# Visiting Los Angeles with toddlers and little kids: the plan

> Pick a base near the places you care about most, because driving across town eats a toddler’s good hours. Exposition Park has its own Metro E Line stop, and Griffith Park and the Long Beach waterfront are easiest by car.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/visiting/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/guide/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/llms.txt

## Top 2 can’t-miss spots

- **Los Angeles Zoo** (Griffith Park, 5333 Zoo Drive): Last entry 3:45pm. Cost: $22 kids, $27 adults. Site: https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/
- **California Science Center** (Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Drive): Free entry; IMAX costs extra. Cost: Free. Site: https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit

## If you have one day

1. **MORNING**: Los Angeles Zoo (Opens 10am · Griffith Park, 5333 Zoo Drive · $22 kids, $27 adults). https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Travel Town Museum (Free, closes at 5 · Griffith Park, 5200 Zoo Drive · Free). https://traveltown.org/visit/hours/

## If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

1. **MORNING**: California Science Center (Free, opens 10am · Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Drive · Free). https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit
2. **LUNCH**: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Next door · Exposition Park, 900 Exposition Blvd.). https://nhm.org/free-hours-and-admission
3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
4. **AFTER NAP**: Kidspace Children’s Museum (Closed Mondays · Pasadena, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd. · $17 per person). https://kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/

## Where to stay

- **Los Feliz and Glendale** (griffith park): The zoo and Travel Town are a few minutes apart on Zoo Drive. Near Los Angeles Zoo and Travel Town Museum.
- **Downtown and USC** (exposition park): Two museums and a Metro stop. Near California Science Center and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

## Easy restaurants near the big stops

- **Café Scuba at the Aquarium of the Pacific** (Café, Long Beach): Inside the aquarium. https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/visit/cafe_scuba

## Rainy-day backup plan

- **California Science Center**: Indoors.
- **Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County**: Indoors.

## Practical tips

- Transit: The Metro E Line stops at Exposition Park.
- Game days: USC home games at the Coliseum clog Exposition Park; check the schedule before you go.


## 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 kid-friendly?
For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Los Angeles guide lists 8 places we checked for little kids, plus 2 free places and 6 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 1 easy restaurant near the big stops and free storytimes at 1 library system. This week’s list has 25 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Los Angeles](https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/los-angeles/).

### Do we need a car?
For Exposition Park, no; the Metro E Line stops at the door. For Griffith Park and Long Beach, a car is easier.

### What if it rains?
The Science Center and the Natural History Museum sit side by side in Exposition Park.