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The Best Things to do In Los Angeles for Active Families

There are so many things to do in Los Angeles with kids that it can be difficult to choose what to do on a vacation. The wonderful thing about L.A. is that you can swim at the beach, go on a hike, visit a museum and eat some of the world’s best food all in one day. If you have a family that likes to get out and do things, here are the Best Things to Do in Los Angeles for Active Families.

view of Los Angeles from behind the Hollywood sign

Hike to the Hollywood Sign

This hike can be killer on a hot day, but it’s worth it for the picture of your family that you’ll take at the top of the sign. There are long and short versions of this hike that can be part of a fun day in Griffith Park. If you’re hiking in the summer, make sure to bring plenty of water and some snacks for the kids.

Get In the Water
Families can take surfing lessons in Santa Monica, rent paddleboards in Marina del Rey or go kayaking in the Los Angeles River. If that sounds like too much work, you can play in the water at Venice Beach. Make sure and check surf conditions before you head out and wear sunscreen even if it’s overcast. If you’re kayaking along the LA River, reservations are required in advance.

Ride Along the Strand Bike Path

Rent bikes and ride on the paved path that goes from Pacific Palisades to Torrance. Rent a lock, park your bike, and stop for lunch along the path. Perry’s Café and Rentals has 12 locations along the strand and rents bikes and bike carriages for smaller kids.

Will-Rogers State Park

Go Horseback Riding at Will Rogers State Historic Park

There’s so much to do in this park. You can start your day going horseback riding along the beautiful trails, come back and have a picnic in the park’s grassy field and then take a guided tour of Will Rogers Ranch House. Every April through October, visitors can watch a polo match on the weekends. Families can also enjoy hiking to spots with some of the best views of Los Angeles.

Explore a neighborhood

They say nobody walks in L.A., but there are plenty of walking neighborhoods and walking tours. If your kids like to eat, you can take a culinary tour. Want to see murals? There’s a tour for that. Do you love movies and television? There are some really fun studio tours to see where some of your favorite shows are filmed. Reservations for all tours are required.

(clockwise from top) Walt Disney Concert Hall The Last Bookstore The Bradbury Building Central Library The Broad Museum Olvera Street
(clockwise from top) Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Last Bookstore, The Bradbury Building, Central Library, The Broad Museum, Olvera Street

Spend a Day in Downtown Los Angeles

Start the day with lunch at the newly renovated Clifton’s Cafeteria. Grab a scoop of McConnell’s Ice Cream or a bag of fruit at Grand Central Market and walk through the historic Bradbury Building. Go from there to Union Station to marvel at the architecture of the railway station built in 1939. Walk to nearby Olvera Street, a Mexican marketplace and the first street in Los Angeles.

Check out a Museum

Everyone that visits Los Angeles needs to see the La Brea Tar Pits. Right in the middle of this bustling city along a major thoroughfare, is the world’s most famous Ice Age excavation site. The Tar Pits are on Museum Row, which includes the Petersen Automotive Museum with more than 300 cars on display or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with more than 130,000 objects dating from antiquity to the present. Over in Exposition Park near the USC, kids interested in dinosaurs will love the Natural History Museum. It’s next to the California Science Center where the space shuttle is housed, and the African American Museum.

MomsLA is your source for Things to do with Kids in Los Angeles

Disclaimer: MomsLA has made every effort to confirm the information in this article; however, things can often change. Therefore, MomsLA makes no representations or warranties about the accuracy of the information published here. MomsLA strongly urges you to confirm any event details, like date, time, location, and admission, with the third party hosting the event. You assume the sole risk of relying on any of the information in our list. MomsLA is in no way responsible for any injuries or damages you sustain while attending any third-party event posted on our website. Please read our Terms of Use which you have agreed to based on your continued use of this website. Some events have paid to be listed on MomsLA.

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