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15+ Things to Do in Los Angeles with Teenagers During Your Trip

Family vacations are wonderful, but finding attractions that everyone will love can be a challenge. Especially when you’ve got teens in the mix! How do you find something that keeps them entertained and sees them spending time with the whole family?

Fortunately, we’re here to help you out. If you’re looking for things to do in Los Angeles with teenagers, check out this list of our favorite teen-friendly activities, including...

  • Universal Studios Hollywood
  • Knott's Berry Farm
  • Six Flags Magic Mountain
  • Madame Tussauds Hollywood
  • Long Beach Whale Watch
  • K1 Speed Indoor Go Karting
  • Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
  • Aquarium of the Pacific
  • L.A. Zoo
  • and more...

Immerse yourself in the world of Universal Studios Hollywood 

Universal Studios

The whole family can agree that Universal Studios Hollywood is a must-visit destination in Los Angeles. They’ve got attractions to appeal to the whole family, such as thrilling rides like TRANSFORMERSTM: The Ride-3D, and many more.

There are plenty of other franchise-based attractions, too, like Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You're bound to find something your teens love! Another central feature of the Universal experience is their famed Studio Tour, which escorts guests behind the scenes of one of the world’s most prolific movie studios.

Please note: Admission is only available on the Los Angeles All-Inclusive Pass and can only be used on a single day during the duration of the pass.

Meet celebrities at Madame Tussauds Hollywood

Madame Tussauds
The images shown depict wax figures created and owned by Madame Tussauds.

If all your teen does is gush over celebrities, visiting Madame Tussauds Hollywood will be a real treat. Get a few awesome photos with your favorite stars and craft that perfect Instagram snap for your friends at home. You'll find famous figures organized throughout multiple exciting exhibits, including themes like movie characters, pop stars, and sports icons.

Who wouldn't love the chance to meet some of the most famous people in the last few years? After all, a wax replica of Beyoncé is probably the closest most of us will come to meeting the real deal!

The Kylie Jenner figure is a must-see for fans of the Kardashian clan. Sculpted to represent the reality star in her custom-made Balmain gown from the 2016 Met Gala, this figure is so realistic it actually fooled her fans.

Indulge your love of Hollywood

Hollywood star

It’s hard to avoid celebrity culture when you’re visiting L.A., so why not embrace it? There are plenty of amazing attractions that will keep your teen enthralled as you explore the world of Hollywood stardom, from a fascinating visit to the Hollywood Museum to a comprehensive movie star homes tour.

Or, you could opt for a fun Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes walking tour that highlights many of the Hollywood hotspots and historic sites, from the Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre to the Hollywood sign.

Enjoy L.A.'s other amazing theme parks

Theme parks in L.A.

If Universal Studios Hollywood isn’t enough to quench your theme park thirst, then bring the kids to one of the many other amazing theme parks in the Los Angeles area. From the charming, old-school style of Pacific Park to the always exciting Knott’s Berry Farm (which also has a sister water park!), there are so many choices. Another local favorite is the fantastic Six Flags Magic Mountain, featuring a wide variety of thrill rides and other entertainment.

Getting in: Knott's Berry Farm is included on the Go City® All-Inclusive Pass.

Get out on the water

Whale watching

California's coast is teeming with stunning marine life, so don't waste the opportunity to get the teens outdoors and onto a boat trip to spot these beautiful creatures!

Join a Whale Watch tour to get up close to orca whales, humpback whales, fin whales, minke whales, and sperm whales. They can be seen year-round engaging in lunge feeding, breaching, fluking, and more. You might even spot bottlenose and Pacific white-sided dolphins and California sea lions, harbor seals if you're lucky!

Get wild on indoor karts

Indoor karting

Let the kids race each other for the title of best go-kart driver at an exhilarating indoor kart racing facility operated by K1 Speed Indoor Go Karting. Get a feel for some of the newest and best kart technology out there as you all enjoy riding laps with K-1 Speed’s new European electric karts.

State-of-the-art scoring technology will make you feel like you’re in a real kart race, too! And don't worry, parents, even if they don't have their driver's license yet, it's totally safe for them to operate these karts. Kind of like practice for the real thing!

Explore famous movie studios

Warner Bros studios potion making

If your teens loved the Universal Studios Hollywood experience and are looking for more movie action, you're in luck. Hollywood is chock full of famous studios with movie lots to tour, including the iconic Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and the family-favorite Sony Pictures Studio Tour.

