Fun Family Travel
I love Orange County !
I feel fortunate to be able to live in Orange County, California because there are so many great places to take my kids in and around this area. If you are looking for some ideas as to where to take your kids this weekend here are some suggestions below. Thank you for visiting my website and hopefully the information that I have provided is helpful to you. Enjoy and cherish every moment with your kids!
The Children's Museum At La Habra ( La Habra, CA )
www.lhcm.org/
301 Euclid St,
La Habra, CA 90631
Last Updated: August 2016
I feel this museum is more suited for kids under the age of 10. Unfortunately my kids are older now and this may just be our last visit to this museum. We went through the entire museum in under 30 minutes as it is fairly small with only a few rooms to explore. If you do decide to visit this museum I would suggest coming on one of their free days. Please visit their website for more information.
301 Euclid St,
La Habra, CA 90631
Last Updated: August 2016
I feel this museum is more suited for kids under the age of 10. Unfortunately my kids are older now and this may just be our last visit to this museum. We went through the entire museum in under 30 minutes as it is fairly small with only a few rooms to explore. If you do decide to visit this museum I would suggest coming on one of their free days. Please visit their website for more information.
The Aquarium Of The Pacific ( Long Beach, CA )
www.aquariumofpacific.org/
100 Aquarium Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
Last Updated: November 2016
Before coming here be sure to check their website for admission coupons. We were able to print a "Buy One Adult Ticket And Get One Adult Ticket Free" coupon which saved us some money! Plan to come early and spend a few hours here. Then eat at one of the plenty restaurants located right outside of the aquarium . You can spend the first half of your day at the aquarium and then drive over to the Queen Mary and spend the rest of your day there. You can actually see the Queen Mary from the aquarium as it is only a short drive over a bridge to get there. From the aquarium you can also walk over to a small park that has a light house ! And located just across the street is a shopping center and movie theater . I just love this place as there is just so much to see and do around here !
100 Aquarium Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
Last Updated: November 2016
Before coming here be sure to check their website for admission coupons. We were able to print a "Buy One Adult Ticket And Get One Adult Ticket Free" coupon which saved us some money! Plan to come early and spend a few hours here. Then eat at one of the plenty restaurants located right outside of the aquarium . You can spend the first half of your day at the aquarium and then drive over to the Queen Mary and spend the rest of your day there. You can actually see the Queen Mary from the aquarium as it is only a short drive over a bridge to get there. From the aquarium you can also walk over to a small park that has a light house ! And located just across the street is a shopping center and movie theater . I just love this place as there is just so much to see and do around here !
Shoreline Village ( Long Beach, CA )
http://www.shorelinevillage.com/
We used to love to take our kids here just to let them run. It is a waterfront boardwalk lined with restaurants, shops and a fun zone. You get a good view of the Queen Mary ship and it is also located within walking distance to the Aquarium of the Pacific. If you walk past the Aquarium of the Pacific there is a grassy area with a lighthouse. Pack a lunch as it is a great place for a picnic! Across the street from the aquarium is a small shopping center. You can park in the Shoreline Village parking lot or in the parking garage by the Aquarium of the Pacific. You will have to pay for parking at either places.
We used to love to take our kids here just to let them run. It is a waterfront boardwalk lined with restaurants, shops and a fun zone. You get a good view of the Queen Mary ship and it is also located within walking distance to the Aquarium of the Pacific. If you walk past the Aquarium of the Pacific there is a grassy area with a lighthouse. Pack a lunch as it is a great place for a picnic! Across the street from the aquarium is a small shopping center. You can park in the Shoreline Village parking lot or in the parking garage by the Aquarium of the Pacific. You will have to pay for parking at either places.
Columbia Memorial Space Center ( Downey, CA )
columbiaspacescience.org
12400 Columbia Way
Downey, CA 90242
Last Updated : August 2016
This is a small museum with a number of interactive exhibits and it has a little gift shop too. We came here in August when they had their annual Rocket Fever festival so admissions to the museum was free on that day plus each child received a free rocket to decorate and launch ! They also had a bounce house and a few food trucks . If you are planning to visit this museum I would suggest coming on this day . Just check their website for the next date of their festival.
12400 Columbia Way
Downey, CA 90242
Last Updated : August 2016
This is a small museum with a number of interactive exhibits and it has a little gift shop too. We came here in August when they had their annual Rocket Fever festival so admissions to the museum was free on that day plus each child received a free rocket to decorate and launch ! They also had a bounce house and a few food trucks . If you are planning to visit this museum I would suggest coming on this day . Just check their website for the next date of their festival.
Tanaka Farm U-Pick Tour
www.tanakafarms.com/
5380 3/4 University Dr,
Irvine, CA 92612
Last Updated: August 2016
I had taken my boys to Tanaka Farms for the U-Pick Tour. You pick your own vegetables and you only pay for what you pick. Plus you get a free wagon ride around the farm ! The tour is approximately an hour long. At their market stand they had some samples of a yellow watermelon which my kids and I had tried for the very first time. Boy, it was sweet and delicious ! Please check their website for certain times and dates for this event.
