Best of LA For Kids & Teens: Hollywood

I am starting a series on the best spots in LA for kids and teens. I am starting in Hollywood, however, there will be more editions over the up and coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Headed West with teens in tow? You may be surprised to find that Los Angeles, the home of sun, sand and stars, has so much more to offer families, and especially those with the hardest to please – teens!

Finding a way to see LA amid its notorious sprawl can be a tricky task. It’s like lots of suburbs in search of a city center. So my advice? Take on LaLa Land one neighborhood at a time!

Try as I might, I knew I couldn’t do this job alone, I would need to bring in the big guns, a local, my 15-year-old daughter Kaya (@topteentraveler). So we put our noggins together and came up with a “Best of LA For Teens” Hotlist. We’ll break down the best activities in the most popular areas, one at a time!
(NOTE: A star denotes Kaya’s “Best Instagram/SnapChat Hot Spots”.)

Hollywood’s Best Activities for Kids and Teens

Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame and Grauman’s Chinese Theater *
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum * – I personally thought this was cheesy, but Kaya assured me it’s the Insta/Snap mother load for teens!
Horseback ride to the Hollywood Sign – Take a 2 hour ride with the famous Sunset Ranch Hollywood for the best views of the sign and all of Los Angeles, then back to the ranch for a BBQ.
Cinespia Movie Night at Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Sounds weird but it’s really fun! Sold out nearly every weekend, so you have to get these tickets in advance. Interred throughout the cemetery grounds are some of the most famous stars in the history of old Hollywood, including Marilyn Monroe, Rudolph Valentino, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Cecil B DeMille, Douglas Fairbanks, Bugsy Siegel and more. BYO blankets, chairs, food and booze (parents only!) A DJ spins as the sunsets and again after the movie.
Hollywood Bowl – Grab Terrace box tickets and change your typical concert experience! Bring your own food and drinks or order a full gourmet dinner in advance, complete with wine list (again- parents!) and enjoy it all under the stars. Each box has its own dinner tray table and wine bottle holder.
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum *- An active Ice Age dig site, which attracts visitors from around the world. Here you can witness discoveries made daily. Explore the tar pits and go inside the museum to see what they are finding right there during live excavations happening all summer long. Or visit the Fossil Lab where you can see the paleontologists working up close and personal.
Room Escape Los Angeles by Fox in a Box – Voted by Forbes as the best “Escape Room” in LA (on Sunset) with it’s fantastically intricate plot puzzles. There are various Escape rooms in LA with different themes and stories. Wanna attempt to rob a bank? Try to halt the launch of a nuclear missile before time runs out? How about out run zombies, or escape the clutches of a serial killer? Another great option, The “Basement”, is rated the #1 escape room in the US, it’s a bit of a commitment driving out to Sylmar, but it’s worth it.
LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) * – The largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection that includes nearly 130,000 objects dating from antiquity to the present, encompassing the geographic world and nearly the entire history of art. The Urban Light Installation is one of the most Instagrammed spots in LA.
Peterson Automotive Museum * – The beautiful architectural facade is like steel ribbons wrapped around the frame. An amazing collection of autos including restored antiques, race cars, motorcycles and vehicles from famous movies. Great for enthusiasts and even for those not as enthusiastic.
The Grove & Farmers Market – Great for shopping, dining, music, water show and entertainment. With the only (3 story) American Girl Doll place in the state of California.
“Flight Club” * – THE place to go for limited edition “kicks” (tennis shoes) like impossible to find Jordans and Nikes. It’s going to cost you, and you may have to wait in line to get in, but you’re almost sure to have a celeb or pro athlete siting at the store.