The best outings for 1–3 year olds around Los Angeles
Every place on this list scores a perfect 5 for ages 1–3: short flat paths you can push a stroller on, something new every few minutes (peacocks, ducks, trains, sea lions), a restroom close by, and parking that doesn't take half an hour.
The closest winners to Arcadia are the peacocks and waterfall at the LA Arboretum, the playground and duck pond at Arcadia County Park, and the ducks and pedal boats at Legg Lake, with the creek and mud kitchen at Kidspace 15 minutes away. Train fans climb real engines and ride the miniature at Travel Town, or just hop on the A Line at Arcadia station to Pasadena. For animals, Centennial Farm and Amy's Farm are free and the OC Zoo costs $2; in summer, head for waveless water at Mother's Beach and the Cabrillo inner beach. Around Irvine, the little supermarket at Pretend City keeps a 2-year-old busy for an hour.
- 50 places
- 28 free
- 50 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
50 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
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
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)
Arlington Garden
5.0Pasadena · 15 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free street parking on Arlington Dr and Pasadena 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
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
Los Angeles Zoo
5.0Los Angeles · 25 min drive
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Big free zoo lot
Fern Dell Trail (Griffith Park)
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free street parking on Fern Dell Dr, hard to find after 10am on weekends
Shane's Inspiration Playground
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free along Crystal Springs Dr and in the lot beside the playground
Grand Park Fountain and Playground
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Music Center garage (from about $10 on weekends); or take Metro to Civic Center/Grand Park station and you are there
Heritage Park Castle Island Playground
5.0Cerritos · 30 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot off Bloomfield Ave
Cerritos Library
5.0Cerritos · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library and Civic Center lots
Travel Town Museum
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free museum lot (Zoo Dr), plenty of room on weekend mornings
Griffith Park & Southern Railroad
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot off Crystal Springs Dr
Angels Flight Railway
5.0Los Angeles · 30 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Take the A Line to Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill or Historic Broadway and walk; if driving, garages around Grand Central Market
El Dorado Nature Center
5.0Long Beach · 35 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Nature center lot, about $5 per car on weekdays and $8 on weekends
Amy's Farm
5.0Ontario · 35 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free on the dirt lot at the farm entrance
Aquarium of the Pacific
5.0Long Beach · 40 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · 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
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
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
$$ · Parking: Free lot at the center
Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch
5.0Orange · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Irvine Regional Park entry about $5–7 per car, long lines at midday on October weekends, arrive by 9am
Tanaka Farms
5.0Irvine · 50 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free at the farm, fills quickly on weekend mornings in strawberry and pumpkin season
Orange County Great Park
5.0Irvine · 50 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Several free lots inside the park (Great Park Blvd / Marine Way), fuller on game days
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)
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
- Playgrounds and beaches around Los Angeles are crowded and hot on weekend afternoons; 9–11am is the toddler golden hour.
- On hot days switch to Kidspace, Pretend City, the Cerritos Library or an aquarium; the indoor places on this list are the backups.