Japanese American National Museum
www.janm.org/
100 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90012
Last Updated: January 2017
Every third Thursday of the month is free admissions to this museum but if you have kids I would recommend coming on a day when they have some sort of special event ! We had attended their Oshogatsu Family Festival because I knew that there would have lots of activities for the kids to keep them entertained . It was free admisssions on that day and all the crafts & activities were free as well ! It was a really wonderful and enjoyable event ! At the time of our visit they had an exhibition entitled Tatau: Marks of Polynesia which explores the beauty of Samoan Tattoos. The Japanese Village Plaza is just across the street so you can do a little bit of shopping or you can easily grab some Japanese food for lunch ! If you would like to watch my VLOG of our trip to the Japanese American National Museum on Youtube just click on this link www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_8_5eexQOI .
100 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90012
Last Updated: January 2017
Every third Thursday of the month is free admissions to this museum but if you have kids I would recommend coming on a day when they have some sort of special event ! We had attended their Oshogatsu Family Festival because I knew that there would have lots of activities for the kids to keep them entertained . It was free admisssions on that day and all the crafts & activities were free as well ! It was a really wonderful and enjoyable event ! At the time of our visit they had an exhibition entitled Tatau: Marks of Polynesia which explores the beauty of Samoan Tattoos. The Japanese Village Plaza is just across the street so you can do a little bit of shopping or you can easily grab some Japanese food for lunch ! If you would like to watch my VLOG of our trip to the Japanese American National Museum on Youtube just click on this link www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_8_5eexQOI .
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
nhm.org/site/
900 Exposition Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Last Updated: January 2017
If you would like to see a Youtube video of our trip to the Natural History museum please click on this link www.youtube.com/watch?v=evXdtlPDIzY&t=25s .
This musuem is huge and you can expect to spend a few hours here! We had spent half a day here and then we had to leave because my kids were tired and hungry. Although there is a restaurant on the basement level of the museum we had chosen to eat elsewhere since it would be a bit cheaper. Right next door to this museum is the California Science Center and admissions to this museum is free. You can spend an entire day here if you choose to go to both museums. I had decided to take my kids on a "Museums Free For All Day" and the place was packed ! My favorite part of the museum was the Mammals Hall and the outdoor Nature Garden ! I had really enjoyed this museum and we had learned so much during our visit !
900 Exposition Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Last Updated: January 2017
If you would like to see a Youtube video of our trip to the Natural History museum please click on this link www.youtube.com/watch?v=evXdtlPDIzY&t=25s .
This musuem is huge and you can expect to spend a few hours here! We had spent half a day here and then we had to leave because my kids were tired and hungry. Although there is a restaurant on the basement level of the museum we had chosen to eat elsewhere since it would be a bit cheaper. Right next door to this museum is the California Science Center and admissions to this museum is free. You can spend an entire day here if you choose to go to both museums. I had decided to take my kids on a "Museums Free For All Day" and the place was packed ! My favorite part of the museum was the Mammals Hall and the outdoor Nature Garden ! I had really enjoyed this museum and we had learned so much during our visit !
Orange County Museum of Art ( OCMA )
www.ocma.net
850 San Clemente Dr
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Last Updated : August 2016
Every Friday is free admissions at this museum ! We came here when they had the Brian Bress : Make Your Own Friends exhibit and we loved it ! The exhibit was strange and fascinating! It will be at the OCMA from August 6, 2016 through December 4, 2016. Before visiting check their website for current exhibits. If you are planning to visit this museum you may want to stop by the Fashion Island Mall and the Newport Beach Sculpture park which are both located approximately 2 minutes from here.
850 San Clemente Dr
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Last Updated : August 2016
Every Friday is free admissions at this museum ! We came here when they had the Brian Bress : Make Your Own Friends exhibit and we loved it ! The exhibit was strange and fascinating! It will be at the OCMA from August 6, 2016 through December 4, 2016. Before visiting check their website for current exhibits. If you are planning to visit this museum you may want to stop by the Fashion Island Mall and the Newport Beach Sculpture park which are both located approximately 2 minutes from here.
Roadside Snow Play (Angeles National near Wrightwood, CA)
An Adventure Pass is required for your vehicle to park along side the road in the Angeles National Forest. The pass can be purchased online or at your local Big 5 store. Daily pass is $5 . You just place it on your dash board. Here's a map of all the snow play areas http://wrightwoodcalifornia.com/big-pines/fullsizemap.html . I would suggest staying on Highway 138 rather then Highway 2 for the roadside snow play. Highway 2 can get really crowded and the elevation gets higher therefore it can be windier and much colder. Highway 138 is less crowded and the elevation is lower thefore it's not as cold.