Activities for Kids

13 Free (or Really Cheap) Things to Do in Griffith Park

With hikes, zoos, museums, vistas, trains, playgrounds, ponies, golf, a carousel and lots more, Griffith Park provides endless (free!) entertainment for kids of all ages.

By Meghan Rose September 10, 2017

Fun fact: Griffith Park is over 5 times bigger than NY’s Central Park. With hikes, zoos, museums, beer (!), trains, playgrounds, ponies, golf, a carousel and lots more (all costing very little or nothing at all) it’s time to click through the slideshow and discover a baker’s dozen of the coolest places you just might not have visited in our gigantic urban forest.

Griffith Park Beer Garden

Not free, but for the price of a beer, you can relax while the kids explore. The Roosevelt Café is now reinventing itself every Saturday from Memorial Day through October into a family friendly beer garden that serves up brats and beers, as well as other kid friendly favorites. You can order a flight of beers or a combo of beers and brats. Or you can just nurse one beer while you kiddos munch fries for an inexpensive place to rest in the middle of nature. While you sit and sip, the kids can play on the grass or watch golfers putt. Your furry friends are welcome, and if you need to feed the tots, they’ll adore everything on the menu from PJ & J to shakes and burgers. A DJ spins later in the afternoon, so you can also catch some music. Speaking of which…

Bonus: Take a five-minute post lunch hike down to the Greek. Doing so around the 2 o’clock hour might give you the chance to hear a band’s sound check!

Find It: 2650 North Vermont Ave.
Learn More: 323-284-6623

photo: Christina Montoya Fiedler

What’s your favorite thing to do in Griffith Park? We want to know! Meet you in the comment section…

—Meghan Rose