and you don't have to drive in traffic or figure out where to park. There is even a beach loop that stops at the Santa Monica Pier. It's a great way to see it all in a day or two.
Hit the Beach!
Every visitor should make at least one trip to the beach. There are plenty to choose from in Los Angeles and Orange County. In Orange County, Huntington Beach is perhaps the most quintessentially California surfin' beach. It boasts miles of beach coastline perfect for a beach bonfire, a bike ride or a nice walk, and has plenty of parking.
Other family-friendly OC beaches are Laguna Beach, Little Corona del Mar and Seal Beach. Just keep in mind that California water is much colder than you'd expect. You might want to bring or rent a wetsuit in the colder months.
If you hit Long Beach, be sure to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific with your animal lovers! We recently made a visit and the kids loved it and the surrounding area of Long Beach. Hop over to our guide to Visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits, including the brand-new Southern California Gallery, plus hands-on experiences your kids will love. You can also go out on a boat tour to see marine life up close in the water.
In Los Angeles County, Mother's Beach at Marina Del Rey and Mother's Beach in Long Beach are both on bays, making the waves tamer for the little ones. The Annenberg Community Beach House at Santa Monica State Beach is another great spot for families. It has a playground, splash pad, pool (open seasonally), restaurant and activities.
After a day in the sun, spend the evening at the Santa Monica Pier. It has an old-fashioned amusement park in Pacific Park, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, an arcade, a trapeze school and fishing. While this area gets quite congested, there are multiple options for parking.
There are wide, smooth sidewalks that connect to Venice Beach to the south. Rent bikes to take a family bike ride along the coast. You'll get to see Muscle Beach, the skate park, graffiti walls and other unique sights of Venice Beach. Plus you can borrow balls to play on the sports courts from the Venice Beach Recreation Center.
Visit a Museum
Are you looking for a bit of culture or learning? There are some great museums in the area of Los Angeles. Take a trip back to the Ice Age to learn about woolly mammoths and saber-toothed cats at the La Brea Tarpits and Museum. The California Science Center (near the Coliseum) holds the Space Shuttle Endeavor along with other fun exhibits. Climb your way to the top of Griffith Park to the Griffith Observatory. The views of "La La Land," along with the large telescopes and planetarium there are out of this world! Head two-by-two to the Skirball Cultural Center for a giant Noah’s Ark exhibit.
The Getty Center offers art, gardens and sweeping views of the Los Angeles Area. The museum has a family room, family tours and Art Detective cards for kids. But don’t be surprised if they most enjoy getting the wiggles out by rolling down the grassy hills and exploring the gardens!
If you and your kids love music and movies, make sure you check out the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (located right next to the Los Angeles County County Museum of Art, near The Grove and The Original Famers Market) and the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live in Downtown LA.
If you can't meet some Hollywood stars in person, you can fake it by taking selfies with your favorite stars and MARVEL heroes at Madame Tussaud's Hollywood!
We hope you've found this overview of what to do in Los Angeles helpful in planning your visit. Check out our Los Angeles tickets and tours for a lot of savings! Be sure to check out our sports and concerts pages for games and shows in Los Angeles.
Related: When to Visit Los Angeles
Hoppy planning!
