The Best Things to do in Los Angeles with Teenagers

Teenagers are fun and funny and unpredictable; they can also be difficult to travel with because they have a unique set of interests and, let’s be honest, the world isn’t always geared towards them. You can google a million lists of things to do with little kids in just about any city in the world, but teens… not so much. And sometimes they don’t want to be dragged to little kid attractions or stuck with adult interests all day. Having a few of these precious creatures of my own, I thought I’d compile a list of the best things to do in Los Angeles with teenagers.

Whether your teen is a music aficionado, a fashionista, a foodie, an athlete or a Hollywood fan, there’s something on this list for just about everyone, so peruse and enjoy!

Quick Tips for Los Angeles with Teenagers:

1. Group attractions by location: Los Angeles can be daunting to tourists because it’s so spread out. My suggestion for seeing Los Angeles with teenagers is to plan your days by seeing all the sights in one area at a time (i.e. Downtown, Hollywood, the beach, etc.).
2. Use public transportation when you can: People don’t talk about the metro in L.A. much, but it’s very user friendly and if you don’t want to brave driving in a big city, it’s a good choice.
3. Book as much as you can ahead of time: Theme parks, TV tapings, concerts, tours, etc. should all be booked before you even get to L.A. It will save you a lot of headaches and disappointment.
4. Have your teen(s) help you make the itinerary: Having buy-in from your teens will make the trip much easier – giving them some control over the itinerary will help create that buy-in.

If you’re interested specifically in Downtown, check out my post on great things to do in Downtown L.A.!

Watch a Taping of a TV Show

This is something you have to plan in advance, but seeing a TV show can be great fun for teens! Many talk shows, variety shows, game shows and even some sitcoms film in front of a live studio audience. You can find more info and book tickets here.  

Take a Studio Tour

Several of the big film studios offer tours of their sets and lots. It’s a great way for teens to see some behind-the-scenes action, pore over film memorabilia and learn more about movie making. I like Paramount because it’s a classic studio and it’s right in the middle of town, but I know Sony, Warner Brothers and Universal are popular, too. If you have a serious film buff in the family, you can get a VIP tour with a more personalized experience (and a heftier price tag).

Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Ok, here’s my caveat: parts of Hollywood are not so nice. I’ve seen tourist comments about how it was dirty or run-down or full of homeless people. Welcome to the city, guys! But seriously, Hollywood Boulevard can be a mixed bag. That being said, it’s fun to find your favorite stars’ “Stars” on the walk of fame. The area has built up a bit in recent years with the addition of new shops and restaurants and I recommend it if you’re in Los Angeles with teenagers. My advice is to go during the daytime and stick to the main streets. The metro has a stop at Hollywood and Vine, which is perfect. And you can always book a tour if you’re feeling unsure about navigating it on your own.

*If you have a teen that’s into music, you can also check out the Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd. It has its own RockWalk in front of the store with the handprints and signatures of legendary rock artists.

See a concert

L.A. has so many great concert venues! And it might seem like an unusual thing to do on vacation, but some of the iconic spots like the Hollywood Bowl are amazing places to get that L.A. experience. Of course there are huge stadiums like the Staples Center and the Forum that get a lot of major acts, but a smaller more typically “L.A.” venue might give your teen a different experience. Places like the Greek Theatre or the Wiltern are known for bringing acts that might not perform in those larger settings.

Catch a Sporting Event

Sporting events in L.A. are fun for so many reasons. Lakers games are great people-watching and I’ve never been to one without spotting a celebrity or two. L.A. has multiple football teams and, of course, the multiple championship winning L.A. Lakers and L.A. Dodgers. (I had to throw that in there!) Los Angeles also hosts major league hockey and soccer teams, a WNBA team and more! So if you’re in Los Angeles with teenagers who love sports, hit up a game or two.

Visit a Museum

Teenagers might not always love museums, but if your teen has a special interest, L.A. most likely has a museum for it. Of course there are the art museums like L.A. County Museum of Art or the Museum of Contemporary Art, but your teen might appreciate some of the specialty museums like the Petersen Automotive Museum, considered one of the best car museums in the world. Your fashion conscious teen might like the museum at FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising downtown. They also display costumes from the Oscar winning movies each year. Music lovers will enjoy the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live. And there’s always the Getty Museum, whose architecture and gardens alone are well worth the visit.

