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New Kid-Friendly Openings in Los Angeles in 2022

1. New Immersive CAMP Store — Century City

On April 23rd, the first West Coast CAMP store opened its doors at the Westfield Century City. The new flagship destination is like a giant toy store with a world of play behind a hidden door, and the themes, activities, and offerings change all the time. When the store opened, the theme was camping and RV trips, and now it has moved on to a whole Nike kids camp sports experience. We have no idea what’s coming next, but Kylie, our LA social media manager, brought her kids to both iterations, and they loved them—we’re pretty sure every CAMP experience is loads of fun.

2. Recreation Park  — Long Beach

The Dino Excavation Zone at Long Beach’s newest playground lets little dino-loving kids feel like true paleontologists. Recreation Park in East Long Beach got a major upgrade with a Jurassic-themed playground perfect for kids of all ages. The new space just opened in June and is the perfect reason to take a trip to Long Beach! The biggest hits are a giant, roaring T-rex, the massive tube slides, a unique pulley swing set, a smaller play structure for 2 5-year-olds, a teeter-totter, and an ASL sign board with various signs to encourage communication for children with disabilities. More new playgrounds just like this, please!

RELATED: 20 Things To Do in Los Angeles with Tweens and Teens

 
Take a trip to the Upside Down. Photo by Meghan Rose 

3. Stranger Things: The Experience — Montebello

Any teen parent will tell you that finding the outings that they will not only agree to try out (with parents, not friends) but will rave about afterward, are few and far between. I took our 15-year-old twins to check out the new walk-through Stranger Things interactive experience in Montebello that opened just in time for the holidays, and they loved it. I even scored “cool mom” points. It’s completely different from the Stranger Things Drive-Thru Experience that opened during the pandemic. You’re not allowed to take pictures inside it, and I don’t want to spoil any of the story or surprises, but it consists of a walking story, taking part in several rooms and includes a new, interactive storyline told by the cast of the TV show, a 3D VR adventure that made me scream, and ends with a trip to the Starcourt Mall, where you can enjoy Scoops Ahoy ice cream and very cool photo ops.

4. Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience  — DTLA

Are immersive experiences the biggest thing in entertainment since Bluey? Maybe. But I’m not complaining, as all the ones I’ve been to so far have been pretty amazing. At the Beyond King Tut show, which is the West Coast premiere of National Geographic’s new immersive experience and opened in the fall of 2022, you can get a dose of the magic and mystery of Ancient Egypt. It’s at Magic Box LA, which is my favorite place (so far) to see these immersive experiences, and our whole family also had a blast at this one.

5. Titanic Immersive Experience — Mid-City

One last new immersive experience! This one is for parents and big kids who miss visiting the Queen Mary. Or who love watching the movie. Travel back to 1912 through photographs, letters, keepsakes, recreations of rooms, and more that bring the world of the ship to life. You can explore life-size, detailed recreations of the ship’s interior, and have your modern social consciousness horrified by the stark contrast between a lavish first-class suite and a tiny third-class cabin. This opened in the fall of 2022, and continues into 2023.

6. A New Family Playspace Opened at the Autry — Griffith Park

The Autry Museum’s family play space got a complete overhaul before and reopened just before the end of the year. Play with a train, pretend to shop with a grocery cart, enjoy the library, and more. FYI, the Autry is free every Tuesday, so you can check it out then. Still to come, the Old Hollywood section is still under renovation and is opening in March of 2023. Check back, and we’ll have a full review of all that’s new at the Autry!

RELATED: The Best Toddler Playgrounds in Los Angeles

We can tell you how to get to Sesame Street. It's right down the I-5. Photo by Kristen Schrass

7. Sesame Place — San Diego

This isn’t in LA, technically, but if you’ve got a toddler this will feel like a short drive from LA when you take into account the utter joy you’ll see on their faces when they get to meet Elmo. One of our LA writers visited the new Sesame Place San Diego before it opened and got the inside story on what kids love about the country's newest theme park; she also took a video of her son getting to meet his furry heroes, and I can’t stop watching it. There's a water park element to the place, too, which is open year-round, and it's definitely one of the best amusement parks in the US for kids under 5. And it’s right in our backyard.

8. MB2 Entertainment — Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita used to be home to Mountasia, a typical family fun center with a 90s vibe. We’re talking fluorescent lights, multi-colored, ugly carpeting, hokey prizes, and purple walls. During COVID, the lack of business put it under, and the Valencia mainstay closed for good.  Thankfully, MB2 swooped in and saved the day. The company acquired the Valencia property and spent months recreating it into something cool and new, while retaining all the classic family fun. What has emerged is a fabulous place where you can spend the day with bumper boats, go karts, bowling (duck pin; be still my New England-bred heart!), VR, arcade games, laser tag, axe throwing, mini golf, and more.

