L.A. fun for kids


Home Join Chapter News L.A. Fun for Kids Local Resources Email Leader Members only: Discussion Calendar Newsletter Member Scribes Roster National Website Contribute Advocacy			L.A. Fun 4 Kids Tips for Finding Fun for the Family Los Angeles is a great place for children, from sunny California beaches to snowy mountains, from Disneyland to the LA Zoo, there are many fun family things to do. Here is a selection. Email us your suggestions. Travel Town (5200 Zoo Drive, at the northwest corner of Los Angeles' Griffith Park). Do you have a kid who loves trains? Then you need to visit Travel Town, an outdoor museum that preserves and celebrates the railroad heritage of the western United States. Kids can play on real-life locomotives, see a huge model train in operation (weekends only), and ride the scale train that circles the perimeter of the museum. Travel Town also has picnic tables and barbeque facilities, which makes it an ideal location for a birthday party. Admission to the museum is free, but there is a small charge for riding the train. The Museum is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday and Saturday, 10:00 a/m/ to 5:00 p.m. Closing time is one hour later in summer. The Santa Monica Airport (3223 Donald Douglas Loop South) is a great place to take boys and girls interested in airplanes. The airport has a small observation deck where little kids can enjoy watching planes land and take off. Bigger kids also will have fun looking at city buildings and the ocean through a telescope or visiting the flight museum located across the runways from the observation area. After watching the planes, the family can eat at one of several restaurants located within the airport complex (Spitfire Grill is probably the most kid-friendly). Parking and observing are both free. The California Science Center (700 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037) currently has a new exhibit entitled Magic: The Science of Illusion. You and your kid(s) will have a great time having your mind read, floating in thin air, and seeing a talking head without its body. In addition to the special magic exhibit, your kid(s) can enjoy the Center’s permanent exhibits, which involve hands-on experiences designed to teach visitors about the universe, the planet, life on Earth, and human innovations. The California Science Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, and Magic: The Science of Illusion runs though February 2001. Admission to the California Science Center is free. The Boone Children’s Gallery at LACMA West (corner of Wilshire and Fairfax) currently has a wonderful exhibit called California NOW. It includes 11 pieces of artwork that kids can play with (e.g., a room full of pillows to jump around in, a microphone to sing into, etc.), plus a large area for creating original artwork. The exhibit is scheduled to be open until September 2001 and, best of all, admission is FREE. The gallery’s hours are: 12 pm to 8 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 11 am to 8 pm Saturday, Sunday; closed Wednesday. Click here for other local resources.