Best Family-Friendly Attractions

Explore the best best family-friendly attractions options for kids and families in Avalon

Point Fermin Lighthouse

Point Fermin Lighthouse

19th-century lighthouse & scenic grounds. Historic lighthouse situated on picturesque grounds with sea views & Victorian cottage gardens.

Point Fermin Park

Point Fermin Park

Playground, amphitheater & trails. Grassy park atop rugged coastal bluffs featuring a playground, amphitheater, trails & picnic areas.

Deane Dana Friendship Park and Nature Center

Deane Dana Friendship Park and Nature Center

Nature center with panoramic views. Green space & nature center featuring panoramic ocean views plus hiking trails & picnic facilities.

Battleship USS Iowa Museum

Battleship USS Iowa Museum

Navy warship with kid-friendly tours. Storied Navy warship offering kid-friendly tours (from the decks to the Captain’s Cabin) & exhibits.

Del Cerro Park

Del Cerro Park

Bluff-based site with striking views. Landscaped site & play area atop a bluff with views of canyons, fields, ocean, coastline & islands.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

Protected coastal estuary & bird habitat. 1300 acre ecological preserve with over 200 avian species spread around the coastal wetlands.

ShoreLine Aquatic Park

ShoreLine Aquatic Park

Green space for picnics & water views. Grassy, open park on the water offering picnic areas, a lighthouse & special events.

Lions Lighthouse

Lions Lighthouse

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Aquarium of the Pacific

Aquarium of the Pacific

Sea-life exhibits in a waterfront space. Pacific Ocean dwellers on display at this large aquarium with touch tanks & behind-the-scenes tours.

Shoreline Village

Shoreline Village

Charming boardwalk shops & restaurants. Charming shopping village features colorful boardwalk shops & restaurants amid scenic harbor views.

Rainbow Lagoon Park

Rainbow Lagoon Park

Japanese-style park with open turf lawns. Turf recreational lawns & waterfront walkways are the draw at this traditional Japanese-style park.

Seabridge Park

Seabridge Park

Playground & picnicking with water views. 3.9-acre neighborhood park offering a playground, facilities & picnic tables with water vistas.

South Coast Botanic Garden

South Coast Botanic Garden

Serene 87-acre horticultural attraction. Former landfill transformed into a botanical garden with themed areas, a koi pond & a peaceful vibe.

Cesar E. Chavez Park

Cesar E. Chavez Park

Waterfront esplanade with ample parking. Grassy, tree-filled waterside park & plaza offers paths along the bay & a large central parking lot.

Bixby Park

Bixby Park

Park with a playground, sports & more. Park featuring a bandshell, a community center, a playground, sports facilities & more.

Shipley Nature Center

Shipley Nature Center

Fenced area with native plants & animals. Opened in 1974, this 18-acre fenced nature preserve features native plants & animals, plus trails.

Lions Park

Lions Park

Park with playground & community center. Small park featuring a playground, picnic tables, baseball field & community center.

Los Arboles Rocketship Park

Los Arboles Rocketship Park

Elevated green space with a playground. Urban retreat offering elevated views of the city & a playground with a rocketship structure.

Signal Hill Park

Signal Hill Park

Basketball, playground & picnic area. A 10-acre community park offering a basketball court, playground, BBQ areas & picnic shelters.

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

Serene garden with a pond & a waterfall. Scenic park featuring a koi pond, a waterfall & 3 bridges, plus a black rock beach & a Zen garden.

Miramar Park

Miramar Park

Relaxed park with scenic water views. Low-key destination atop a bluff for walks & picnics with picturesque beach & ocean views.

Hilltop Park

Hilltop Park

Small park with sweeping city views. Compact green space offering panoramic vistas, BBQ & picnic areas & walking paths.

Discovery Well Park

Discovery Well Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Torrance Park

Torrance Park

Playground, picnic area & sports fields. This 10-acre park features a playground, covered picnic space & BBQs, plus athletic fields & courts.

Crescent Bay Point Park

Crescent Bay Point Park

Blufftop retreat with water views. This green space sits on a bluff that provides panoramic views of the ocean and a tide pool.

Discovery Park

Discovery Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

TeWinkle Park

TeWinkle Park

Park for recreation & picnicking. This 49-acre park with a lake offers play areas, ball fields, tennis courts & picnic shelters.

Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center

Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center

Preserved wetlands & nature center. Preserved wetlands featuring native plants & wildlife, guided tours & a center with nature exhibits.

Heisler Park

Heisler Park

Seaside tide pools & sculptures. This beach area offers artsy park benches, sculptures, ocean views, rocky shores & tide pools.

Laguna Art Museum

Laguna Art Museum

Waterfront gallery with contemporary art. Contemporary art museum with a permanent collection of over 3,500 works & a waterfront setting.

Laguna Beaches

Laguna Beaches

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Crystal Cove State Park

Crystal Cove State Park

Beach, hiking trails, coves & tide pools. Park has 3.2-mile beach with sandy coves & tide pools, plus 2,400 acres of land for hiking & biking.

Torrance Art Museum

Torrance Art Museum

Contemporary exhibits & free admission. Museum offering free admission to 2 galleries focusing on contemporary art from Southern California.

Pirate Tower

Pirate Tower

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Bluebird Park

Bluebird Park

City park for activities & summer music. City park featuring sports courts, a children's play area, picnic tables & a summer concert series.

El Dorado Nature Center

El Dorado Nature Center

Wide-ranging park for flora & fauna. 105-acre park featuring a visitor center, flora & fauna, lakes, a stream & walking trails.

Heritage Museum of Orange County

Heritage Museum of Orange County

Restored buildings from the 1890s. Attraction featuring restored homes & buildings from the 1890s set amid extensive floral gardens.

Dominguez Park

Dominguez Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

South Park

South Park

Open green space & a playground. A playground, picnic tables & plenty of open green space are available at this community park.

Columbia Park

Columbia Park

52-acre recreational park & gardens. A variety of sports courts & fields on 52 acres, along with community gardens & picnic areas.

Fort Lots-o-Fun Park

Fort Lots-o-Fun Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Turtle Rock Nature Center

Turtle Rock Nature Center

Educational nature preserve with trails. Five-acre nature preserve with trails for viewing wildlife & habitats, plus an outdoor classroom.

Hermosa Beach Museum

Hermosa Beach Museum

Historical society & heritage museum. Historical society featuring a quaint museum devoted to local heritage, with archival photos & more.

Valley Park

Valley Park

Small park for picnicking, events & more. Petite local park with picnic areas, courts & a playground, plus annual performing arts events.

Sea Canyon Park

Sea Canyon Park

Picnic & play area with a dog run. Open green space with a playground & picnic areas, a dog run & a lit, paved path.

Roundhouse Aquarium

Roundhouse Aquarium

No-cost ocean & marine life education. This free aquarium sits at the end of Manhattan Beach Pier & is host to classes, parties & camps.

Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

Huge wildlife preserve with streams. Wildlife sanctuary across 4,500 acres featuring rolling hills with trails & several types of trees.

Niguel Botanical Preserve

Niguel Botanical Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Polliwog Park

Polliwog Park

Playgrounds, disc golf & a large pond. Park boasting a large pond & amphitheater for events plus a 9-hole disc golf course & play areas.

Adventure City

Adventure City

Amusement park for children. Children's amusement park for family fun via rides, a petting zoo, an arcade & more.

Grand Park

Grand Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Victory Park

Victory Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Cerritos Heritage Park

Cerritos Heritage Park

Sports facilities & historic Play Island. Park has playgrounds & sports areas, plus a Play Island with slides attached to historic buildings.

Santa Ana Zoo

Santa Ana Zoo

Home to over 350 animals. Zoo attracts animal lovers of all ages with 350+ animals, a petting barnyard & a mini-train ride.

Knott's Soak City

Knott's Soak City

Seasonal spot with aquatic attractions. Waterslide park with multi-person raft slides, lazy river & toddler areas as well as shops & snacks.

Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm

Old-school theme park with rides & charm. Classic theme park boasts fast rides, old-fashioned charm & famous fried chicken.

Jessie's Critter Carousel

Jessie's Critter Carousel

Pixar-themed attraction for kids. Gentle, kid-friendly carousel ride featuring brightly painted animals from the Pixar universe.

Pixar Pier

Pixar Pier

Themed waterfront spot with rides. Waterfront, Pixar-themed place in Disneyland featuring a boardwalk, rides, characters & eateries.

Paradise Gardens Park

Paradise Gardens Park

Lakeside garden with rides & food stands. Landscaped lakeshore park with classic carousels & kids' rides, plus a bandstand & hot-dog stalls.

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