Los Angeles has several parks throughout the city. The Los Angeles State Historic Park features the natural and cultural heritage of Los Angeles. Griffith Park has several attractions and activities for families, such as the Los Angeles Zoo, which features exhibits and attractions for kids of all ages. Pony rides at the Los Feliz entrance of the park offers safe horse and pony rides around an oval track as well as covered wagon rides. Take your kids to the Southern Railroad at Griffith Park for a train ride on the Colonel Griffith or the Freedom Train. Visit the Griffith Park Theatre, the merry-go-round or take a tour of the Griffith Observatory to view science and space related displays. Pershing Square features annual community events including a kid's spring carnival with puppet shows, arts and crafts as well as an inflatable obstacle course.
There are several museums with exhibits and many historic displays. The Petersen Automotive Museum features over 150 classic and rare cars including concept cars, movie cars and celebrity cars. The museum has a hands-on scientific learning center that teaches children basic principles of science by using the fundamental functions of a car. Many Los Angeles museums display military and war history like the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum and The Fort MacArthur Museum. Other museums, throughout the city, include the Travel Town Train Museum, the California Science Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Families travel from all over the world to experience the thrill of the amusement parks in Los Angeles. Many amusement parks offer thrill rides like the Revenge of the Mummy ride at Universal Studios; roller coasters like The Riddler's Revenge stand-up roller coast at Six Flags Magic Mountain; and water rides at the Raging Waters theme park with 50 acres of aquatic recreation, located fewer than 30 minutes from Los Angeles.
The Aquarium of the Pacific features marine life and exhibits of the Pacific Ocean. Kids can explore the ocean habitats of the North Pacific and tropical Pacific. Kids can hand-feed lorikeet birds and touch some of the ocean's predators in the shark lagoon. The aquarium offers educational programs for children of all ages, as well as summer camps, birthday parties, sleepover camps, winter camps and Saturday Family Fun classes for kids and parents to explore certain aspects of marine life.
