Los Angeles outings that 5–10 year olds genuinely love
Once kids start kindergarten the bar moves: exhibits they can work, hikes with a waterfall at the end, boulders to climb. These places all score a perfect 5 for ages 5–10, from a space shuttle to gray whales to winter snow tubing.
Closest to Arcadia are the California Science Center in Exposition Park (free) and the three T. rexes next door at the Natural History Museum; the planetarium and Foucault pendulum at Griffith Observatory are a must from age 5, and Orange County's Discovery Cube lets kids dig for dinosaurs and shoot hockey pucks. For hikes, pick the ones with a waterfall as the reward: Chantry Flat to Sturtevant Falls, Switzer Falls and Eaton Canyon; Vasquez Rocks can be climbed to the top and the Rock Pool at Malibu Creek is for wading. In winter, sail from Long Beach to see gray whales and dolphins, or head up to Mountain High or Big Bear for snow tubing, a day every Los Angeles kid should have.
- 34 places
- 23 free
- 28 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
34 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
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
Santa Fe Dam Lake Beach and Water Play Area
5.0Irwindale · 10 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Entry about $10 per car (more on holidays), lot right next to the beach
Eaton Canyon Natural Area
5.0Pasadena · 15 min drive
2.5 h · carrier recommended
Free · Parking: Free lot at the Altadena Dr entrance, very full after 9am on weekends; street parking on Altadena Dr
Chantry Flat to Sturtevant Falls
5.0Arcadia · 15 min drive
3 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: Chantry Flat lot requires an Adventure Pass ($5/day), full by 7:30am on weekends, after that only the roadside
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
Puddingstone Lake Beach (Bonelli Park)
5.0San Dimas · 20 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Entry about $10–12 per car, dedicated lot at the swim area
Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival
5.0Pomona · 20 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Campus lots next to AGRIscapes, with attendants on weekends, crowded on festival days
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
Griffith Park & Southern Railroad
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot off Crystal Springs Dr
Griffith Observatory
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Observatory lot about $10/hour and nearly impossible on weekends; better to park at the Greek Theatre lot and take the DASH Observatory bus ($0.50) up the hill
Switzer Falls (Angeles Crest)
5.0La Cañada Flintridge · 35 min drive
3 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: Switzer Picnic Area lot requires an Adventure Pass ($5/day), full after 8am on weekends; park along Angeles Crest Hwy and walk down
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
California Science Center
5.0Los Angeles · 35 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Exposition Park garage about $18 per car (Figueroa and 39th St entrances); or take the Metro E Line to Expo Park/USC
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
5.0Los Angeles · 35 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Museum lot about $18 per car (Bill Robertson Ln); or take the Metro E Line to Expo Park/USC
Aquarium of the Pacific
5.0Long Beach · 40 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Aquarium garage about $8–10 (with validation), lines after noon on weekends
Santa Ana Zoo
5.0Santa Ana · 40 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free zoo lot
Discovery Cube Orange County
5.0Santa Ana · 40 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free museum lot
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
Cabrillo Beach Inner Harbor and Tide Pools
5.0San Pedro · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Beach lot about $1–2/hour (daily cap on summer weekends), right next to the aquarium
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
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
5.0San Pedro · 45 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Beach lot about $1–2/hour (right next to the aquarium), daily cap on summer weekends
Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch
5.0Orange · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Irvine Regional Park entry about $5–7 per car, long lines at midday on October weekends, arrive by 9am
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area
5.0Agua Dulce · 50 min drive
2 h · carrier recommended
Free · Parking: Free inside the park, one lot at the base of the rocks and one at the nature center
Heritage Park Regional Library and Duck Pond
5.0Irvine · 50 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free Heritage Park lot
Manhattan Beach Pier and Beach
5.0Manhattan Beach · 50 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: County lot under the pier and street meters (about $1.5–2/hour), arrive before 10am on summer weekends
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)
Mother's Beach (Marina del Rey)
5.0Marina del Rey · 55 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: County lot off Admiralty Way, hourly (about $1–2/hour), arrive in the morning on summer weekends
Santa Monica Pier and Carousel
5.0Santa Monica · 55 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Pier deck lot and beach lots about $15/day, arrive before 11am on summer weekends; or park in a downtown garage and walk
Annenberg Community Beach House
5.0Santa Monica · 60 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Beach House lot charges by the hour (about $3/hour, summer day rate about $12), full before noon on summer weekends
Little Corona del Mar Tide Pools
5.0Newport Beach · 60 min drive
2.5 h · carrier recommended
Free · Parking: Free street parking on Poppy Ave and the surrounding neighborhood, hard to find after 9am on weekends; or the Corona del Mar State Beach lot (paid)
Malibu Creek State Park
5.0Calabasas · 65 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: State park lot about $12 per car; free along Las Virgenes Rd with a longer walk
Crystal Cove State Park
5.0Newport Beach · 65 min drive
3 h · carrier recommended
Free · Parking: State park lots about $15/day per car (Los Trancos, Pelican Point and Reef Point entrances)
💡 Good to know
- Big-museum tickets add up: the California Science Center, the Getty and Griffith Observatory are free, and LA County Library and LAPL cards get free museum passes through Discover & Go.
- The mountain waterfall hikes are best in winter and spring and dry up in summer; after the early-2025 fires, Eaton Canyon and parts of the Angeles National Forest are reopening in stages, so check before you go.