Where to Feel Like a Kid Again in L.A.
You don't have to give up your sense of adventure or stop seeking out a little wholesome fun when you become an adult. You can still indulge in many of the amusements of your youth right here in Los Angeles.
Let your imagination run wild, touch everything you thought you weren't supposed to, and forget the trappings of modern-day adulthood at these six L.A. attractions for both the young and the young at heart.
1. Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Highland Park
Whether you're 7, 17 or 70 years old, you can find some magic at one of the stringed spectaculars performed by Bob Baker Marionette Theater, now located on York Boulevard in Highland Park. Experience a sense of childlike wonder as the puppets sing, dance and maybe even sit on somebody's lap during their marionette musical classics — like those featured in the backyard bonanza "Something to Crow About," which debuted in 1955, and "¡Fiesta!," the summertime celebration that began in 1969 and whose revived and reimagined version will hit the stage on July 9, 2022.
All year long, there's something to delight kids of all ages — including annual Halloween and Christmas shows. Vintage puppets are continually being reintroduced, and new puppets are occasionally created — like, most recently, a Frankenstein who sings "Puttin' On the Ritz."
Reserved seating options include vintage theater seats or floor mats, where adults and children alike sit "criss-cross-applesauce" — which is the best seat in the house if you're hoping for a puppet to sit on your lap. Get there early to browse the gift shop next door, listen to preshow organ concerts and peruse the theatre displays, including hand-painted vignettes with vintage puppets posing playfully.
Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Metered street parking or surface parking lots available in the surrounding area. According to the theatre's current COVID-19 safety protocols, all guests over age 2 must wear a mask while indoors. Acceptable mask types are surgical, KN95 and KF94. Fabric and/or loosely woven masks and neck gaiters will not be accepted.
2. Moonlight Rollerway, Glendale
If you want to experience the pinnacle of roller rink chic, head to Glendale for a spin at Moonlight Rollerway, located in a World War II-era aerospace building that Harry Dickerman converted into Harry's Roller Rink in 1956. Operating as Moonlight Rollerway since 1968, it's the ultimate in disco-meets-Xanadu nostalgia — from the rainbow-colored neon entryway to the sparkletastic skate that greets you at the front counter.
Even better, you don't have to have ever strapped on a pair of skates before! You can rent yours there or even buy a pair in the Pro Shop — preferably, after taking some lessons on balance, good posture, starting and stopping, and safety during an All Ages Class (offered Saturdays 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.) or the Adult Beginner Class (Tuesdays 7 to 8 p.m.). Then, grab some popcorn or pizza and a soda at the snack bar (no alcohol is served, and no outside food or drink is allowed) and join open skate or one of the many themed nights offered (including LGBTQ-friendly Rainbow Skate or even recent Bowie and Prince tributes).
Yes, you can even hold your birthday party there! Every Tuesday night at 8 p.m., enjoy the musical stylings of Moonlight Rollerway's octogenarian owner, Dominic Cangelosi, who began as staff organist for the now-closed Pasadena location in 1958 and took over the business in 1985. Other vintage highlights include '80s-style carpeting, a rotating disco ball and the original maple floor, which was built in tongue-and-groove style using zero nails.
Park in the onsite surface lot or on the surrounding neighborhood streets. Advance tickets must be purchased online. Admission is charged to all adults, whether they skate or not. Bags, backpacks or purses must be left in your car or secured in a coin-operated locker available onsite. You may bring your own roller skates or inline skates. For the dress code, code of conduct and other rules, visit the Moonlight Rollerway website.
3. Paramount Drive In Theatres, Paramount
Drive-ins are a real family affair, accommodating everyone from grandparents to grandkids. But why not feel like a teenager again and make it a date night? Because believe it or not, "ozoner" culture hasn't completely disappeared — despite experiencing its heyday all the way back in the 1950s and '60s. You can relive those nostalgic times — or make some brand-new memories of your own — at Paramount Drive In Theatres, just 15 miles southeast of Downtown Los Angeles.
Built upon an old cornfield in 1947, the drive-in was surrounded by dairy farms and chicken coops until the 1970s, when it expanded into a two-screener. Nowadays, one screen is typically devoted to family-friendly programming on the G- or PG-rated end, while the other shows big box office hits of the PG-13 and R-rated sort (with each main attraction showing twice for an early and late screening).
Although movie screenings ceased from 1992 to 2014, the entire site remained amazingly intact enough for the drive-in to reopen in 2014. This new venture is the brainchild of Glenn Bianchi, who used to work at the drive-in's snack bar as a teenager and eventually got promoted to manager.
The concessions stand still serves popcorn and hot dogs — but instead of malted milkshakes and Cherry Cokes, there are aguas frescas, churros and other Mexican staples (like nachos and burritos). Or, pack your own picnic (leaving your adult beverages at home) and snuggle up for a couple of hours in the comfort of your own car — with the film's sound transmitted through your own FM radio.
