# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Los Angeles: the parent guide > LA with little kids works best one area at a time, Griffith Park one day and Exposition Park another. - Last checked: 2026-10-28 - 8 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/guide/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/index.md - Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/visiting/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/llms.txt ## Kid-friendly restaurants ### Café Scuba at the Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach, inside the aquarium) - The aquarium’s café, handy when you don’t want to leave mid-visit. - Price level: $$ - Good for: Lunch in the middle of an aquarium morning. - Skip if: you want to eat outside the aquarium. - Website: https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/visit/cafe_scuba ## Parks and outdoor play ### Travel Town Museum (Griffith Park, 5200 Zoo Drive) - Retired steam locomotives and train cars you can climb around, free every day with free parking. The miniature train ride next door is run separately. - Price level: Free - Tickets: Everyone - Hours: Tue–Sun 10am–5pm; closed Mon, Thanksgiving and Christmas - Good for: Train-loving toddlers on any day but Monday. - Skip if: it’s Monday; it’s closed. - Price source: https://traveltown.org/visit/hours/ (checked 2026-10-28) - Website: https://traveltown.org/visit/hours/ ### Orange County Zoo (Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange) - A small zoo of Southern California animals with a petting area. Entry is $2, and the Irvine Park Railroad is a short walk away. - Price level: $ - Tickets: kids $2; adults $2; 2 and under. County park entry is $3–$7 per car - Hours: Weekdays 10am–3:30pm; weekends 10am–4:30pm - Good for: A short morning with an animal-loving toddler. - Skip if: you want big zoo animals. - Price source: https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/events/pumpkin-patch/ (checked 2026-10-28) - Website: https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/events/pumpkin-patch/ ## Museums, zoos and big outings ### Los Angeles Zoo (Griffith Park, 5333 Zoo Drive) - The zoo sits in Griffith Park, and the animals start going in for the night at 4pm. Prices go up on Nov 2, 2026, so a visit before then saves a couple of dollars a ticket. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 2–12 $22; adults $27; Under 2. From Nov 2, 2026: adults $29, kids $24 (city ordinance 189051) - Hours: Daily 10am–5pm; closed Thanksgiving and Dec 25 - Good for: A cool morning with a stroller. - Skip if: you arrive late in the day; animals start going in at 4pm. - Price source: https://cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2026/26-0600-S22_ord_189051_11-02-26.pdf (checked 2026-10-28) - Website: https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/ ### Kidspace Children’s Museum (Pasadena, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd.) - A children’s museum with indoor and outdoor play next to the Rose Bowl. Bring spare shoes if they’ll play in the water. Every child from age 1 pays full price, and the museum doesn’t take cash. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 1+ $17; adults $17; Infants - Hours: Tue–Sun 10am–5pm; closed Mon - Good for: A morning with a busy 2- to 6-year-old. - Skip if: there’s a game or concert at the Rose Bowl; Kidspace closes for some of them. - Price source: https://kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/ (checked 2026-10-28) - Website: https://kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/ ### California Science Center (Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Drive) - The core galleries are free with no reservation. Only IMAX and special exhibits cost money. The Expo Park/USC stop on the Metro E Line is right outside. - Price level: Free - Tickets: General admission (core galleries) - Hours: Exhibits daily 10am–5pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day - Good for: A free indoor morning. - Skip if: you came to see the space shuttle; Endeavour is off display until its new building opens. - Price source: https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit (checked 2026-10-28) - Website: https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit ### Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Exposition Park, 900 Exposition Blvd.) - Dinosaurs next door to the Science Center. Kids 2 and under are always free, and LA County residents get in free on weekdays from 3 to 5. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: Kids 2 and under; LA County residents Mon–Fri 3–5pm - Hours: Daily 9:30am–5pm; closed the first Tuesday of each month except June–August - Good for: A dinosaur fan, paired with the Science Center. - Skip if: it’s the first Tuesday of the month; the museum is closed. - Price source: https://nhm.org/free-hours-and-admission (checked 2026-10-28) - Website: https://nhm.org/free-hours-and-admission ### Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach, 100 Aquarium Way) - A big aquarium on the Long Beach waterfront with Shark Lagoon and the Jelly Dreamscapes gallery. Weekend and holiday visits need a reservation. - Price level: $$$ - Tickets: kids 3–11 $34.95; adults $49.95 - Hours: Daily 9am–6pm - Good for: A full morning by the water. - Skip if: you haven’t reserved for a weekend. - Price source: https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/visit/prices_hours (checked 2026-10-28) - Website: https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/visit/prices_hours ## Free things to do - Travel Town Museum - California Science Center ## Best for under 3s - **Los Angeles Zoo**: Free for kids under 2. - **Kidspace Children’s Museum**: Infants are free. - **California Science Center**: Free for everyone. - **Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County**: Free for kids 2 and under. - **Travel Town Museum**: Free for everyone. - **Orange County Zoo**: Free for kids 2 and under. ## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old ### Baby and lap-sit storytimes - **Baby Storytime** (LA County Library): Thursdays at 10:15am · West Covina Library. For babies and a grown-up. https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17397718 - **Baby Storytime** (LA County Library): Thursdays at 10:30am · East Los Angeles Library. For babies and a grown-up. https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17584282 - **Baby Storytime** (LA County Library): Wednesdays at 10:30am · Live Oak Library. For babies and a grown-up. https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17474566 - **Baby Storytime** (LA County Library): Saturdays at 10:15am · La Puente Library. A Saturday option. https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17741679 - **Baby Time** (Santa Monica Public Library): Wednesdays at 11:30am · Main Library. At the Main Library downtown. https://smpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6a70f42acca66c2f00a7f26b - **Baby Storytime** (Irvine Public Library): Tuesdays at 10:30am · Heritage Park Library. For babies and a grown-up. https://irvinepubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/17736616 - **Baby Storytime** (Irvine Public Library): Wednesdays at 10:30am · University Park Library. For babies and a grown-up. https://irvinepubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/17253562 - **Baby Lapsit Storytime** (OC Public Libraries): Mondays at 11am · Westminster. A lap-sit storytime. https://ocpl.libcal.com/event/17701864 - **Baby Storytime** (Anaheim Public Library): Wednesdays at 11am · Central Library. May not run every week; check the calendar. https://anaheim.libcal.com/event/17292200 ### Babies get in free - **Orange County Zoo**: 2 and under. https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/events/pumpkin-patch/ - **Los Angeles Zoo**: Under 2. https://cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2026/26-0600-S22_ord_189051_11-02-26.pdf - **Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County**: Kids 2 and under; LA County residents Mon–Fri 3–5pm. https://nhm.org/free-hours-and-admission ## Library storytimes - **LA County Library**: Most weekday mornings. Free baby, toddler and family storytimes at branches across the county, many in Spanish. https://lacountylibrary.libnet.info/events ## Happening this week - **Boo at the L.A. Zoo** (10am–5pm) at Los Angeles Zoo. Free with zoo admission ($27 adults, $22 kids 2–12, under 2 free). https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/#e-boo_at_the_l_a_zoo - **Downtown Día de los Muertos at Grand Park** (Thu–Sun, hours vary) at Gloria Molina Grand Park. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/#e-downtown_d_a_de_los_muertos_at_grand_par - **Halloween Walk on Montana Avenue** (Sat 2–5pm) at Montana Avenue. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/#e-halloween_walk_on_montana_avenue - **Free Harbor Tour for Kids in Costume** (Thu–Sat, hours vary) at Harbor Breeze Cruises. Free for kids under 11 in costume with a full-fare adult. https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/#e-free_harbor_tour_for_kids_in_costume - **Pumpkin Patch at Irvine Park Railroad** (Thu–Sun, hours vary) at Irvine Park Railroad. Activity tickets $8; park entry $3–$5 per car. https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/#e-pumpkin_patch_at_irvine_park_railroad Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Los Angeles: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Los Angeles for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is Los Angeles good for toddlers? Yes. The zoo, Travel Town and Kidspace are all built for little kids, and the Science Center is free. ### What’s free for little kids in LA? The Science Center and Travel Town are free for everyone, and the Natural History Museum and the zoo are free for the youngest kids. ### What can we do in LA on a rainy day with a toddler? Go indoors. The California Science Center’s core galleries are free and don’t need a reservation, and the Natural History Museum next door in Exposition Park is free for kids 2 and under. The Science Center is across the street from the Expo Park/USC Metro station. ### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in Los Angeles? Los Angeles Zoo: Free for kids under 2. Kidspace Children’s Museum: Infants are free. California Science Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and Travel Town Museum are also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Orange County Zoo (2 and under) and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Kids 2 and under; LA County residents Mon–Fri 3–5pm). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/guide/#under3). ### Where are the free storytimes in Los Angeles? LA County Library: Most weekday mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [LA weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/). ### How do you choose the places in the Los Angeles guide? Every one of the 8 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 7 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 28, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/). ### How much is the Orange County Zoo for a toddler, and who gets in free? 2 and under; kids: $2; adults: $2 (county park entry is $3–$7 per car). We checked this on [its official site](https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/events/pumpkin-patch/) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go. ### How much is the Kidspace Children’s Museum for a toddler, and who gets in free? Infants; kids 1+: $17; adults: $17. We checked this on [its official site](https://kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.