Where to take kids when it's hot in Los Angeles
San Gabriel Valley summers are often above 95 while the coast sits at 75 at the same hour. There are three ways out: the beach, water, or air conditioning. This list has all three, and says which places have shade.
At the coast, start with the waveless sand at Mother's Beach and the Cabrillo inner beach, or the Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica with its playground, splash pad and showers; without driving to the ocean, Santa Fe Dam has a lake beach and water play area 10 minutes from Arcadia. Free water in town: the Grand Park fountain is made for wading, and the Monrovia Library Park fountain fills with kids at dusk. For a walk, find shade: the fern canyon at Fern Dell and the old oaks of Irvine Regional Park are ten degrees cooler than outside, and the creek at Kidspace is for splashing. On the hottest days go straight to air conditioning: the Aquarium of the Pacific, the California Science Center, the Cerritos Library.
- 51 places
- 30 free
- 46 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
51 places
Drive times from Arcadia
Arcadia County Park Playground
5.0Arcadia · 5 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots off both Santa Anita Ave and Huntington Dr
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)
Lacy Park
5.0San Marino · 10 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Lot at the Virginia Rd entrance; about $4 per person for non-San Marino residents on weekends and holidays (under 4 free), free on weekdays
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
Vroman's Bookstore Kids' Section
5.0Pasadena · 15 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot behind the store (Colorado Blvd and El Molino Ave)
Kidspace Children's Museum
5.0Pasadena · 15 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free museum lot (next to the Rose Bowl), different arrangements on Rose Bowl event days
Bob Baker Marionette Theater
5.0Los Angeles · 20 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Street parking on York Blvd (read the signs), not hard on weekend mornings
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
Grand Park Fountain and Playground
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Music Center garage (from about $10 on weekends); or take Metro to Civic Center/Grand Park station and you are there
Heritage Park Castle Island Playground
5.0Cerritos · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot off Bloomfield Ave
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
Aquarium of the Pacific
5.0Long Beach · 40 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Aquarium garage about $8–10 (with validation), lines after noon on weekends
Santa Ana Zoo
5.0Santa Ana · 40 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free zoo lot
Franklin Canyon Park Lake
5.0Beverly Hills · 45 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots by the lake and at the Sooky Goldman Nature Center
Charles H. Wilson Park
5.0Torrance · 45 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots off Crenshaw Blvd and Jefferson St, fuller during the Saturday farmers market
Cabrillo Beach Inner Harbor and Tide Pools
5.0San Pedro · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Beach lot about $1–2/hour (daily cap on summer weekends), right next to the aquarium
Irvine Park Railroad (Irvine Regional Park)
5.0Orange · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Entry about $3 per car (weekdays) to $5–7 (weekends and holidays), several lots inside the park
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
5.0San Pedro · 45 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Beach lot about $1–2/hour (right next to the aquarium), daily cap on summer weekends
OC Zoo (Irvine Regional Park)
5.0Orange · 45 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Irvine Regional Park entry about $3–7 per car, lot next to the zoo
Noah's Ark at the Skirball
5.0Los Angeles · 45 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free lot at the center
Polliwog Park
5.0Manhattan Beach · 50 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots off Manhattan Beach Blvd and Redondo Ave
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
Pretend City Children's Museum
5.0Irvine · 50 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free museum lot
Tongva Park
5.0Santa Monica · 55 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Civic Center garage or the downtown Santa Monica garages, first 90 minutes free (check current rules)
Santa Monica Main Library Children's Area
5.0Santa Monica · 55 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Library garage, first 30 minutes free, hourly after that (check current rates)
Mother's Beach (Marina del Rey)
5.0Marina del Rey · 55 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: County lot off Admiralty Way, hourly (about $1–2/hour), arrive in the morning on summer weekends
Annenberg Community Beach House
5.0Santa Monica · 60 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Beach House lot charges by the hour (about $3/hour, summer day rate about $12), full before noon on summer weekends
Balboa Island Ferry and Fun Zone
5.0Newport Beach · 60 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: City lots on the Balboa Peninsula (about $2/hour) or free street parking on Balboa Island (hard to find on weekends)
Arcadia Wilderness Park
4.0Arcadia · 10 min drive
1.5 h · carrier recommended
Free · Parking: Free inside the park; check hours on weekend open days
Puddingstone Lake Beach (Bonelli Park)
4.0San Dimas · 20 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Entry about $10–12 per car, dedicated lot at the swim area
Los Angeles Central Library Children's Department
4.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Library garage (524 S Flower St), discounted with library card validation; or take Metro to 7th St/Metro Center and walk 5 minutes
California Science Center
4.0Los Angeles · 35 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Exposition Park garage about $18 per car (Figueroa and 39th St entrances); or take the Metro E Line to Expo Park/USC
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
4.0Los Angeles · 35 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Museum lot about $18 per car (Bill Robertson Ln); or take the Metro E Line to Expo Park/USC
Discovery Cube Orange County
4.0Santa Ana · 40 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free museum lot
Getty Center
4.0Los Angeles · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Lot at the bottom of the hill about $25 per car (about $15 after 3pm), then the free tram up
Manhattan Beach Pier and Beach
4.0Manhattan 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 Pier and Carousel
4.0Santa 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
Crystal Cove State Park
4.0Newport 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)
Monrovia Canyon Park Falls
3.0Monrovia · 10 min drive
2 h · carrier recommended
Free · Parking: Lot inside the park, about $5 per car on weekends and holidays, cash or check the website
Chantry Flat to Sturtevant Falls
2.0Arcadia · 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
Switzer Falls (Angeles Crest)
2.0La 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
💡 Good to know
- Beach lots fill by 10 on summer weekends, so arrive before 9; the ocean isn't warm until August, and Mother's Beach and the Cabrillo inner beach occasionally have water-quality advisories, so check the county public health page.
- Skip the mountain and Valley trails after 10am in summer; for splash areas bring swimsuits, towels, water shoes and sunscreen.