Raising kids isn’t cheap. And raising them in a bustling metropolitan center of the arts, culture and food scene? Even less so. But even in Los Angeles, fun family activities don’t have to cost a bundle. These 50 free things to do in LA (and the surrounding areas!) include outdoor adventures, family concerts, story times, live tapings of your favorite shows and spots where your kids can just run themselves ragged—and your wallet won’t take a hit.
ANYTIME
1. Explore a new-to-you area like Downtown LA, Orange County or Pasadena. Window shopping, skipping around, sitting on a bench and people-watching—those are underrated pleasures, especially when it’s in an area you haven’t yet explored.
2. There are so many reasons to love Children’s Book World, including their free weekend series for kids that feature story times, mini-concerts and more. Many of our other favorite book stores around Los Angeles host no-cost story times, too!
3. Teach kids science for free at the California Science Center (special exhibits and IMAX cost extra) or Griffith Observatory (tickets to the Planetarium cost extra!), or see history preserved at the La Brea Tar Pits (to see the pits themselves are free, but tickets are required to enter the museum!). Natural history, archeology, biology…take your pick. These museums have it all.
Tracie Spence Photography
4. Play on the Santa Monica Pier. Sunbathe, splash around on the (coldish) waters’ edge, people watch and, if you’re in the mood, shell out a few bucks to play arcade games!
5. Find your favorite celebrities on Hollywood Boulevard. We know it’s cheesy, but it can be a fun way to teach your kids pop culture. It’s like a scavenger hunt for your favorite stars!
6. Smell the roses in Exposition Park. With the neoclassical architecture of the California Science Center in the background and the hundreds upon hundreds of roses in the foreground, you’ll feel like you’re strolling through a garden in Paris.
7. Take in free art on the Downtown LA Art Walk. On the second Thursday of every month, join other art lovers in DTLA as you pop in and out of art galleries, eat from food carts and participate in special art-related activities.
8. Read a book at LA Central Library. This library is one of the architectural treasures of DTLA, with its art deco and 1930s architecture. They also have a wonderful children’s book section!
9. Take an amazing family photo at Vista Hermosa Natural Park. Grassy fields, ponds, waterfalls, city views and picnic areas make this the perfect spot for any time of year.
10. Attend the new Melrose Mornings events for families at the Melrose Trading Post. Look for kid-friendly entertainment, crafts and face painting on Sundays from 9 to 11am. It’s free for kids, but it will cost parents $5.
11. Learn about the history of Los Angeles on Olvera Street. Created in 1930 to preserve California’s history, this Mexican marketplace brings back the glory of “old LA” with narrow brick streets, shaded paths and more.
Courtesy of Discover Los Angeles
12. Spend all day in Grand Park. Splash around in the new membrane pool, read a book, pack a picnic, stop and smell the flowers, and maybe catch an event in their performance spaces!
13. Explore the sculptures made out of books in magical nooks and crannies at The Last Bookstore. This one’s truly a gem: from the arches made of out books to an area in which the books are organized by color (Insta-inspo), it’s a can’t miss for little bookworms.
14. Watch planes land at LAX. Nothing fascinates little kids more than watching those metal behemoths take flight and land, which luckily for you is free!
15. Window shop at the Original Farmer’s Market. Another gem from ’30s LA, this permanent, seven-days-a-week farmer’s market has dozens of places to eat, shop and look at toys.
16. Take a tour of a local university. UCLA and USC may be rivals, but both allow anyone to look around their campuses during the day. Or, sign up for a tour! Your kids will be applying to college before you know it (!).
17. Some of our favorite museums offer free admission on certain days of the month. Kidspace Children’s Museum offers free admission on the first Tuesday of every month for Free Family Night, while the Skirball Center is free to all on Thursdays. Other dates to keep in mind: MOCA is free on Thursdays from 5 to 8pm; the Autry is free on the second Tuesday of every month; and the LA Arboretum is free on the third Tuesday of every month.
Kidspace Children’s Museum
18. Build a campfire at Dockweiller Beach. This is one of the only beaches left where you can have a good, old-fashioned bonfire. Roast marshmallows as the sun goes down on one of those perfect LA nights— trust us, it’s something that your kids will never forget.
19. Join a guided family birding walk with the Los Angeles Audubon Society. It’s never too early to foster a love of ornithology in your little ones! Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two, too.
20. See a live recording of a TV show at one of the local studios. Ellen, The Late Show, So You Think You Can Dance…the choice is yours, and you really can’t lose.
21. Tour the historic Andres Pico Adobe. As the second oldest mission in Los Angeles County, this is a great opportunity to make history come alive for your kiddos with a look at how the missionaries of the 1800s lived!
22. Take train-loving kiddos to the Travel Town Museum. It’s free to enter, but it’ll set you back a few bucks if you want to ride the train.
23. Enjoy a picnic to Echo Park Lake. Nestled in the middle of an otherwise metropolitan area, this lake is a great place to sit in nature, eat picnic foods and people-watch as people paddle on the lake. It does get crowded on the weekend, so make sure to stake your claim early!