Tickets (per person, not by car) are sold at the entrance on a first-come, first-serve basis. Children under 5 years old are free. Guests must depart the drive-in at the conclusion of the movie and reenter if attending the late showing. Larger size vans, trucks, and tall SUV's must park in the designated back rows. Animals (except service animals) are not allowed anywhere on the property.
4. Travel Town Museum, Griffith Park
At the northern end of Griffith Park is Travel Town, a free museum founded in 1952 that features restored antique box cars, passenger cars, engines, cabooses, dining cars and more. They're all parked along an actual abandoned rail line right in Griffith Park — and some of them can even be climbed, whether you're a pint-sized passenger or a full-grown railfan! Hence Travel Town's reputation as a "petting zoo for trains."
Although it's a vintage railroad attraction, it's not exactly frozen in time. Volunteers are constantly working on restoring a variety of other artifacts to be added to the collection that's on public view — like a Southern Pacific steam locomotive from 1880, a Union Pacific Railroad Dining Car from 1921, a UP lounge car from 1937 and Pullman sleeper cars.
For a small fee, you can even go for a ride on one of the scale trains that runs on the museum's 16" gauge track — like "The Courage," a 2-6-0 Mogul that pulls a set of circa 1956 Pullman-style coaches, which were relocated to Griffith Park from Gene Autry's Melody Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley. The journey circumnavigates the museum grounds twice — but the experience could feel like traveling decades back in time.
Free admission and parking. Open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The last train ride of the day boards at 4:30 p.m.) Face masks currently required inside the gift shop. Guided instructional tours and field trips are available by advance reservation but are currently limited to outdoor displays.
5. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach
While Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is an educational facility at its core, it's not just for kids — because there's plenty to capture the imaginations of adults (with or without little ones in tow, too. Where else in the L.A. area can you pet a shark without fear of losing a limb in the surf? And the aquarium's touch pools include lots of other sea creatures you can get a hands-on adventure with — including rays, anemones, starfish, moon jellies and more.
The animal interaction continues in the Lorikeet Forest — a 5,400-square-foot outdoor aviary where you can purchase some nectar to attract these tropical Australian birds (in the parrot family) to land on your hands, arms, shoulders and even head! Three rainbow-colored species (of the 53 total in existence) take up residence here: green-naped, Edward's and Swainson's.
Other live animal exhibits include a penguin habitat, sea otter habitat and the new squee-worthy "Babies!" exhibit, on view through April 2023 on the second floor of the Pacific Visions wing. No matter what their age, guests will appreciate the cuteness of newborns and juveniles from the aquarium's breeding programs as well as those rescued from the wild (like orphaned otter pups in the Northern Pacific Gallery) and Mountain yellow-legged frogs) — but there's an opportunity to learn here too, especially about the environmental threats to these species' survival and how to help protect them.
Open Monday through Sunday every day of the year (except Christmas Day) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with some special operating hours on days with early closures or occasional adults-only Night Dive events. On weekends, holidays, and at special events, purchasing an advanced timed ticket or making an online reservation (for members) is necessary before arriving. Reservations are strongly recommended for Mondays through Fridays, although walkups will be accepted as capacity allows. Shows, mascot appearances, and behind-the-scenes tours are temporarily suspended.
Park at the Aquarium parking structure all day for a reduced fee with Aquarium validation. Or take Long Beach Transit's AquaLink water taxi from Alamitos Bay Landing Berth 3 by purchasing a ticket in advance on the free Ride LBT app or on board with cash (exact change only) or credit card.
Per the Aquarium's COVID-19 safety protocols, all guests ages 2 and over are recommended to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth except while in outdoor spaces. The Aquarium recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests wear a mask indoors. Masks are required at all times during Animal Encounters both indoors and outdoors.
6. Arroyo Seco Golf Course Mini Golf, South Pasadena
Even if you haven't golfed or mini-golfed in decades, isn't it about time you take a swing somewhere where you can take a break from "adulting" for a while? Arroyo Seco Golf Course's minigolf facility, in operation since 1955, is a rarity among other golf courses that have gotten gobbled up by amusement parks and family entertainment centers — despite the peak popularity of the sport having waned since the mid-20th century.
Los Angeles Magazine called it "a living artifact that vibrates with the memories of a thousand bygone childhoods" — and it truly feels like it was ripped out of the pages of a storybook. Putt-putt your way through the whimsical features of its nine holes — which include a wishing well, a chapel, a log cabin, a pink castle and of course a windmill. And if you can't get enough your first time around, your group may replay at a discounted rate.
The mini-golf course is just a fraction of the 48 acres of green space — just south/east of the Arroyo Seco Parkway (a.k.a. the 110 Freeway) — that constitute the entirety of the 18-hole Arroyo Seco Golf Course, also founded in 1955. They share a parking lot, clubhouse and starters' window. Some light snacks and beverages are available for purchase. (No outside food or beverages are allowed.)
Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Window Closes at 8 p.m. Maximum of 4 players per group. Reservations, which are recommended, can be made by calling 323-255-1506. To avoid being charged, reservations must be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance.