9. The American Girl Pop-up Shop — Century City.

I actually cried when the AG store at the Grove closed; so many memories! This year an interim pop-up shop opened at the Westfield Century City (on Level 1 next to lululemon). And coming in 2023: a brand-new American Girl store opens here with full-service dining, girl & doll salon, parties, and more. Stay tuned, because you know we will be all over checking that out as soon as it opens.

RELATED: 23 Best Indoor Playgrounds in Los Angeles

 
Looking for a new indoor playground? We've got one! Photo by Chelsee Lowe

9. New Ball N’ Bounce — Encino

Ball N’ Bounce opened in the Encino Commons complex on Ventura Boulevard this past summer, and it offers up all-day fun with vibrant colors and so many things to climb on and experience that kids (it’s best for ages 2-7) will beg to stay and play all day. Next time the weather is too hot or too cold, you know just where to go.

11. West Hollywood Playground — West Hollywood

After years of closure, West Hollywood Playground at West Hollywood Park finally reopened. Here’s the scoop: it was worth the wait. One of our writers took her daughter to check it out and she had so much fun at the rock-climbing and music-making stations that she insisted they go back the very next day. This inclusive, all-ages playground definitely is one of the best playgrounds in Los Angeles, and worth the drive.

12. Tyra Banks' ModelLand — Santa Monica

When news first broke that ModelLand was coming, we speculated. Rumors suggested this would be anything from a new amusement park to a simple ice cream shop. Well, it opened in September and now we know: It's a little bit of everything, giving the Instagram generation lessons on striking a pose, finding your light, and experiencing the supermodel VIP treatment. It’s fun for tween birthday parties, visitors who want the LA experience, and even grownups who want tips on finding their best light.

13. The LA County Fair Moved to May — Pomona

For its 100th birthday, the LA County Fair got a little nip and tuck with a facelift on the dates it is open. Why is this newsworthy? Because the move from sweltering August to mild May means it’s about 1000% more fun to go. Genius, we say. What took so long?

14. Build and Race at Legoland — Carlsbad

There were a LOT of new things at the theme parks in 2021 in SoCal; during the pandemic, the theme parks just kept upgrading and working on things while closed. And next year, Super Nintendo World is coming to Universal Studios Hollywood. The way people love it in Japan, I expect it’s going to be the biggest thing at theme parks in the LA area all year. In 2022, we had the opening of Sesame Place… and not much else. So it was pretty exciting when in May, Legoland added a build and race section for kids who love cars. Kids (and grownups) can build, test and race their own Lego Ferraris, even having them digitally scanned and further customized. There’s even a Duplo build zone that allows younger guests to build at their own speed.

RELATED: Hiking and Camping Guide for Los Angeles Families

 
AutoCamp Joshua Tree is desert glamping at its finest. Photo by Josh Franer

15. AutoCamp Joshua Tree — Joshua Tree

I don’t like to generalize about such a diverse and varied population, but I will say that Angelenos seem to love glamping. We have more upscale camping spots than almost anywhere else, perhaps aided by our spectacular year-round weather. Or, we just have great taste. El Capitan is always a hit for glamping by the beach, Huttopia brought glamping to the mountains, and this year Autocamp Joshua Tree brought glamping to the desert. If you want to get out of town and enjoy nature, but still want a hot shower and clean sheets, you’ve got to try the new AutoCamp.

16. Spectacular Pizza Spots Kept Opening

These new restaurants could each hold the title of best pizza in LA, and they all opened this year: Pizzeria Bianco in DTLA, Pijja Palace in Silverlake, and Quarter Sheets Pizza in Echo Park.

Too many restaurants have opened in Los Angeles this year to mention them all, but these deserve a special shout-out for those of us with kids. If the last few years have quietly seen LA overtake NY in the bagel department (it’s true!), 2022 may be the year we laid claim to America’s best pizza, even better than NY. I said it! And these three places that serve pizza all bring something different to the pizza game. Pizza + kids = happiness, so these spots that parents will adore, too, are worth crowing about. (Pijja Palace isn’t strictly a pizza joint, but there’s a pizza section on the menu, and it’s all I order because it’s the best. Well, that and the Dosa Onion Rings with mango chutney, which are addictive.)

