Photo: Jengod, CC BY-SA 4.0
#1 · Aquarium · 28 min south
Aquarium of the Pacific
Sea lions, sharks, jellyfish and a lorikeet forest in Long Beach.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Reserve online for busy days.
Day Trippin' › California › From Los Angeles › Best family-fun places
Best Family Fun near Los Angeles
Our picks for the best family-fun places within 3 hours of Los Angeles: 13 places, 7 under an hour away, 5 between 1 and 2 hours and 1 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 90012.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Knott's Soak City, 25 min southeast of Los Angeles.
Map: family-fun places within 3 hours of Los Angeles
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Our top 13 family-fun places near Los Angeles 13 in all
Photo: Boris Dzhingarov, CC BY 2.0
#2 · Theme park · 29 min southeast
Disneyland Park
The original Disney park with classic rides and character meetups.
- Full day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Buy tickets and use the app. Crowds are big on weekends and holidays.
Photo: Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 3.0
#3 · Theme park · 1 hr 30 min southeast
LEGOLAND California
A theme park in Carlsbad built for kids ages 2 to 12, with rides, shows and a water park.
- Full day
- Check calendar; some weekdays closed
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Water park season is summer. Check dates.
#4 · Theme park · 37 min northwest
Six Flags Magic Mountain
A big park known for roller coasters, in Valencia.
- Full day
- Open select days; check calendar
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Hot in summer. Check the park calendar for open days. Check the park calendar for operating days; Holiday in the Park runs on select dates from Nov 26.
Photo: Contributor19, CC BY 4.0
#5 · Family fun · 29 min southeast
Downtown Disney District
Free shops, restaurants and shows outside the park gates.
- 2 hrs
- Year-round
- Free to enter
Heads-up: Parking is paid. Open daily; hours vary, check Disneyland calendar.
Photo: CanO27sprite, CC BY-SA 4.0
#6 · Family fun · 43 min southeast
Orange County Great Park
Big park with a carousel, sports and open fields.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- Free to enter; some rides cost extra
Heads-up: Some attractions open only some days (confirm before you go).
Photo: Cbeekman, CC BY-SA 3.0
#7 · Family fun · 44 min southeast
Irvine Regional Park
Old oak trees, a small zoo, pony rides and a pond for paddle boats.
- Half day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Check zoo and ride hours (confirm before you go). OC Parks; fall/winter hours 6am to 6pm.
Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
#8 · Aquarium · 1 hr 46 min southeast
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
An ocean science aquarium with a tide pool plaza and views over La Jolla.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Book timed tickets online.
Photo: David S. Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
#9 · Family fun · 1 hr 53 min southeast
Belmont Park
A beachfront amusement area with a classic roller coaster and arcade.
- 2-3 hrs
- Open daily; hours vary (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Ride hours vary. Free entry; buy ride tickets or wristband; open year-round.
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0
#10 · Family fun · 1 hr 12 min east
Yucaipa Regional Park
A county park with lakes, a swim lagoon, water slides, fishing and picnic lawns.
- Half day
- Swim season mainly summer (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Water features have limited seasons. Open daily 7:30 AM to 5 PM; pool and waterslides closed for the season; closed Christmas Day
Photo: Dbecker52, CC BY-SA 4.0
#11 · Family fun · 2 hr 44 min north
Mooney Grove Park
A county park near Visalia with a lake, oaks, an old museum and shaded picnic spots.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Check hours. Tulare County park in Visalia with museum, dog park, playground; per-vehicle entry fee.
#12 · Water park · 25 min southeast
Knott's Soak City
A water park next to Knott's with slides and a lazy river.
- Full day
- Seasonal, about May-Sept (closed now)
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Closed in November. Check dates before you plan.
#13 · Theme park · 1 hr 55 min southeast
SeaWorld San Diego
A marine theme park with coasters, shows and animal exhibits on Mission Bay.
- Full day
- Open most days; check calendar
- See the official site for current fees
Heads-up: Ticket prices change often. Check dates and parking.
Questions about family-fun places near Los Angeles
What are the best family-fun places near Los Angeles?
Our top picks are Aquarium of the Pacific (28 min), Disneyland Park (29 min), LEGOLAND California (1 hr 30 min), Six Flags Magic Mountain (37 min) and Downtown Disney District (29 min). The page lists 13 places in all.
How many family-fun places are within 3 hours of Los Angeles?
13: 7 under an hour away, 5 between 1 and 2 hours and 1 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 90012.
What is the closest of these to Los Angeles?
Knott's Soak City, about 25 min southeast of Los Angeles.
Are any of these free?
2 need no pass or fee, including Downtown Disney District and Orange County Great Park. Fees change, so check each place.
Are these family-fun places open all year?
7 of the 13 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.