LA's reputation as an expensive city is partly deserved and mostly overblown when it comes to family activities. Half the best things to do here are free. Here's where to start.
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Completely Free Activities in Los Angeles
Griffith Park — The Big One
Griffith Park is 4,310 acres of free public park. No admission fee. The Griffith Observatory is free to enter. The hiking trails are free. The views are free. The park entry is free — the only paid attractions inside are the pony rides (~$3) and the miniature train (~$3/person), and both are optional.
Pack a picnic. Arrive before 10am on weekends for easy parking near Crystal Springs Drive. This is the best free family day in Los Angeles.
The Free Playgrounds Worth Your Time
Griffith Park Playground has 900+ Google reviews at 4.7 stars — the most-reviewed playground in the city. That's not luck. It's consistently good. Free.
Vermont Canyon Play Area inside Griffith Park sits in a shaded canyon setting. Kids love the sense of being in nature rather than a standard urban park. 4.9-rated. Free. Bring a picnic.
Bronson Canyon Playground in the Hollywood Hills is free. After the playground, walk up into Bronson Canyon to find the famous Batman Caves — old quarry tunnels used in the original Batman TV series. Kids ages 7 and up think this is extremely cool.
Aidan's Place at Westwood Recreation Center is a free playground near UCLA open until 10pm on weekdays. Westwood Village is right there for dinner or a post-play ice cream.
Grand Park Playground sits in downtown LA's Grand Park. Free. Metro-accessible from the B and D lines. Little Tokyo is two blocks away with excellent, affordable Japanese food.
Ladera Park Toddler Playstructure in Windsor Hills is a free Landscape Structures playground — commercial-grade equipment you'd usually pay to access. Pack snacks; no amenities nearby.
Juntos Family Park in Glassell Park is open 6:30am–10pm daily. One of the most accessible parks in Northeast LA in terms of hours. Free.
Free Parks That Go Beyond Just Playgrounds
Old Los Angeles Zoo is the abandoned original LA Zoo sitting inside Griffith Park. Empty concrete animal enclosures, stone grottos, crumbling infrastructure slowly being reclaimed by plants. Kids ages 7 and up find it genuinely fascinating. Historians and urban explorers love it. Free. No food on site — pack everything.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Recreation Area in South LA is a free park with a summer pool priced at just $2–$4/person. One of the best-value warm-weather family days in the city.
Adventure Park is a free LA County park. Weekdays only — it's closed on weekends. Bring a full picnic.
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Under $20 Per Person — The Sweet Spot
Adventure Playground runs $5/child, adults free — roughly $20–$40 for a family. This is a summer-only program (typically June–August, weekdays) where kids use real tools to build structures, dig, and create. It's the kind of experience that makes kids forget about screens for a full afternoon. Wear clothes you don't mind destroying.
PlayLab Eagle Rock Playspace runs $30–$50 for a family at drop-in rates. It's a thoughtfully designed open play space for young kids with sensory materials, building blocks, art stations, and reading nooks — calm, not chaotic. Eagle Rock has good food nearby for lunch.
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Worth Paying For — Best Value Paid Attractions
Some paid options genuinely earn their cost.
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum ($75–$100 for four) is an irreplaceable LA experience. Real bubbling tar pits. Mammoth bones. A working fossil lab where kids watch scientists through glass. The outdoor tar pit area is free to walk around even without admission — you can evaluate before paying.
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden ($55–$75 for four, kids under 5 free) is worth it primarily for the free-roaming peacocks. Kids are genuinely delighted by them in a way that's hard to replicate. The cafe on-site makes it a full outing. Third Tuesday of the month is free for LA County residents.
Discovery Cube Los Angeles ($80–$110 for four) runs 3–4 hours. Hands-on science exhibits that kids actually interact with rather than just look at. LA County library cardholders may access free passes — check your local branch first.
Alice Kids Playroom ($50–$65 for four) in Sherman Oaks is a weekend-only, Alice in Wonderland-themed playroom. The intimate scale means your kids get real attention from staff. Arrive when it opens — Sunday gives 8 hours vs. Saturday's 5.
Kool Kids Club ($50–$70, ~$12–$15/child, adults free or reduced) in Westlake is a small community-focused playground where weekday visits feel like having the place to yourself.
SAY CHEEZ LA ($50–$70) is a combo indoor playground and candy store. Budget for impulse candy purchases. Saturday is closed — many families get tripped up by this.
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Money-Saving Strategies for Los Angeles Families
- Griffith Park is the foundation. Build free days around it — playground, Old Zoo, canyon hike, picnic. You need nothing else.
- Pack food and water everywhere. On-site food at entertainment venues is expensive. Every snack you bring is money saved.
- LA County residents get real discounts. LACMA kids under 17 are free. La Brea Tar Pits free first Tuesday. Arboretum free third Tuesday. Bring ID.
- Tuesday–Thursday for paid venues. Crowds are thinner and some venues offer lower weekday pricing.
- Library card check. LA County library cardholders can access free passes to Discovery Cube. Worth a call before paying full price.
- Avoid tourist-area parking. Hollywood Blvd and the Arts District run $15–$20 for parking. Budget for it or add time to find alternatives.
- Kids Empire membership. If you're in LA for a week or will visit multiple times, the membership pays off after 2–3 visits.
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Seasonal Free Events to Watch For
Griffith Park runs free public programming seasonally. The Griffith Observatory hosts free public star parties on select weekend evenings — kids are amazed. Grand Park hosts free seasonal events and holiday programming. Check LA Parks and Recreation for updated schedules, as specific dates shift year to year.
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Bottom Line
Start free. A Griffith Park day with a picnic costs almost nothing and runs 4+ hours. Layer in one paid attraction per day if the budget allows — La Brea Tar Pits or Discovery Cube for big kids, Alice Kids Playroom or Kool Kids Club for toddlers. You don't need to spend $200/day in LA to have a great family trip.