Warner Bros. is an especially fun experience because you'll be essentially walking through a working studio, which is something cinematically inclined teens will love.

Encounter aquatic animals

Penguins

Animal-loving teens will find much to enjoy about Los Angeles. Aquatic creatures abound at the delightfully interactive Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (which is located in a fun neighborhood to explore). For those who want to focus exclusively on the vast array of sea life found in the Pacific Ocean, the Aquarium of the Pacific is a sure bet.

If your teen prefers the fuzzy over the scaly, then a visit to the L.A. Zoo in Griffith Park is a great option. Featuring over 1,000 different creatures from around the globe, in addition to more than 7,000 different plants in the Botanical Garden, this is an unbeatable attraction in Los Angeles.

Battleship Iowa museum

Battleship Iowa museum

Can't choose? No need, see it all with Go City®

There you have it. Our list of some of the top things to do in Los Angeles with teenagers during your upcoming trip. Consider adding a few of these teen-friendly options to your vacation itinerary. Enjoy!

With an All-Inclusive Pass from Go City, you can visit both attractions for a fraction of the cost. Plus, you could save up to 50% on all your Los Angeles must-sees. Or pick an Explorer Pass, if you've chosen your fave and have a specific bucket list you're dreaming of ticking off. Whichever Los Angeles attraction pass you pick, it'll help you make the most of your trip!

☀️ Compare Los Angeles passes ☀️ – 🌏 Explore other destinations 🌏 – ✈️ Buy a pass ✈️

 

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

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Aerial view of the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in California.
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Knott's Berry Farm Vs Six Flags Magic Mountain LA

