Free Fun for Families

Get Into LA County's greatest places for FREE or for a reduced price.

Los Angeles County is full of amazing museums, gardens, and destinations. You and your kids can visit these places for FREE or for a reduced price.

Whatever their interests or ages, there is something for your family inside this brochure! Play in huge parks, explore exhibits, or check out one of LA County’s incredible museums! 

How to visit for free or for a reduced price:

1. Check dates when admission is free and for whom. At some destinations, admission may be free all the time for everybody.
2. Make sure you bring ID (California ID, military ID, proof you live in LA County, etc.).
3. If the Golden State Advantage Card (EBT Card) is necessary to get in for free, make sure you bring it, along with a California ID.
4. Many destinations are closed on holidays. Before visiting, call or visit the website for up-to-date information.

1. American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA)
   399 N. Garey Avenue
   Pomona, CA 91767
   Hours: Fri., Sat., and Sun. from 11am-4pm.
   First Fridays are pay-what-you-can. $3 admission for individuals and families presenting EBT card and a valid photo ID. Rate applies for up to 4 individuals per EBT card. Additional free or low cost family activities or workshops are offered frequently.
   Web:  The American Museum of Ceramic Art / AMOCA — Pomona, California 
   Phone: (909) 865-3146
   Parking: Free parking lot
   Public Transportation: Metrolink, Riverside line, 2 blocks from Downtown Pomona Station
   
   AMOCA houses five galleries with a rotating exhibition program that explore current issues, illustrate specific ceramic techniques, and/or showcase objects of historical significance. Ageappropriate tours, lectures, family days, and other education and outreach programs complement the exhibitions, and adjacent to the exhibition halls is a 12,000 square-foot ceramics studio, one of the largest in California, offering a range of classes in wheel throwing, hand building, and advanced techniques, along with multi-day workshops led by acclaimed ceramists. 
   
   
2. ASU Fashion Institue of Design & Merchandising Museum (FIDM)
   919 South Grand Avenue
   Los Angeles, CA 90015
   Hours: Only open during exhibitions;
   Please consult website to plan your visit.
   Web: ASU FIDM Museum | ASU FIDM Museum
   Phone: NA
   Parking: Parking is available for $10 (credit or debit cards only) in the lot located underneath the ASU California Center Grand building; entrance is on 9th Street just before Grand Avenue.
   Public Transportation: Metro Rail: Take the Red, Purple, Blue, or Expo Line to 7th Street/Metro Center Station (660 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017), located a short walk from the museum.
   
   Discover the ASU FIDM Museum, home to a renowned collection spanning more than 400 years of fashion history. From Parisian haute couture and iconic film costumes to streetwear and rare accessories, the museum offers a dynamic view of fashion's evolving role in culture, identity, and design.
   
   
3. Autry Museum of the American West
   4700 Western Heritage Way
   Los Angeles, CA 90027
   Hours: Tues. - Fri. 10 am - 4 pm, Sat.- Sun. 10 am - 5 pm, closed Monday
   FREE admission for EBT cardholders: two adults and up to four children per card. 
    Web: Autry Museum of the American West 
   Phone: (323) 667-2000
   Parking: FREE
   Public Transportation: theautry.org/visit
   
   Located in beautiful Griffith Park, the Autry features unique galleries filled with paintings, sculptures, film memorabilia, photographs, historic firearms and so much more, all related to the American West. The Autry’s more than 600,000 pieces of art and cultural objects include one of the largest and most significant collections of Native American materials in the United States. 
   
   
4. Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College
   120 West Bonita Avenue
   Claremont, CA 91711
   Hours: Thursday 11am - 8pm, Friday–Sunday 11 am–6 pm, closed Monday–Wednesday. Open during fall and spring exhibition seasons.
   Free Admission
   Web: Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College | Pomona Museum
   Phone: (909)-621-8283
   Parking: FREE parking available through the City of Claremont.
   Public Transportation: The Metrolink train station in Claremont is three blocks from the museum. Take the San Bernardino line east from Union Station in Los Angeles, or west from San Bernardino.
   
   The Benton Museum of Art originates lively and innovative art experiences that foster creative and critical thinking. It envisions its collections as a teaching resource, emphasizing first-hand conversation with art objects as a tool for increasing visual literacy and investigating the diversity of human experience. By presenting contemporary and historic works of art for exhibition and study, and placing those works in context, the museum engages, instructs, and delights visitors from a range of audiences.
   
