Keeping kids entertained is no easy feat, especially in Southern 
California where every kid has visions of Disneyland and the Universal Studios theme park dancing in their head. But Los Angeles has much more for kids to do than just ride the teacups with Mickey Mouse and Pluto. There are several museums in Los Angeles that are child-friendly, providing parents and children ample opportunities to learn and be entertained at the same time.
The Getty Center
Since it first opened in 1997, the Getty Center has become one of the premiere hot spots for adults to introduce children to the world of fine art and contemporary design. The vast collections of art expose children to the many different styles of art and artistic concepts that extend far beyond art history class. Though it isn’t a kid museum per se, the Getty offers plenty of activities for families and children to participate in that will help expand their understanding of art and creativity.
The Family Art Lab is a favorite for visitors that wish to exercise their own creativity and make a personal masterpiece. A guide walks visitors through the galleries, providing tips on how to create a great work of art, and then takes them back to the workshop where the real fun begins. Children are encouraged to express themselves in the workshop by making whatever they feel they learned from the gallery, which more often than not leads to some very interesting results. The workshop is free and open to children ages 5 and up and requires adult supervision.
Zimmer Museum
Billed as “L.A.’s Only Children’s Museum,” the Zimmer Children’s Museum is dedicated to teaching children about what it means to be a global citizen and how they can help better their own homes, schools and communities. The museum helps kids understand how they can make an impact on the world at large by teaching them to exercise their sense of compassion, discovery and imagination.
Some of the most popular exhibits at this interactive museum include Community Park, which teaches kids how to take care of the environment, as well as the Blue Bagel Café, a restaurant that lets kids learn about what and how people from different cultures eat, drink and prepare food. Some of the exhibits also feature Jewish themes, such as the Wishing Wall and Water Ways, both of which teach the value of taking care of the planet’s natural resources and compassion for others of different cultures, religions and nationalities. Its emphasis on humanitarian and altruistic values makes the Zimmer Museum unique among museums in Los Angeles.
Natural History Museum
One of the best kid-friendly museums in Los Angeles, the Natural History Museum is a stunning facility that features thousands of displays and millions of historic specimens and artifacts that cover everything from the history of the state of California to the ancient fossils of dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals. One of the most exciting exhibits on display is the Dinosaur Hall, a completely revamped exhibit that guides visitors through the various stages of Dinosaur life, from birth to adulthood. Also popular with young visitors are the many life-size dioramas and displays depicting early Californian settlers and global wildlife in recreated settings.
