Exposition Park

12 Family Memberships Worth Having As You Raise Your LA Kid

Submitted by Brian Steele on Sun, 01/06/2019 - 2:49pm

It can be hard to find places to go with the whole family without spending a bundle. When your kids let you know they love a place, it's a lot easier to go back there again and again (and again) if you become a member. Annual memberships allow you to enjoy all the perks and discounts a venue can offer (plus the tax write-off!). Here are a few of the most affordable and enjoyable places in LA to get memberships for the whole family.

Free in November: 22 Free Things To Do with Kids In Los Angeles

Submitted by Brian Steele on Thu, 11/01/2018 - 12:27pm

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, pocketbooks can start to feel a little light. If you’re in need of some family fun but don’t want to break the bank, look no further. There are still plenty of things to do in Los Angeles this November, without ever cracking open that wallet. From the Day of the Dead to Santa’s Sled, it's time to kick off winter with a frugal bang.

Free Admission Days at 20+ Museums in Los Angeles and Orange County

Submitted by Audrey M on Sun, 09/16/2018 - 3:16pm

Love museums, but the prices make you think twice? If you have a large family, those tickets add up fast—which is particularly frustrating if you then need to beat a hasty retreat to avoid a meltdown. SoCal has some great museums that have free general admission every day of the year, including The Getty, California Science Center, and The Broad. As for the rest of them (once kids are old enough to have to pay), many LA and OC museums have monthly or even weekly free days or evenings, and we have collected a list for easy reference. Go ahead, bring the extended family, meet friends, or check out a place you have never been before—all for just the price of parking or Metro tickets. And if there's a meltdown? At least it's free.

Along Came a Spider Pavilion: Big Spiders Are Back at the Natural History Museum

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 09/14/2018 - 5:02am

While some may ring in the Halloween season by smearing shrubs with 99-cent store fuzzy webbing and plastic spiders, the arachnid purists over at the Natural History Museum have a more organic approach. This weekend the screened pavilion on the museum’s South Lawn becomes seasonal home to more free-range, eight-legged tenants than anyone in his right mind could want – in short, an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare and an eight-year-old boy’s version of heaven.

These LA Area Swimming Pools Have Extras Worth a Drive this Summer

Submitted by Kathie Bozanich on Thu, 05/31/2018 - 3:30pm

Sure, there are miles and miles of beaches in SoCal, but sometimes you need a break from the sand, and you want water that's a little less, well, wavy. Most of us are willing to go out of our way to find a pool that’s open to the public for recreational swimming and offers something special: Think slides, water play features, extended shallow areas for the little ones to splash in, or a beautiful, peaceful setting. Here’s our list of cool destination pools worth a drive in LA and OC. Most range in price from $1 to $12 per person, and several offer discounted season passes (check websites for details).

Ten Things My Preschooler Loves at the California Science Center

Submitted by Jennifer Cook Nice on Tue, 04/17/2018 - 4:01pm

We've talked before about our teen and tween favorite features at the California Science Center, but there are at least as many things to fascinate preschoolers and toddlers at LA's oldest, freest science museum. Never underestimate the appeal of science to the preschool set, and amazingly, with the exception of IMAX films and special exhibits, the California Science Center is free and open to the public 7 days a week, 362 days a year.

If Cute Panda Videos Make Your Day, the Science Center Has Something for You

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 04/10/2018 - 1:39pm

Few things are more universal than cute panda videos. Even people who can resist the internet's most infectious silly cat videos melt in the face of an insanely cute panda bear rolling around hugging himself in a Facebook share. The California Science Center embraces this inescapable truth with a full-on bear hug. This past weekend the museum's IMAX theater debuted the movie Pandas, a nature documentary for the whole family. Imagine the cutest collection of baby panda clips ever made. Now imagine them in 3D on a screen seven stories tall. It's a level of cute few people can handle, but we all should try.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Is Bringing Star Wars to Exposition Park

Submitted by Li Starr on Fri, 03/16/2018 - 4:51am

In this season of exciting museum news, we have another juicy announcement to share! If your family loves all things Star Wars, you may feel the need to whip out a light saber: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (as in Star Wars mastermind George Lucas) has just broken ground in Exposition Park. As if Downtown wasn't already brimming with cool museums to entertain your kids, you'll have yet another reason to visit once the museum is completed.

The Butterfly Pavilion Ushers in Spring at the Natural History Museum

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 03/12/2018 - 3:23pm

Everyone's all a-flutter at the Natural History Museum. The seasonal re-opening of the Butterfly Pavilion takes place this month, giving us six months of access to the unfettered joy that is an afternoon among the butterflies. The old pavilion was replaced by an entirely new screened structure last year, still on the museum’s South Lawn, and the doors open once more for some delightful flutterby time on the site that was the creepy Spider Pavilion in autumn. From chrysalis to butterfly, the pavilion is full of magical moments, which is why it rates as one of our 100 things to do with LA kids before they grow up.

30 Things To Do with Kids in Downtown Los Angeles

Submitted by Jennifer Cook Nice on Fri, 02/09/2018 - 9:00pm

From the outside looking in, Downtown LA can seem somewhat daunting and unfriendly. Isn't it just another part of LA with tall buildings and not enough pedestrian zones? Tourists and LA natives alike often find themselves wondering what kid-friendly activities there are to do Downtown. Well, I'm happy to be the messenger as well as the reminder of all the wonderful family-friendly activities that there are in this bustling metropolis. Read on for a list of 30 kid friendly things to do in Downtown LA. Then hop on the Metro or the Expo Line and start the adventure!