   
5. Bob Hope Patriotic Hall County of Los Angeles Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
   1816 S. Figueroa Street
   Los Angeles, CA 90015
   Hours: 8am - 2pm Monday - Friday *Contact MVA for appointment 
   FREE.
   Web: Military and Veterans Affairs
   Phone: (213) 765-9227
   Parking: Very limited available parking due to small parking lot. Recommend carpooling if possible.
   Public Transportation: Metro Blue Line via Grand Avenue Station is not far. Bus transportation access is nearby.
   
   We are a one-stop shop for veterans, specializing in veteran claim/benefit assistance. We also have other veteran organizations in the facility and we often host events for the military and veteran community.
   
   
6. California Botanic Garden
   1500 N. College Ave.
   Claremont, CA 91711
   Hours: 8 am opening - closing time varies by season
   FREE admission during normal operating hours for EBT cardholders.
   Web: California Botanic Garden
   Phone: (909) 625-8767
   Parking: FREE parking on site.
   Public Transportation: 1.3 miles from the Claremont Metrolink Train Station; Foothill Transit bus stops throughout Claremont.
   
   California Botanic Garden is a living museum with curated collections of more than 22,000 California native plants, some of which are rare or endangered. Spread across 86 acres in Claremont, California, the Garden offers winding trails with views of the San Gabriel foothills framed by iconic California plants from Joshua Trees to fan palms to spectacular spring blooms of native wildflowers. CalBG also features a retail native plant nursery, an extensive conservation and restoration program, and the largest seed bank devoted to California native plants.
   
   
7. California Science Center
   700 Exposition Park Drive
   Los Angeles, CA 90037
   Hours: 10 am - 5 pm daily.
   General admission is FREE.
   Web: California Science Center | The California Science Center
   Phone: (323) 724-3623
   Parking: $20 
   Public Transportation: Exit the Metro Expo Line at the Expo Park/USC station.
   
   Embark on a journey of science learning and fun for everyone as you explore interactive exhibits in our FREE galleries like Ecosystems featuring live animals in living habitats, including a 188,000 gallon kelp forest tank. Complete your all-day science adventure by watching a film on our 7-story IMAX Theater! Experience worlds as small as an atom and as vast as the universe. (IMAX films and special exhibitions require paid tickets). Present your EBT card at our Box Office to save $2 off adult and $1 off child IMAX tickets. Valid for up to 4 discounted tickets per household.
   
   
8. Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum
   1250 Bellflower Blvd.
   Long Beach, CA 90840
   Hours: Mon.- Wed. 10 am – 5 pm, Thur 10 am - 7 pm Closed Fri.- Sun. The Museum is open on select Second Saturdays from 10AM – 2PM.
   Everyone is welcome! We’re always FREE and open to all.
   Web: Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum | California State University Long Beach
   Phone: (562)-985-5761
   Parking: Street parking on Atherton St. Campus parking permits are available for purchase via the ParkMobile App.
   Public Transportation: Long Beach Transit (LBT) lines 41, 45, 46, 91, 92, 93, 94, 121/171, and 175 have a stop at the center of campus, located near Brotman Hall, just a short walk from the Museum. LBT connects to LA Metro system from the Downtown Long Beach Transit Center on 1st St.
   
   Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum is a community of people who examine, critique, and create contemporary art and culture. Kleefeld Contemporary develops exhibitions and programs that serve students, campus communities, and the public, and works to build accessible educational opportunities around art and art making. All are welcome to enjoy innovative and multidisciplinary projects in an enriching learning environment.
   
   
9. Craft Contemporary
   5814 Wilshire Boulevard
   Los Angeles, CA 90036
   Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11-5pm; First Thursday of each month 12-8pm
   FREE admission for EBT cardholders.
   Web: Craft Contemporary Website
   Phone: (323) 937-4230
   Parking: Metered and two-hour street parking is available within a block of Craft Contemporary. Please carefully read the specific parking times on the street signs. Please note that Craft Contemporary is unable to validate parking for nearby metered lots and garages.
   Public Transportation: Metro Buses 20, 28, and 720 all stop within walking distance of the museum. Plan your trip using the Transit app, the trip planner at metro.net or by calling 323.GO.METRO.
   
