Baby-friendly outings around Los Angeles
Half of taking a baby out is really for the grown-ups: flat paths to push a stroller, shade and somewhere to sit and feed, and something to look at while the baby sleeps. Every place here scores a perfect 5 for under-1s, and all of them take a stroller.
The San Gabriel Valley's three big gardens are stroller heaven: the LA Arboretum is fully accessible, the oak woods at Descanso Gardens have shade year-round, and the Huntington's Chinese garden has a tea house to sit in. For lawn, spread a blanket at Lacy Park in San Marino; for a walk, the 1-mile lake loop at Franklin Canyon and the fern canyon of Fern Dell are flat and quiet. The children's rooms at the Arcadia, Monrovia and Glendale libraries run baby storytimes and work on rainy days, and the Getty Center is free, reached by tram, with gardens and a Family Room that suit small babies.
- 25 places
- 14 free
- 25 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
25 places
Drive times from Arcadia
Arcadia Public Library Children's Room
5.0Arcadia · 5 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot
Ride the Metro A Line
5.0Arcadia · 5 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free Park & Ride lot at Arcadia station (First Ave and Santa Clara St)
Los Angeles County Arboretum
5.0Arcadia · 5 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free arboretum lot (Baldwin Ave)
Monrovia Public Library and Library Park
5.0Monrovia · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Library lot and free street parking on Myrtle Ave
Legg Lake (Whittier Narrows)
5.0South El Monte · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots on both Santa Anita Ave and Rosemead Blvd, plenty of room on weekend mornings
Arlington Garden
5.0Pasadena · 15 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free street parking on Arlington Dr and Pasadena Ave
Descanso Gardens
5.0La Cañada Flintridge · 20 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free garden lot
Glendale Central Library Children's Area
5.0Glendale · 25 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Library garage, free for an initial period with a library card (check current rules); the Americana garage also works
Fern Dell Trail (Griffith Park)
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free street parking on Fern Dell Dr, hard to find after 10am on weekends
Cerritos Library
5.0Cerritos · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library and Civic Center lots
Travel Town Museum
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free museum lot (Zoo Dr), plenty of room on weekend mornings
Griffith Park & Southern Railroad
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot off Crystal Springs Dr
Angels Flight Railway
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Take the A Line to Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill or Historic Broadway and walk; if driving, garages around Grand Central Market
El Dorado Nature Center
5.0Long Beach · 35 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Nature center lot, about $5 per car on weekdays and $8 on weekends
Amy's Farm
5.0Ontario · 35 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free on the dirt lot at the farm entrance
Franklin Canyon Park Lake
5.0Beverly Hills · 45 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots by the lake and at the Sooky Goldman Nature Center
Centennial Farm (OC Fairgrounds)
5.0Costa Mesa · 45 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: OC Fair & Event Center lot, free normally, paid during events
Irvine Park Railroad (Irvine Regional Park)
5.0Orange · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Entry about $3 per car (weekdays) to $5–7 (weekends and holidays), several lots inside the park
Tanaka Farms
5.0Irvine · 50 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free at the farm, fills quickly on weekend mornings in strawberry and pumpkin season
Heritage Park Regional Library and Duck Pond
5.0Irvine · 50 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free Heritage Park lot
South Coast Botanic Garden
5.0Palos Verdes Peninsula · 50 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free garden lot
Santa Monica Main Library Children's Area
5.0Santa Monica · 55 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Library garage, first 30 minutes free, hourly after that (check current rates)
Balboa Island Ferry and Fun Zone
5.0Newport Beach · 60 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: City lots on the Balboa Peninsula (about $2/hour) or free street parking on Balboa Island (hard to find on weekends)
Zoomars Petting Zoo
5.0San Juan Capistrano · 70 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot in the Los Rios district, tight after noon on weekends
Underwood Family Farms (Moorpark)
5.0Moorpark · 75 min drive
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free farm lot, huge and full on fall festival weekends
💡 Good to know
- Baby storytimes are mostly weekday mornings; for weekend family storytimes, arrive 10 minutes early.
- The Los Angeles sun is strong most of the year: stroller sunshade, hat and a light blanket, and aim for mornings or late afternoons outdoors.