The Animal Kingdom

If family fun is on your itinerary, there's nothing better to pique children's interests than showing them animals — alive, painted or pretend. In LA, you can spot them underwater or in the air, outside or inside — even in paintings! No matter where they are, these animals offer fun and wonder for kids and families throughout Los Angeles. Youngsters can interact with make-believe giraffes, stand in awe of majestic gorillas and experience the animal kingdom through LA’s most interesting creatures.

Campo Gorilla Reserve at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens

The Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens presents a brand new habitat for its famous gorillas, including baby Glenda, who was born in 2005 at the Denver Zoo. The habitat cost $19 million and features innovative behavioral-enrichment devices and extensive use of indigenous trees, plants and other native species, immersing guests in the misty, tropical environment of a West Central African rain forest. Visitors have five places to see the gorillas, each with a unique view of the gorilla troupe, including Kelly, the silverback of the family, Rapunzel, Glenda (the daughter of Kelly and Rapunzel), Evelyn, Hasani and Jabari.

Shark Lagoon at the Aquarium of the Pacific

The Aquarium of the Pacific offers some 150 sharks you can touch (although some you may not want to). Its elaborate exhibits feature sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, whitetip sharks and many others. Some are graceful, while others are simply terrifying. In addition, visitors have a chance to interact with various sharks in touch pools, while area displays provide an opportunity to learn new facts about these creatures of the sea.

Noah’s Ark at Skirball Cultural Center

This innovative destination is a permanent exhibit for children and adults at the Skirball Cultural Center. Visitors brave a storm, then climb aboard a gigantic wooden ark — inspired by the ancient flood story of Noah's Ark — to interact with handcrafted animals. From life-size giraffes and elephants to snow leopards, flamingos and iguanas, the fanciful puppets and figures represent a total of 186 species.

Schreiber Hall of Birds at the Natural History Museum

With so many interactive elements, this popular exhibit at the Natural History Museum gives visitors hands-on opportunities to draw, classify, observe and explore. Animated birds greet visitors in walk-through habitats with 27 separate learning stations. See how birds communicate, eat, sing, fly and make their homes in various environments. From marsh landscapes to bird physiology, the Schreiber Hall of Birds is the place for lovers of nature’s aviators.

Aquatic Nursery at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Baby sea animals make a big splash at the Aquatic Nursery at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, where visitors have a chance to learn about how these sea creatures grow up. Exhibit leaders show youngsters how to foster and nurture marine animals, while activity areas give them chances to collect data and handle the animals.