Take a Ghost Tour

L.A.’s history is rife with spooky stories from old Hollywood to the seedy underside of the urban sprawl. A good ghost tour will show you all of it! Teens will love to hear the darker side of the city’s history and, in a town where every other person is an aspiring actor, the tours are bound to be a good time.

Watch a movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Hollywood Forever is worth a visit just to walk around and see the tombstones and gravesites from Old Hollywood. Even more fun, though, is that they show movies outside on the lawn! This is a great family event, and many movies are geared more towards teen viewers than little kids. Make sure to book online far in advance. If you’re driving, buy an on-site parking pass with your ticket. If you’re from out of town and don’t have picnic blankets, etc., you can buy supplies in their store. And be sure to get there early – choosing a spot is first come first served.

Go Thrifting

Los Angeles is a fashionista’s dream city, and L.A.’s vintage and thrift stores are known for being treasure troves of “new to you” fashion. Some of the best areas to find these stores are on Sunset Boulevard in both Echo Park and Silver Lake, on Melrose Avenue mainly between La Brea and La Cienega, and throughout Venice. A fun for the whole family event is the Melrose Trading Post on Sundays. It’s held at Fairfax High School and only costs $5 for admission to a super cool, artsy flea market.

Hit up the Record Stores

The music scene in L.A. does not disappoint and neither do its independent record stores! The areas I mentioned for thrifting also have their share of record shops. You and your teen can spend a perfect day indie shopping in funky neighborhoods that also, incidentally, have a lot of great restaurants.  There is also the colossal Amoeba Music on Hollywood Blvd. It’s marketed as the world’s largest independent record store and I can personally attest to wandering through it for hours finding music gems I had long forgotten about. As it’s close to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you can include a trip to Amoeba in the Hollywood portion of your visit.

Drive Sunset Boulevard from Downtown to the Beach

If you have a car or can rent one, this iconic drive is worth every minute and will be a perfect choice for seeing Los Angeles with teenagers. You will recognize so many parts of this drive from movies and TV shows. You’ll make your way through the hip neighborhoods closer to downtown, the famous (infamous?) Sunset Strip, swanky areas like Beverly Hills and Bel Air, and you’ll come out right at the beach in Malibu. Plan for a couple hours, more if you will be stopping.

Go to a Theme Park

I’m not always one to put Theme Parks on my itineraries, but if your teen is into Disney, Harry Potter or roller coasters, you might want to spend a day at one of the L.A. area’s theme parks.  Disneyland is about 45 minutes south (this changes considerably depending on traffic) in Anaheim. Get there EARLY to get parking and avoid the crowds. Try to go on a weekday if you can. Universal Studios is just north of Los Angeles of the Hollywood freeway. This is where you’ll find Harry Potter World. And Six Flags Magic Mountain is about an hour north of L.A. in Valencia. My advice for early arrival is the same for all of them.

Take a College Tour

Is your teen thinking of college soon? Los Angeles has no shortage of colleges and universities where you can book a tour. There are, of course, the quintessential big name universities like UCLA and USC. Both have beautiful campuses and are fun to tour even if you’re not considering attending. However, L.A. also has some incredible smaller colleges that might not be as well known, but offer equally gorgeous campuses and top rate academics. Try Occidental College (home to alumni such as Barack Obama and both my parents!), Loyola Marymount University that boasts fantastic programs for theatre and film, or Pepperdine University in Malibu, potentially the best beach view of any college in the U.S.!

Get outside in Los Angeles with Teens

Got an active teen who loves the outdoors? You might be surprised that a city like Los Angeles, known for its urban sprawl, provides so many amazing outdoor experiences.

            Hiking: try the trails behind the Observatory in Griffith Park or one of the many canyons like Runyon Canyon and Franklin Canyon.

            Kayaking or SUP: You can rent kayaks or stand up paddle boards in Marina del Rey and paddle the canals there. You can take kayak right along the L.A. River. Or you can venture out to Long Beach to kayak or paddle the bay.

            Surfing: There are numerous surf schools for your ocean-loving teen to choose from right in Santa Monica and Venice, but honestly there are surf schools all along the SoCal coast so you won’t have any problem booking some lessons.

I feel like I could go on and on about amazing things to do in Los Angeles with teenagers, but I think this list is a good start.  If you’re looking for something very specific, post it in the comments and I’ll give you some recommendations. As an Angeleno who made the move south to San Diego, we still spend a lot of time in L.A and my teens never get tired of finding new things to do there. I hope yours will enjoy it, too!