   Craft Contemporary is an art museum whose purpose is to reveal the potential of craft to educate, captivate, provoke, and empower. Craft Contemporary achieves its mission by exhibiting the artists of our time who favor craft materials and processes. We give a voice to local, emerging, and mid-career artists whose works are often overlooked. The museum strives to achieve equitable access through FREE and low-cost programs, and the inclusion of multiple teaching artists from communities throughout Los Angeles who offer unique art-making workshops, K-12 school programs, senior adult workshops, and art talks.
   
   
10. Descanso Gardens
    1418 Descanso Drive
    La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
    Hours: Daily 9 am - 5 pm (Extended hours in spring/summer)
    EBT cardholders are eligible for FREE admission for up to two (2) adult daytime admissions and four (4) children’s daytime admissions (for children under 18 years of age) per household.
    Web: Descanso Gardens Website
    Phone: (818) 949-4200
    Parking: FREE
    Public Transportation: Glendale Beeline 3
    
    Descanso Gardens sits on 150 acres of cultivated and wild land nestled into a natural bowl by surrounding mountains. Explore our many paths and trails, verdant woodlands, lush gardens, and colorful native flowers. Escape the urban buzz and enjoy the best of the season.
    
    
11. Fowler Museum at UCLA
    308 Charles E. Young Drive North
    Los Angeles, CA 90095
    Hours: Wednesday 12 pm - 8 pm, Thursday - Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
    Admission is FREE.
    Web: Fowler Museum at UCLA Website
    Phone: (310) 825-4361
    Parking: Enter UCLA campus Lot 4 from Sunset Blvd. at Westwood Plaza and turn left into the Pay-By-Plate area of the lot.
    Public Transportation: The Fowler is a lovely walk from the UCLA Transit Center at Hilgard and Strathmore Avenues, where several public bus lines stop. Use the interactive map on the UCLA Transportation website to find the best connection to public transportation for you.
    
    The Fowler Museum at UCLA explores global arts and cultures with an emphasis on Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the indigenous Americas—past and present. The Fowler enhances understanding and appreciation of the diverse peoples, cultures, and religions of the world through dynamic exhibitions, publications, and public programs, informed by interdisciplinary approaches and the perspectives of the cultures represented. Also featured is the work of international contemporary artists presented within the complex frameworks of politics, culture and social action. The Fowler provides exciting, informative and thought-provoking exhibitions and events for the UCLA community and the people of greater Los Angeles and beyond.
    
    
12. Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
    24255 Pacific Coast Highway
    Malibu, CA 90263 
    Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm
    Admission is FREE.
    Web: Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art | Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts | Pepperdine
    Phone: (301) 506-4851
    Parking: FREE parking available in Main Lot, adjacent to museum, with overflow parking accessible on campus by shuttle.
    Public Transportation: Metro local bus stops at the base of Pepperdine’s campus, a .5 mile walk from the museum entrance.
    
    The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University was dedicated in September 1992, and since then, has showcased modern and contemporary art by internationally recognized artists, with a focus on art made in California.
    
    
13. Getty Center
    1200 Getty Center Drive
    Los Angeles, CA 90049
    Hours: Tues. - Fri. and Sun. 10 am - 6:30 pm, Sat. 10 am - 9 pm, closed
    Mondays and most major holidays
    Admission is FREE.
    Web: Getty: Resources for Visual Art and Cultural Heritage
    Phone: (310) 440-7300
    Parking: Parking is $25; $15 after 3 pm, $10 after 6:00pm. Saturdays after 6pm, parking is FREE.
    Public Transportation: Metro Rapid 761 stops at the Getty Center entrance at the intersection of Getty Center Drive and Sepulveda
    
    Getty is the world’s largest cultural and philanthropic organization dedicated to the visual arts. The Museum at the Getty Center is home to pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, and decorative arts; a photographs collection that dates from the medium’s inception to the present, collected worldwide; and European and American sculptures from the late 12th century to the present day.
    