24. Explore Griffith Park and its playgrounds, hiking trails, picnic spots and more. Once you’ve done that, visit Tongva Park for even more hiking and nature! Hiking is an LA-must, but note: not all places are free.
25. Teach kids important history at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust or the California African American Museum. Both are free year-round.
California African American Museum
26. See a free children’s show at the Madrid Theatre. On Monday mornings throughout the West Valley, kids are treated to “edutainment” with shows like music, puppetry, poetry reading and more.
27. Participate in a free art workshop at Barnsdall Art Park on Sundays from 10am to noon. The theme changes from session to session!
28. Take part in a beach clean up. You get to spend a day at the beach, teach your kids about the environment and do your part to save it in one fell swoop! What’s not to love?
29. Visit the iconic Watts Towers of Simon Rodia. These spindly towers are some of the most unusual you’ll ever see. Standing almost 100 feet tall, these guys are made of steel, wrapped in wire mesh and inlaid with tile, glass, shell, pottery, and rocks.
30. Rollerblade, scooter or walk the strip at Venice Beach. Yes, it’s a little eccentric, but it’s also great fun. If your kids haven’t yet been exposed to a lot of tie-dye, now is the time.
31. Walk through the Venice Canals. This neighborhood, right near Venice Beach, boasts spectacular homes (each with its own dock) along a serene canal, as if you’re in Venice or Amsterdam. Kids will love crossing the adorable bridges that act as crosswalks!
32. Travel back to the ancient Greek times at the Getty Villa, or admire art and spectacular views at the Getty Center. Full disclosure: the museum is free, but you do have to pay for parking. Carpool, people!
Courtesy of Discover Los Angeles
33. Let your kids run around while you get chores done at The Americana at Brand Kid’s Club on Tuesdays from 11am-1pm. If you haven’t been, the Americana is like The Grove, but bigger. Yay!
34. Expose your kids to the priceless works of art at LACMA. It’s free for kids under 17 to visit, but on weekdays after 3pm, all Los Angeles residents can score free admission, too. Plus, if you sign up for NexGen, kids can bring one adult guest for free at any time! Even better: The Boone Children’s Gallery—which offers programs for kids like art-making and story times—is always free and open to the public.
35. The Hammer Museum offers great no-cost family programs throughout the year including movies, art projects and the 826LA@Hammer series.
36. Attend free Dance Sundays at the Wallis. Hosted by Debbie Allen and friends, these workshops teach kids everything from the flamenco to the salsa. The Wallis also hosts other free family events throughout the year including performances by the Story Pirates.
37. Let the kids run themselves ragged at one of our area’s coolest playgrounds. We especially love Reese’s Retreat in Pasadena and Douglas Park in Santa Monica.
SPRING & SUMMER
38. Celebrate Earth Day in Grand Park. Performances, activities, vendors and tours all highlight our responsibility to take care of our planet and learn to live sustainably. If you live in LA, you can even get a free plant!
Javier Guillen/Grand Park
39. The LA Times Festival of Books, usually held in April, is one of our favorite annual events and is the largest of its kind in the country! Meet authors, artists and filmmakers and more; don’t worry, there are lots of activities for even the littlest of readers.
40. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the largest Cinco de Mayo festival in the country, Fiesta Broadway. Walk around Broadway and the streets around City Hall and experience all this cultural festival has to offer—Latin-American artists and vendors, authentic food, games and carnival rides.
41. Take advantage of the Summer Night in the Garden series at the Natural History Museum on select Friday nights in June, July and August.
42. The Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival, held at the end of July at Marine Stadium, is one of the largest dragon boat competitions in California. There are also Chinese acrobats, music and martial arts performances.
43. See a free concert at Levitt Pavilion or rock out at a Concert on the Green. These events are the perfect way to spend a summer night, with or without the kids!
Levitt Pavilion
44. We absolutely love the free Garden Concerts for Kids at the Getty Center. Bring a picnic blanket and listen to tunes by some of the best children’s performers in the country.
45. Make your way to the Annenberg Community Beach House’s splash pad in Santa Monica. Your kids will thank you!
46. Watch an outdoor movie with the fam—our free favorites include Silver Lake Picture Show and Alfredo’s Beach Clubs “Moonlight Movies on the Beach.”
FALL & WINTER
47. Warm up your vocal cords and throw on your dancing shoes for the LA County Holiday Celebration on Christmas Eve. A variety of LA-based music ensembles, choirs and dance companies come together annually to put on a three-hour Christmas performance perfect for any family. First come, first seated!
48. Wake up early on January 1 to see floats, horses and marching bands at the famous Rose Parade! People watch it across the nation on television, so why not take advantage of living so close to Pasadena by attending it in person?
49. Plan to museum hop to dozens of local institutions in February at the annual Museums Free-for-All event. Some of our favorites, like the Skirball Cultural Center, Kidspace Children’s Museum and California Science Center typically participate.
50. February just wouldn’t be complete without celebrating the Lunar New Year at LA’s Chinese New Year Festival and Parade. Head to the intersection of Hill and Ord Streets from 1 to 3pm for the Golden Dragon Parade; it’s the oldest of its kind in America.
