Family Days Out in Los Angeles
Exposition Park holds two of the best family museums in the city within a five-minute walk of each other, and both cost nothing to get in. Pair them with a zoo, an aquarium an hour south, or a puppet show, and a family day in LA does not need a theme park to work.
California Science Center
At 700 Exposition Park Dr, permanent galleries covering ecology, air and space are free with no ticket required; IMAX documentaries run $9.79 for adults and $7.50 for children. One thing worth knowing before you plan around it: Space Shuttle Endeavour is not currently on public display. It is sealed inside the under-construction Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, which opens November 13, 2026. If your visit falls before that date, build the day around the free galleries instead. Check hours and exhibit status at californiasciencecenter.org .
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Next door at 900 Exposition Park Dr, the Natural History Museum’s Dinosaur Hall has 300-plus fossils, including a rare T. rex growth series showing a baby, juvenile and adult specimen together, plus a Gem and Mineral Hall with 150,000-plus specimens. Adults run $18, seniors and students $14, children 3 to 12 $7, and admission is free for LA County residents weekdays 3pm to 5pm. Open daily 9:30am to 5pm, closed the first Tuesday of every month.
Aquarium of the Pacific
In Long Beach at 100 Aquarium Way, reachable by Metro’s A Line, fares and route info at metro.net , the Aquarium of the Pacific holds 12,000-plus animals across 50 exhibits, with a touch-friendly Shark Lagoon and an immersive Pacific Visions theater. Adults 12 and up run $44.95, children 3 to 11 run $29.95, seniors 62 and up $41.95. Weekend visits need an advance timed reservation. Book Aquarium of the Pacific tickets through GetYourGuide to skip the walk-up line.
Los Angeles Zoo and Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Inside Griffith Park, the 133-acre LA Zoo houses 2,100-plus animals including elephants and gorillas, with free parking; adults run $24, children 2 to 12 run $19. For something quieter, Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park stages musical marionette revues Wednesday through Sunday for $25 a ticket, ending in the theater’s decades-old tradition of free ice cream for every guest.
The verdict
Exposition Park’s two free museums cover a full morning without a single ticket bought in advance; save the paid aquarium or zoo for the afternoon once the kids need new scenery. For a base near Exposition Park, compare family-friendly hotels on Booking.com . See the Los Angeles 2-day itinerary for slotting these into a short trip.
Before you go
Exposition Park’s free galleries get crowded on weekends with school groups; a weekday morning visit gets noticeably more elbow room at both museums.