    
14. Getty Villa
    17985 Pacific Coast Highway
    Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
    Hours: Wed. - Mon. 10 am - 5 pm, Closed Tuesdays and most major holidays. An advance timed-entry ticket is required and available free online or over the phone
    Admission is FREE.
    Web: Getty: Resources for Visual Art and Cultural Heritage 
    Phone: (310) 440-7300
    Parking: Parking is $25; $15 after 3 pm.
    Public Transportation: Metro Bus 134. Convenient Expo Line connection at the 5th and Colorado stop.
    
    The Getty Villa is a recreation of a first century Roman country house that offers 7,000 years of art to explore.
    
    
15. Kidspace Children’s Museum
    480 N. Arroyo Boulevard
    Pasadena, CA 91103
    Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm
    FREE first Friday of every month from 2-5pm. General admission for EBT cardholders is $3 for up to 4 guests. Proof of eligibility and a photo ID are required for admission.
    Web: Kidspace Children’s Museum
    Phone: (626) 449-9144
    Parking: Free parking available in Rose Bowl Lot I.
    Public Transportation: kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission
    
    Kidspace is a nonprofit museum designed to delight and engage children emotionally, intellectually, and physically through joyful, kid-driven experiences. We invite all children to play, discover, create, thrive, and to explore the world with curiosity and kindness.
    
    
16. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
    501 N. Main Street
    Los Angeles, CA 90012
    Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 5pm
    Admission is FREE.
    Web: LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes - A Los Angeles Historical Museum
    Phone: (213) 542-6200
    Parking: Ample parking is available in public lots in the surrounding area. Parking rates vary. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes’ parking lot is located at Arcadia and Spring Streets (171 Arcadia Street, entrance on Arcadia). 
    Public Transportation: Metro Station: Union Station 
    
    LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a community hub where people gather to celebrate Latino culture through transformative exhibitions, music, dance, culinary arts, and multigenerational artmaking and storytelling experiences.
    
    An anchor cultural institution in Los Angeles County, LA Plaza centers the Latino experience and provides a space to uplift, share, and preserve the stories of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latinx people in Southern California.
    
    
17. Long Beach Museum of Art Downtown
    356 E 3rd St.
    Long Beach, CA 90803
    Hours: Thurs. - Sun. 11 am - 4 pm
    Admission is FREE.
    Web: Long Beach Museum of Art | Homepage
    Phone: (562) 439-2119
    Parking: Free parking - lot behind the gallery on Elm Street.
    Public Transportation: Highly accessible via Long Beach Transit (LBT), including routes 151 (along 3rd St.) and 121 (along Ocean/CSULB).
    
    The Long Beach Museum of Art is a community-based organization that collects and cares for a permanent art collection, presents changing exhibitions in a variety of media, and provides engaging educational programming for youth and adults.
    
    
18. Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
    628 Alamitos Avenue
    Long Beach, CA 90802
    Hours: Wed. - Sun. 11 am - 6 pm
    Discounted admission for EBT card holders through the “Museums for All” program
    Web: MOLAA | Museum of Latin American Art
    Phone: (562) 437-1689
    Parking: Parking is available onsite at MOLAA
    Public Transportation: Long Beach Transit: ridelbt.com
    
    The Museum of Latin American Art expands knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art through its Collection, ground-breaking Exhibitions, stimulating Educational Programs, and engaging Cultural Events.
    
    
19. Museum of Tolerance
    9786 W. Pico Boulevard
    Los Angeles, CA 90035
    Hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-3:30pm, Sunday 10am-5pm
    Admission is FREE on third Thursday of the month, after 2 pm.
    Web: museumoftolerance.com
    Phone: (310) 772-2505
    Parking: FREE parking lot under the museum.
    Public Transportation: Metro: Take Metro Line 14 to Beverwil Dr and W Pico Blvd. From there, walk two blocks west on Pico Blvd.
    Bus: Take Big Blue Bus Route 7 along Pico Blvd and exit at Pico and Roxbury Dr.
    
    The Museum of Tolerance uses education to promote a more tolerant world for all. Examining prejudice, discrimination, and global human rights issues through powerful multimedia exhibits.
    