RELATED: 5 Simple But Cool Slime Recipes to Make with Kids

 
Play with goo!! Photo by Lauren LaRoche

Coolest Kid-Friendly Openings in 2022 Around the Rest of the Country

In our LA-Way-is the-Best-Way mentality, we’re all a little partial to the things happening in the city of Angels. But if you’re visiting friends or family, or just taking a family trip to other parts of the country, there are some other new openings well worth seeking out and putting on your next itinerary. Don’t forget, we’ve got whole sites dedicated to the best things to do with kids in most major US cities you can check when you travel, including reviews of all the newest attractions and local calendars packed with events. Here are a few of the coolest things to open across the country this past year.

Mommy Poppins Launched in San Francisco and Miami

Our little family grew this year as we added San Francisco and Miami to the world of Mommy Poppins. Our two new sites join NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut, DC, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, Orlando, and Atlanta. Also expanding: the cool things you can do on our site. We recently redesigned our search pages with a cleaner, easier-to-use design and new functionality. You can now find camps and classes on your local calendar of events and even buy tickets directly from our website — if an event has a red "Book It" tag, you can purchase tickets immediately, with no added fees. Oh yeah, in our spare time, we also created a new Earth Kids Guide and newsletter. Since the environment is one of the most critical issues facing our children’s futures, we wanted to think and talk about new meaningful and fun activities to engage children and families with sustainability each month.

Sloomoo Institute  — NYC, Atlanta, and Chicago

The Sloomoo Institute is a slime lover's paradise and an over-the-top sensory experience. After starting life as a pop-up in NYC, it’s now a permanent 8,000-square-foot space your kids will want to visit again and again. No worries if you can’t make it to New York, as Sloomoo opened in Atlanta and Chicago before the year ended. With the massive popularity of the idea (we’ve had editors visit in all three locations, and all their kids agree this is fun to the 9th degree), we suspect there will soon be outposts everywhere.

Rise NY — NYC

A brand new experience has opened close to Times Square that takes visitors on a breathtaking simulated aerial tour of New York City. With your feet dangling from the full-motion seats, you soar and swoop through the city, its landmarks, and all its seasons in RiseNY’s awe-inspiring love letter to the Big Apple. Hit all the tourist destinations at once…

Retro Roller Skating Rink at Rockefeller Center — NYC

Think you can only strap on skates at Rockefeller Center at Christmas? That's no longer the case, and we got the scoop on summer skating at Rockefeller Center. (Also, here are the best restaurants near Rockefeller Center, so your family won't wander into a tourist trap and can get some actually tasty eats.)

RELATED: 40 Top Amusement Parks in the US for a Family Vacation

 
Dig World TX is a hit with young builders. Photo by Jessica Stautberg

Dig World TX — Houston

This construction-themed adventure park opened this year near Houston. Here kids can operate the equipment instead of just watching: drive skid steers, dig dirt with excavators, and more. (Now Diggerland in NJ isn't the only construction-themed theme park!)

Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex — Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, FL

This new, 50,000-square-foot, multi-level attraction at Kennedy Space Center opened in March. It gives space fanatics of all ages first-hand views of modern-day spacecrafts such as a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster and Orion Crew vehicle. The main concourse features a 4D motion theater offering four different journeys. It's as close to outer space as you can get without paying for a ride on a tech billionaire's rocket.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience — Westchester and DC

Harry Potter fans, rejoice! Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is a magical walk-through that takes guests along a nighttime woodland trail filled with creatures, characters, and scenes from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. Spectacular lighting and sound effects, mist, and interactive elements make visitors feel like they've truly stepped into the Wizarding World.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Experience  — Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando

At this one-of-a-kind hotel experience, guests stay aboard a starship for a two-night adventure. The journey begins on a launchpad with a simulated blast off into space. The launch paddocks at the Halcyon starcruiser, where guests have their own passenger cabin complete with bunk beds and a galactic view. Young Jedis can get a sneak peek of the inner workings of the ship, encounter stormtroopers in the ship's atrium, wield a lightsaber, and navigate the ship with the crew's help. Cheap? No. An incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience? Yep.

The Dr. Seuss Experience — Traveling show

This traveling show is one our Houston editor caught when it was there, and she said it’s as if the books have come to life. The show moved to Colorado and will continue touring the US from there. The experience gives kids a chance to see, hear, feel, and experience their favorite settings from nine of Dr. Seuss’ stories as they go from room to room to interact with each installation.

Did we miss any of your favorite new openings? Let us know on Facebook!