Thinking of visiting an LA theme park but just can’t decide which to choose? Fair enough: the City of Angels has more fab amusement parks than even the most dedicated thrill seeker could hope to experience in a single visit. There’s Universal Studios Hollywood for starters. Also Disneyland and its sibling, the Disney California Adventure Park so, y’know, we’re talking some pretty big beasts of the amusement park scene here. Holding their own among these titans are Knott’s Berry Farm (aka America’s first theme park) and Six Flags Magic Mountain (current holder of the record for most rollercoasters in an amusement park). Read on to discover the relative merits of these two fine LA parks... Knott's Berry Farm Vs Six Flags Magic Mountain: A Short History Opened in 1971, Six Flags Magic Mountain is a mere baby to Knott’s Berry Farm’s century-old theme park. But blimey, it’s one heck of a great big bouncing baby, weighing in at 209 acres and 35 rides, of which a record-smashing 20 (yes, twenty) are rollercoasters. Located in Valencia, 35 miles north of downtown LA, this is a park that has always pushed the boundaries in terms of number of loops, heights and angles of drops and, well, just sheer terror levels as your (thankfully strapped in) body hurtles towards terra firma at frankly unnatural speeds. In other words, Six Flags Magic Mountain will appeal primarily to adrenalin junkies, as well as fans of the DC universe: the park has rides themed around Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor and the Justice League. Quirky fact: Michael Jackson visited the park in 1985, riding attractions including Colossus (now the New Colossus) and the Roaring Rapids. Whether Bubbles accompanied him on the rides or not is, we're sorry to say, lost to history. Sure, at a relatively diminutive 57 acres, Knott’s Berry Farm isn’t on quite the same scale as Magic Mountain. But what this Buena Park stalwart does have is great boysenberry pie, pedigree in spades and a smart use of space that equates to nearly 50 rides across its five zones. It’s no slouch when it comes to thrill rides either. From humble beginnings as a berry farm and roadside stand a century ago, Knott’s has been through many iterations, launching a ghost town in the 1940s and adding a log ride in the 70s. But it was the sale of the park to Cedar Fair in the 1990s that really upped the thrill factor with the addition of several high-octane rides. However, at the Knott’s family’s wishes, the park has retained much of the personality of its founders Walter and Cordelia Knott, meaning that, among other things, the (huge) fried chicken dinners and sweet berry pies that many consider synonymous with the park can still be sampled in its cafes and restaurants. Quirky fact: all boysenberries today are genetically traceable to Knott’s Berry Farm, where Walter first cultivated the raspberry-blackberry-loganberry-dewberry hybrid in the 1920s. Knott's Berry Farm Vs Six Flags Magic Mountain: Thrill Rides Thrill rides is really where both of these parks excel, and hopeless adrenalin fiends should definitely make a beeline for both when spending time in LA. But, by sheer dint of numbers, Magic Mountain has the edge here. And, with a world-beating 20 rollercoasters, how could it not? Start queuing early for Superman: Escape from Krypton, one of the park’s most popular rides. Once the tallest coaster in the world, this thrill-a-second adventure reaches 100mph in just seven seconds before flipping its victims riders through backward and forward-facing drops at lightning speeds. DC fans will also thrill to the 4D effects and immersive battle scenes on the Justice League; Battle for Metropolis ride. Full Throttle does exactly what it says on the tin, rattling around the tallest vertical loop in North America at terrifying speeds, while Goliath and Scream’s names are also helpfully descriptive in terms of what to expect. In short, if it’s thrills, spills and squeals you’re after, Six Flags Magic Mountain is the LA theme park for you. This is an impossible category for any theme park to win when pitted against Magic Mountain, but Knott’s Berry Farm holds its own admirably, with a fine selection of rip-roaring hair-raisers. Rides like the Xcelerator, which catapults passengers sky high, reaching 82mph in a (literally) breathtaking 2.3 seconds. HangTime is definitely one to try before you’ve eaten lunch, given that its hook is the stomach-dropping sensation that you’re floating (hence the name) as you take the utterly terrifying 96-degree drop. Ghost Rider is the longest, tallest and fastest wooden rollercoaster in the West, ideal if you like your thrill rides to create the illusion of being rickety and unsafe (which it isn’t, of course), while Silver Bullet is a foot-dangling inverted coaster with a whopping six loops. Knott's Berry Farm Vs Six Flags Magic Mountain: Family Rides There’s no denying that there are better theme park options for kids around LA – *cough* Disneyland *cough* – but Knott’s and Magic Mountain do also offer a few gentler rides for the kiddiwinks to enjoy. Each puts their own spin (geddit?) on the traditional teacup ride, with a Mad Hatter theme at Knott’s and cute Pepe Le Pew cups at Magic Mountain. Meanwhile, Magic Mountain’s Bugs Bunny World – chock full of Looney Tunes themed rides – is the answer to Knott’s Berry Farm’s Camp Snoopy, where you’ll find the Peanuts gang in residence. Expect carousels, bumper cars, miniature trains and character meet and greets at both locations, as well as a strong selection of rides for the whole family to enjoy together, from log flumes to swinging pirate ships and mine rides. Knott's Berry Farm Vs Six Flags Magic Mountain: Water Rides Getting a drenching is an essential ingredient of any successful amusement park excursion so you'll be delighted to hear that both parks really deliver on this front. The Calico River Rapids in Knott’s Ghost Town zone takes riders splashing and spinning downriver in big round family-friendly dinghies. But if you really want to guarantee that soaking, hit up the Timber Mountain Log Ride (pictured) for an early bath at the end of its 42-foot free fall finale. Over at Magic Mountain, the Jet Stream log flume is a family favorite that has the drop’n’drench maneuver down to a fine art. The 11-seater Roaring Rapids ride is a little more lively than its Knott’s rival, tossing hapless riders through unpredictable currents, white water waves and treacherous whirlpools, meaning that coveted drenching is all but guaranteed. NB: Both Knott’s and Magic Mountain also have separately ticketed water parks that are open from May to September. Fast facts: Knott’s Berry Farm Tickets Go City’s All-Inclusive attraction pass includes general admission and saves you money when visiting multiple attractions in LA. Buy a 1, 2, 3 or 5-day pass to access as many attractions as you like in that time period, including Universal Studios and Six Flags Magic Mountain. You can also book tickets direct via the Knott’s Berry Farm website. Opening Hours The park generally opens daily at 10AM. Closing times vary by season. Check the calendar on the Knott’s Berry Farm website for the most up-to-date information. Getting There Knott’s Berry Farm is at 8039 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 9062. There’s paid parking on site, or you can take a train to nearby Buena Park Metrolink station. More info on transport options here. Fast facts: Six Flags Magic Mountain Tickets An All-Inclusive attraction pass from Go City includes general admission and saves you money when visiting multiple attractions in LA. Buy a 1, 2, 3 or 5-day pass to access as many attractions as you like in that time period, including La Brea Tar Pits and Knott’s Berry Farm. You can also book tickets direct via the Six Flags Magic Mountain website. Opening Hours Hours vary throughout the year but Magic Mountain usually opens between at 10:30AM and stays open until anywhere between 6PM and 10PM depending on the season. View the calendar here. Getting There Six Flags Magic Mountain is at 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355, just north of Los Angeles, at the Magic Mountain Parkway exit off Interstate 5. Some public transport is seasonal and you’ll find the best and most up-to-date options here. Save on attractions in Los Angeles Save on admission to Los Angeles attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Interior view of SoFi Stadium's LED canopy.
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Guide to SoFi Stadium

