Hellobee

We’re headed to Los Angeles for three weeks soon, and I’ve been planning this trip from an unschooling perspective, trying to do as many educational experiences as we can, which means museums, bookstores, and libraries. My kids have already done the big things like Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Legoland. Having grown up in Los Angeles I’ve done most of these things listed below already, but I want to share the experience with my kids. Here is what is on our itinerary!

The Getty Center and Getty Villa – While I’ve been to the Getty Center many times, I’ve never been to the Getty Villa which features artwork, an architectural tour, and gardens. Admission is free, but you need advance tickets. Visiting these two museums is definitely an all-day event. With its 360 views and stunning architecture, The Getty is probably the most beautiful museum in Los Angeles.

Skirball Cultural Center – The Skirball Cultural Center is devoted to maintaining Jewish heritage, but it has many exhibitions, performances, and events that feature cultural experiences “inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality.” They have a fantastic interactive Noah’s Ark exhibit and though we’re not religious, I still want my kids to know the stories of the Bible. They have tons of regular events for kids, and I’m most excited about the archaelogical dig!

Griffith Observatory – I haven’t been to the Griffith Observatory, a free museum dedicated to astronomy, since they reopened in November 2006 after a 4 year renovation. It’s since been expanded, so I’m excited to see how it’s changed since I was a kid. Because we can see stars and constellations in the sky every night here in the Philippines, my kids are very interested in astronomy! There are so many other things to do within Griffith Park as well like the LA Zoo & Botanical Gardens, horseback riding, Autry Museum, golfing, hiking, playgrounds, a merry-go-round, train rides, and more!

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Broad Museum – The Broad Museum is a free contemporary art museum in downtown LA featuring the artwork of artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Takashi Murakami, and Andy Warhol. They currently have an Infinity Mirror Room exhibition on display, which is a mirrored LED light display that only accommodates 1 group at a time!

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The Huntington Library – I grew up visiting the The Huntington Botanical Gardens, and used to take my kids to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden almost every week when we lived in Brooklyn. We love botanical gardens! The Huntington Library also features art and library collections, known for its rare manuscripts, photographs, books, letters, etc. documenting American history.

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Los Angeles Central Library – We haven’t been to a library since we moved to the Philippines! Libraries like Los Angeles Central often have beautiful architecture, so it’s an extra treat to spend the day at one.

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The Last Bookstore – We need to stock up on books we can’t get in the Philippines, and The Last Bookstore in downtown housed in a former bank is the largest new and used bookstore in California. It’s also filled with tons of whimsical and instagrammable features!

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Children’s Book World – A bookstore with over 80,000 children’s books and a super knowledgeable staff? Yes please!

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Venice Canals – The Venice canals are so charming and picturesque, they’ll serve as the launching point for our Venice/Santa Monica adventure. We’ll check out muscle beach and the street vendors and performers that my kids love, then we’ll rent bikes and bike all the way to Santa Monica Beach. Since we get more than our fair share of beach time, we’ll play it by ear whether we go to the beach, the pier or the promenade.

Pirate’s Dinner Adventure – I always thought that my kids would enjoy Medieval Times, but worried about the treatment of the animals in the show so we never went to one. Then I found this pirate show and dinner that has great reviews, and there’s a Groupon for it too!

Tanaka Farms – We miss strawberries oh so much as they’re very hard to get where we live, and very expensive since they’re usually imported from California. So we’re going strawberry picking!

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We’ve been to the La Brea Tar Pits before but my kids loved it so much they want to go again. We’re also going on a family camping and fishing trip, and pretty much just pigging out on all the delicious food!

If we have time, we’ll visit:

• LACMA
• Natural History Museum
• California Science Center
• Kidspace Children’s Museum
• Tongva Park (designed by the same people behind New York’s Highline)
• Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
• Star Eco Station (Wildlife Rescue Facility)
• Marine Mammal Care Center
• Magic show

I’ve previously written about what to do in LA with kids here. What have been some of your favorite destinations in Los Angeles?