    
20. Norton Simon Museum
    411 W. Colorado Boulevard
    Pasadena, CA 91105
    Hours: Sun, Mon, Thurs,12pm-5pm, Fri-Sat 12pm- 7pm; closed Tues and Wed
    FREE Hours: 4pm-7pm on the first Friday of the month
    Web: nortonsimon.org
    Phone: (626) 449-6840
    Parking: Free, limited parking onsite
    Public Transportation: A Pasadena Transit stopis located in front of the Museum. Please visit pasadenatransit.net for schedules. The Metro bus line #180/181 stops in front of the Museum. The Memorial Park Station on the MTA Gold Line, the closest Metro Rail station to the Museum, is located at 125 E. Holly St. at Arroyo Parkway. Please visit metro.net for schedules.
    
    Mid-sized, easily navigable museum with exquisite art collection spanning early Renaissance through the 20th-century and centuries of South and Southeast Asian art. Highlights include works by Raphael, Rembrandt, Degas, Manet, Van Gogh and Picasso. Lovely sculpture garden with cafe operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, and Museum Store full of books, art supplies, stationery and games. Exciting events and educational programs held year-round. FREE parking and easily accessible by public transportation.
    
    
21. South Coast Botanic Garden
    26300 Crenshaw Boulevard
    Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
    Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed Christmas Day
    EBT cardholders can receive FREE Garden general admission only. All other events (special exhibits) must pay. Please call the Garden for more information.
    Web: southcoastbotanicgarden.org
    Phone: (424) 452-0920
    Parking: FREE parking available daily
    Public Transportation: Please visit metro.net to plan your visit. 
    
     South Coast Botanic Garden is  87-acres of lush botanic oasis built atop a sanitary landfill. The Garden has beautiful, newly renovated areas, and a brand-new Children and Family Garden on the way. In addition to its collections, the Garden hosts seasonal exhibits, like SOAR - Tropical Butterflies and Thomas Dambo’s Trolls: A Field Study in the spring and summer. Come on the weekend and enjoy a bite to eat or drink at Dottie’s, the Garden’s concessions station!
    
    
22. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
    152 N. Central Avenue
    Los Angeles, CA 90012
    Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 11 am - 6 pm, Tues. Closed, Thurs. 11 am - 8 pm, Sat. and Sun. 11 am - 5 pm
    Admission is FREE.
    Web: moca.org
    Phone: (213) 625-4390
    Parking: Parking Lot 2, 300 E. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, $9 flat rate on weekdays. This lot is closed on weekends and after 4 pm on weekdays. Parking Lot 7, 140 N. Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, $9 flat rate on weekdays. $7 flat rate on weekends and after 4 pm on weekdays. Metered Street Parking is available on Temple St.
    Public Transportation: moca.org/visit 
    
    With two distinct venues in Los Angeles - MOCA Grand Avenue, and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA- we engage audiences through an ambitious program of exhibitions, educational programs, and publishing of art created after 1940.
    
    
23. The Museum of Contemporary Art
    250 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown Los Angeles, CA 90012
    Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 11am to 5 pm, Thursday: 11am to 8pm, Saturday, Sunday: 11am to 6pm
    Special Exhibitions are FREE to EBT cardholders
    Web: moca.org
    Phone: (213) 621-2766
    Parking: MOCA Grand Ave: California Plaza 351 S. Olive St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 Parking rates at Cal Plaza are $4.40 for every 10 minutes, $44 maximum (until 5am). $15 flat rate for weekdays from 5pm to 5am and all day on weekends and holidays. Visitors can enter California Plaza from Olive Street or Lower Grand, between Kosciuszko Way and 4th Street near the Omni Hotel. Entrances are marked 1 CAL and 2 CAL; either entrance can be used. Metered Street Parking is available on Grand Ave. Please note that MOCA is unable to validate parking for any downtown lot. 
    Public Transportation: MOCA encourages the use of public transportation; please use the Metro Trip Planner to plan your visit.
    
    Established in 1979, we are the only artist-founded museum in Los Angeles. We are dedicated to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art. We house one of the most compelling collections of contemporary art in the world, comprising roughly 7,500 objects, and have a diverse history of ground-breaking, historically- significant exhibitions. We are committed to the c ollection, presentation, and interpretation of art created after 1940, in all media, and to preserving that work for future generations. We provide leadership in the field by identifying and presenting the most significant and challenging art of our time, actively supporting the creation of new work, and producing original scholarship.

Transportation information is available at metro.net or by calling 1-866-827-8646

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