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Westside Itinerary
Westside Itinerary
Start your day at the Skirball Cultural Center (1), high in the Santa Monica Mountains on the 405 Freeway between the Westside and the San Fernando Valley. The multi-sensory, interactive Noah’s Ark is a floor-to-ceiling wooden boat packed with pairs of whimsical animals from iguanas to life-size elephants — 186 species in all. The ark was designed with younger children in mind but it’s fascinating to older children and adults as well. Closed Mondays.
Then take the 405 south to Wilshire Boulevard and drive east (through Westwood and Beverly Hills), north on Fairfax Avenue to the legendary LA landmark, the Farmers Market (2), for lunch. This outdoor dining and shopping spot has been here since 1934 and has kids’ faves (pizza by the slice and hot dogs) as well as Brazilian barbecue and French crepes.
Just east of the Market (no need to re-park) is The Grove (3), LA’s most popular outdoor shopping experience with a trolley ride and a dancing fountain.
After lunch, drive back down Fairfax to Wilshire Boulevard. Museum Row begins here with the Petersen Automotive Museum (4) on the southwest corner. This place makes cars fascinating for everyone — promise. The galleries are filled with Ferraris, classic hot rods and Hollywood star cars. Closed Mondays.
Leave your car in the Petersen lot and walk east to three more museums. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (5), with the largest art collection in the West, has a cafeteria (kids’ menu) and a wide range of exhibits. Check out the contemporary collection where the sculpture is much more challenging than a Rodin — although they have plenty of those too. You might decide to make this the last stop of the day, since the museum is open until at least 8 p.m., the cafe stays open for dinner and admission is free after 5 p.m. every day. Closed Wednesdays.
You definitely won't want to miss the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM), the latest development in the momentum of art and architecture that has consumed LA in the past three decades. Opened in February 2008, BCAM boasts architecture by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, six galleries and 60,000 square feet of exhibition space, bringing contemporary art into the fold at the encyclopedic LACMA in a whole new way.
Still got some energy? Then walk through Hancock Park to the Page Museum (6) and tar pits oozing with black gunk. Kids love the saber-toothed cat skeleton and other fossils excavated from the site. Open daily.
Across Wilshire from the Page is the small Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) (7) where the changing exhibits feature colorful ethnic and outsider arts and crafts. The museum shop is irresistible. Closed Mondays.
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If you have older kids, make your first stop the Getty Center (8), also high in the Santa Monica Mountains off the 405 Freeway. Kids love the tram ride up the mountain, and the museum feels like a castle on top of the world.
The Getty Center has come up with great ways to intrigue kids: Art Detective Cards, GettyGuide audio players just for them and a Family Fun Room. This summer, there’s a special exhibit that’s the perfect bookend to Noah’s Ark: "Oudry's Painted Menagerie" of life-size animal paintings.
The award-winning gardens on the west side of the museum are partly surrounded by the most velvety grass kids have ever rolled down. There are several lunch possibilities here, including: food carts, an outdoor cafe and a large cafeteria-style restaurant. After lunch, check out The Stark Outdoor Sculpture Collection. With dramatic works located throughout the site, has become one of the most renown outdoor sculpture gardens in the country.
