Activities for Kids

13 Free (or Really Cheap) Things to Do in Griffith Park

With hikes, zoos, museums, vistas, trains, playgrounds, ponies, golf, a carousel and lots more, Griffith Park provides endless (free!) entertainment for kids of all ages.

By Meghan Rose September 10, 2017

Fun fact: Griffith Park is over 5 times bigger than NY’s Central Park. With hikes, zoos, museums, beer (!), trains, playgrounds, ponies, golf, a carousel and lots more (all costing very little or nothing at all) it’s time to click through the slideshow and discover a baker’s dozen of the coolest places you just might not have visited in our gigantic urban forest.

All Aboard: Trains Galore

Anyone with a little conductor in the family knows all about Travel Town. (If you don’t, here’s the nutshell version: lots of life-size trains you can play on, train tables to play at, green space to run and picnic on, a mini-train you can ride for $2.75. Admission is free. Parking is free. What are you waiting for? Go!) But there is also a less well-known adventure next door. L.A. Live Steamers is only open on Sundays, and is built and staffed by local train enthusiasts. These steam engines are for riding on, not in, and they wind around a mile and a half of scenery—it’s like riding on a big model train. Rides are free, with a suggested donation of $3.

Bonus: Every third Sunday of the month, the Carolwood Barn is open. This was Walt Disney’s personal model railroad workshop building and “thinking” space, which was relocated here from his Holmby Hills home after his death. It’s a great chance to see Disney memorabilia and meet Disney experts who love to come meet fans.

Find It: 5202 & 5200 Zoo Dr.
Learn More: griffithparktrainrides.com and lals.org

photo: mil8 via Creative Commons