LA’s theme parks are second to none. The magic of movie-making, thrill rides and live-action shows add up to a full day of family fun at Universal Studios Hollywood. Six Flags Magic Mountain and neighboring Six Flags Hurricane Harbor waterpark delight families with the adrenaline rush of the nation’s most exciting roller coasters and water attractions.
Child-friendly museums invite kids of all ages to interact with exhibits from sci-fi to pre-historic and everything in between. For example, the Petersen Automotive Museum showcases the history of the automobile with gleaming displays of some of the finest vehicles ever built, from early roadsters to celebrity convertibles and sleek Euro racing machines. The La Brea Tar Pits and George C. Page Museum is always a kid-pleaser, bristling with the bones of Pleistocene-era saber-tooth cats, mastodons and other ancient animals recovered from the nearby tar pits.
Five years in the making, the highly acclaimed Noah’s Ark exhibit at the Skirball Center in Sepulveda Pass offers visitors of all ages the opportunity to brave a storm, then climb aboard a gigantic wooden ark to interact with handcrafted animals. From life-sized giraffes to snow leopards, the fanciful puppets and figures made from recycled material represent 186 species. The adventure culminates outdoors, under a real rainbow.
If your clients have kids who enjoy learning by doing, as well as by viewing, here are a few of LA’s attractions with hands-on installations designed specifically for children:
- California Science Center — Hands-on and interactive exhibits wow children (and adults) with the newest discoveries in health, energy, environment, aerospace and mathematics.
- California African-American Museum — On the weekends, children and families are invited to participate in workshops and family festivals and enjoy a variety of artistic media, creative activities and lively entertainment.
- Los Angeles County Natural History Museum — This is a natural choice for families, with a wide variety of kids’ activities, including exhibits on dinosaurs and mountain geology.
- Cabrillo Marine Aquarium — Sea stars, abalone and sea urchins are among its numerous touchable native California marine creatures.
- Kidspace Children’s Museum — More than 13 interactive games and hands-on exhibits keep kids interested every day of the week.
- Aquarium of the Pacific — The Discovery Lounge tidepool touch tank is alive with colorful sea stars (starfish), and the outdoor touch tank is home to baby stingrays.
Family fun in the sun is at its best on LA’s sun-kissed beaches. San Pedro, Venice, Redondo, Manhattan, Hermosa and Santa Monica beaches are all excellent choices, where everyone can stroll, rollerblade and cycle on pathways that stretch for miles along the ocean. Rental watersports equipment, eateries and snack stands are abundant.
Gay-welcoming LA invites visitors to discover not only the numerous gay- and lesbian-owned art galleries, boutiques, specialty stores, restaurants and night spots that flourish in all areas, but also to enjoy personal interests as well, such as the popular gay sports leagues, including beach volleyball and swimming.
A big draw for vacationing gays and lesbians are LA’s unique attractions and activities they won’t find anywhere else:
- Best of Boutiques — LA leads the world in celebrity fashion, and the trends are created in one-of-a-kind boutiques such as those on Robertson Boulevard, Abbot Kinney and Melrose Avenue.
- Art & Furnishings — Exclusive art galleries and furniture showrooms that cater to the world are hidden away in Downtown, Silver Lake, Los Feliz and the NoHo (North Hollywood) Arts District.
- Endless Nightlife — Visitors can dance the night away at hip Hollywood clubs and eclectic gay bars such as the Abbey or Here in West Hollywood, elbow-to-elbow with A-list celebrities — only in LA.
Gay and lesbian visitors feel at home wherever they go in LA. However, a visit to West Hollywood — home to Southern California’s largest GLBT community — is a must. You might suggest they visit in June, when the annual LA Pride celebration lights up the streets and attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators and participants. Organized by Christopher Street West, California’s oldest gay and lesbian organization, LA Pride has flourished since 1970.
- International Flare — Chinatown, Little Tokyo and Olvera Street (Los Angeles’ 18th century birthplace) offer picturesque glimpses into the city’s rich heritage.
- Architectural Grandeur — A guided tour through the Music Center including the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, showcases the city’s performing arts. Across the street, the impressive Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is another of the city’s modern architectural gems that offers tours.
- Shopping Paradise — The Downtown Jewelry District and LA Fashion District are unparalleled for bargains on fine jewelry and up-to-the-minute apparel.
- Hollywood Walk of Fame — Clients will thrill to the newest and oldest names in showbiz emblazoned on the stars along Hollywood Boulevard.
- Cinematic Icons — The restored Egyptian Theatre shows first-run films, while the nearby legendary Pig ‘n’ Whistle still welcomes visitors for a drink and a bite, and the landmark Grauman’s Chinese Theatre thrills young and old with its celebrity foot and handprints.
- Hollywood & Highland Center — This entertainment, retail and hotel complex is a one-stop shop for everything Hollywood. Tours of the Kodak Theatre, home to the Academy Awards®, are available; and the fabled Hollywood sign can be seen to the north.
- Museum Row — Three of LA’s favorite museums are within walking distance along Wilshire Boulevard at Fairfax Avenue: LACMA, the Petersen Automotive Museum, the George C. Page Museum/La Brea Tar Pits and the Craft and Folk Art Museum.
- Retail Revelry — The Grove is one of LA’s trendiest spots, with upscale boutiques and restaurants amid lawns and fountains. In addition to the eclectic array of dishes being served at the Farmers Market next door, smaller storefronts at the market offer colorful merchandise from the Far East, Egypt, Europe, Latin America and the United States.
- Mission San Fernando Rey de España — One of California’s legendary early Spanish missions, this 18th century structure was restored in 1974. Bob Hope is buried in its peaceful cemetery.
- NoHo (North Hollywood) Arts District — Art enthusiasts in the know, know this happening scene is on the leading edge of art in LA. Theatre, shopping and unique cafés are among the area’s varied offerings.
