Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families

Explore the best unique & hidden gem activities for families options for kids and families in El Monte

Whittier Narrows Recreation Area

Whittier Narrows Recreation Area

Various sports, trails, 3 lakes & museum. Diverse sports, 3 lakes, a military museum, shooting ranges, horse center, disc golf & urban farm.

Little Dimples Playground

Little Dimples Playground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Michillinda Park

Michillinda Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum

Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum

Historical landmark open to the public. This Los Angeles historical landmark features a country home from 1870 & hosts a variety of events.

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Lush landscape full of plants & peacocks. Sprawling manicured grounds filled with plants & featuring roaming peacocks & a Queen Anne cottage.

Kids Empire Monrovia

Kids Empire Monrovia

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Jump 'n Jammin

Jump 'n Jammin

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Jonathan Bailey House

Jonathan Bailey House

Visit this great place for kids and families!

One Moody Unicorn Village

One Moody Unicorn Village

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Whittier Museum

Whittier Museum

Educational displays of city history. Historical artifacts & exhibits related to the city of Whittier; open to the public weekends only.

El Molino Viejo

El Molino Viejo

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Magical Playground

Magical Playground

Indoor jungle gym, jumper & arcade games. Indoor children's playground with a jumper, arcade games, a jungle gym & air hockey.

LaserLand

LaserLand

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Dinosaur Farm

Dinosaur Farm

Dinosaur-themed toys & books. Cheery toy & bookshop specializing in dinosaur-related gear & other educational items.

Covina Heritage House

Covina Heritage House

Preserved Craftsman-style house. Built for William Nash, a local pharmacist, this preserved Craftsman house is open to the public.

Southern California Children's Museum

Southern California Children's Museum

Kids' play space with hands-on exhibits. Indoor play area with interactive activities for toddlers, such as a kitchen, teepees & costumes.

Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden

Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden

Historic, serene space with a teahouse. Two-acre scenic & tranquil Japanese-style garden with path-enclosed ponds, waterfalls & a teahouse.

Hermit Falls

Hermit Falls

Cascade plunging into a rock pool. Waterfall with a swimming hole popular for cliff jumping, accessed via a verdant canyon trail.

Old Pasadena

Old Pasadena

Historic shopping & entertainment area. Downtown historic district, now a popular destination for shopping, dining & entertainment.

South Pasadena Nature Park

South Pasadena Nature Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wrigley Mansion

Wrigley Mansion

1906 Renaissance mansion & gardens. A 1906 Renaissance design mansion with 4.5 acre flower gardens & HQ for new year Rose Parade.

The Ministry Of Peculiarities

The Ministry Of Peculiarities

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Norton Simon Museum

Norton Simon Museum

Noted collection of European & Asian art. Unconventional building housing a noted collection of European & Asian art plus a sculpture garden.

Dennis the Menace Park

Dennis the Menace Park

Grassy local park with a playground. This neighborhood park is a family destination with a big grassy lawn, a playground & picnic tables.

The Pirate Park

The Pirate Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Kidspace Children's Museum

Kidspace Children's Museum

Interactive indoor & outdoor exhibits. This museum with an expansive outdoor play area features hands-on arts & science exhibits.

Azusa Wilderness Park

Azusa Wilderness Park

Hilly canyon preserve with trails. Covering 60+ acres of canyon terrain, this wilderness areas has trails for hiking & biking.

The Children's Museum at La Habra

The Children's Museum at La Habra

7 galleries & 14 hands-on exhibits. Kids' museum with exhibits including a hand-carved carousel & guided tour of a 1942 railroad car.

Rubel Castle

Rubel Castle

Unique, artsy building with guided tours. This historic, off-beat structure made with recycled materials offers tours by appointment.

Avila Adobe

Avila Adobe

Museum in a historic adobe built in 1818. Visitors can tour this preserved 1818 adobe, part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.

America Tropical Interpretive Center

America Tropical Interpretive Center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Columbia Memorial Space Center

Columbia Memorial Space Center

Kid-friendly exhibits about space. Modern locale featuring family-friendly, interactive exhibits about space, including a simulator.

James Irvine Japanese Garden at JACCC

James Irvine Japanese Garden at JACCC

Intimate gardens with cascading stream. Japanese-style Zen garden featuring plants, trees & cedar bridges spanning a cascading stream.

Ralph B Clark Park

Ralph B Clark Park

104-acre park at foot of Coyote Hills. Sprawling park covering more than 100 acres includes a softball complex & plenty of open fields.

INDIAN ALLEY

INDIAN ALLEY

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Blue Ribbon Garden

Blue Ribbon Garden

Visit this great place for kids and families!

African-American Firefighter Museum

African-American Firefighter Museum

Historic site with firefighting relics. Landmark station exhibiting old fire equipment used by L.A.'s first African-American firefighters.

Pacific Railroad Society

Pacific Railroad Society

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Vista Hermosa Natural Park, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority

Vista Hermosa Natural Park, Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority

Green spaces, a playground & city views. Trails lead to picnic areas, grassy fields, a pond/waterfall, city view overlooks & a playground.

Kid Mamba Mural

Kid Mamba Mural

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens

Botanic gardens & forests with a cafe. Picturesque botanic gardens & oak forests showcasing native plants, water features & a casual cafe.

Pirate Park

Pirate Park

Colorful, pirate-themed play destination. Small gate-enclosed park geared toward young children with pirate-themed play structures & murals.

San Dimas Canyon Nature Center

San Dimas Canyon Nature Center

Nature trails & an animal sanctuary. Nature center offering various walking & hiking trails, plus an animal sanctuary & junior programs.

Panorama Nature Preserve

Panorama Nature Preserve

Short hiking trail offering scenic views. Small nature reserve with a paved & gravel walking trail offering sweeping views.

Mountain View Park

Mountain View Park

Landscaped park with broad views. Brass plaques in this landscaped park tell visitors what they can see in the wide-spread views.

Griffith Park & Southern Railroad

Griffith Park & Southern Railroad

Park featuring rides on mini trains. Center for train rides on reproductions of classic American locomotives, with a mile-long track.

Doheny Mansion

Doheny Mansion

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Fullerton

Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Fullerton

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Casa Adobe de San Rafael and Park

Casa Adobe de San Rafael and Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton

Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton

26-acre botanical garden. A sprawling, 26-acre greenspace featuring 4,000+ types of plants, walking trails & a museum.

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