The SoFi Stadium is something else. This megalithic shrine to football draws around 70,000 fans to its seats every week. On this brilliant 60-minute tour of the SoFi Stadium, you'll get an exclusive look behind the scenes of two of the NFL's biggest teams; the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. See the locker rooms, where driven coaches give inspiring team talks. Travel through the player tunnel and get a glimpse of life as a sporting giant. Then, run onto the field and try your hand at scoring a field goal. All of that beneath the stadium's incredible LED canopy. Image courtesy of Elliott Cowand Jr/Shutterstock How to get SoFi Stadium tour tickets? We've got you covered – SoFi Stadium tour tickets are available with the below money-saving options, so you can choose the attraction pass that's right for you: 1. All-Inclusive Pass – All you can do. Includes admission to over 40 attractions. 2. Explorer Pass – Choose as you go. Includes admission of up to 7 attractions. Tips for visiting SoFi Stadium While walk-ins are possible, SoFi Stadium is a highly-visited attraction. Therefore, we recommend booking ahead to avoid disappointment on the day. SoFi Stadium is big. Real big. So definitely slip into some comfortable footwear before you visit, and be prepared to get some steps in. There will be plenty of opportunities to take photos and videos of your time in the stadium, so make sure your phone's got plenty of space on it, or bring a camera with a fresh roll/memory card. Image courtesy of Elliott Cowand Jr/Shutterstock When is the best time to take a tour of SoFi Stadium? Given the enclosed nature of the stadium, thanks to its canopy, and the fact that winters in LA tend to land on the milder side, you can visit SoFi Stadium any time of year! What is there to see and do on the SoFi Stadium Tour? Follow in the steps of fans, commentators, and players alike as you explore this awe-inspiring stadium. Go behind the scenes and see where the players prepare for battle, the commentators sit to narrate the game, and where the fans praise their almighty teams. You'll even step foot on the field - any football fan's dream! SoFi Stadium tour highlights Feel the adrenalin rush as you pass through the players' tunnel and onto the field. Run the '40', throw balls at targets and kick a field goal on the turf. See the locker rooms and explore the commentary box Explore the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection exhibit, which explores the lives and accomplishments of 16th-century African Americans. Image courtesy of Elliott Cowand Jr/Shutterstock What attractions are near SoFi Stadium? Given the nature of huge stadiums, they're often rather isolated from other things to do. The same can be said for SoFi Stadium. Found between Inglewood and Lennox, and just beneath Morningside Park, it's mainly surrounded by residential streets, shops, bars, and hotels. However, if you like playing the odds, you'll find Hollywood park Casino just a short walk from the stadium. Where is there to eat nearby? Burger fans visiting Los Angeles ought to try In-N-Out Burger, arguably one of the best fast food restaurants on the planet. If you're looking for more of a sit-down American dining experience, check out Century Bar and Grill, which also has an array of craft beers and cocktails on offer. In the market for something a bit spicier? Casa Ruis Restaurante has you covered. Serving delicious Mexican dishes from 9AM, you're bound to find something tasty there. Need to massage that sweet tooth? Try Crumbl Cookies, which offers a myriad of sweet treats all throughout the day. Need to know For opening time and to find your slot, visit their website here. When arriving at the stadium for your tour, please use the entrance at the intersections of Prairie Avenue & Arbor Vitae. Directions and Address SoFi Stadium 1001 Stadium Dr Inglewood CA 90301 Closest Subway Stops C Line - Hawthorne/Lennox Save on Tickets with Go City Remember, Go City is the best choice for maximum savings and flexibility, which can include SoFi Stadium tour tickets, plus admission to your choice of other top attractions. You'll make great savings on entry to top museums, tours, and activities vs. paying at the gate. Visit multiple attractions for one low price.
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