Burbank works well for a family day because the options are close together and split neatly by weather. On a mild day, head for the Verdugo Mountains trails, neighborhood parks, and the shops of Magnolia Park. When it is hot or wet, go indoors for ice skating and bowling at Pickwick Gardens, library storytime, a studio tour, or go-karts and an arcade a short drive west.
The city sits between Griffith Park and the Verdugo Mountains, which is why the outdoor options are genuinely good rather than an afterthought. Below are 12 ideas, organized so you can pick by the forecast.
Outdoor Ideas For a Mild Day
Burbank’s best free attractions are its hillsides and parks, most of them within a few minutes of downtown.
- Stough Canyon Nature Center: Set in the Verdugo Mountains, the nature center has an exhibit hall, a small library, and a classroom, and it runs docent-led hikes, workshops, and seasonal day camps for kids. Trails are open dawn to dusk. Program schedules change by season, so check the City of Burbank parks and recreation pages before you drive up.
- Wildwood Canyon Park: Quieter than Stough, with easy trails, picnic spots, and views back across the Valley. Good for a first family hike with small legs.
- Brace Canyon Park: A neighborhood favorite with a playground, basketball and tennis courts, and shaded picnic areas with barbecues.
- Johnny Carson Park: Shaded paths and open lawn near the studios, easy for a stroller and a picnic blanket.
- Chandler Bikeway: A flat, car-free path that suits small riders and balance bikes far better than street riding.
- Magnolia Park: The vintage-shop and mural district along Magnolia Boulevard. Browsing costs nothing and older kids tend to like the costume and record shops.
On a summer afternoon, save the canyon hikes for early morning or evening. Valley afternoons get hot, and the trails offer limited shade.
Indoor Ideas For Hot or Rainy Days
When the weather rules out the trails, Burbank and the surrounding Valley have solid indoor options.
- Pickwick Gardens: Ice skating and bowling in one complex, which makes it the strongest single indoor stop in Burbank for families. It handles a wide age range and works in any weather.
- Burbank Public Library: Free children’s programs and storytime sessions across the city’s branches, including the Buena Vista branch. A reliable, no-cost hour indoors.
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: Sets, props, and behind-the-scenes areas from well-known films and shows. It is a long visit and better suited to older children than toddlers, and the tour has its own age guidance, so check when booking.
- Martial Arts History Museum: Small, quick, and genuinely unlike anything else on this list. A good filler stop rather than a full afternoon.
- Downtown Burbank. Hundreds of shops and restaurants along San Fernando Boulevard, plus a cinema. Easy to walk, and a decent rainy-afternoon fallback.
- Go-karts, arcade, and soft play in Van Nuys: A short drive west of Burbank, Kartopia is an indoor family entertainment center with a go-kart track, an arcade, and a soft play area under one roof. The go-karts are open to anyone 36 inches or taller with no upper age limit, so parents and older kids race together in 5-minute heats, with helmets provided. Younger children play in the soft play area for kids 8 and under, and the arcade covers everyone in between. It is indoor and air-conditioned, walk-ins are welcome Thursday through Sunday when no private event is booked, and parking is free. Call 818-745-7575 to confirm public hours before driving over, or check walk-in pricing first.
Where to Eat With Kids
Burbank is well served for a family meal, and one stop is close to an institution. Porto’s Bakery on West Magnolia Boulevard is widely regarded as one of Southern California’s best bakeries, known for cheese rolls, guava pastries, and potato balls. Lines get long at weekends, so a weekday morning is the easier visit.
Beyond that, Downtown Burbank along San Fernando Boulevard has the densest run of family-friendly restaurants, and the Magnolia Park stretch mixes casual cafes with the vintage shops. If you are heading to the canyons, pick food up first: there is nothing at the trailheads.
Planning a Burbank Family Day
A workable structure for a full day: start outdoors in the morning while it is cool, break for lunch downtown or in Magnolia Park, then move indoors for the afternoon when the heat peaks. That order matters more in summer than most visitors expect, because Valley afternoons run hot and the shade on the canyon trails is patchy.
Two practical notes. Most of the outdoor options here are free, so a Burbank day can cost very little if you skip the studio tour. And if you are combining Burbank with a nearby stop, the neighboring Valley cities are close enough to add one without a long drive, which is how the Van Nuys go-kart option fits into a Burbank itinerary. For seasonal ideas across the wider area, the official Visit Burbank family itineraries are a useful starting point.
Adding an indoor stop to your Burbank day? Kartopia in Van Nuys is a short drive west, with indoor go-karts, an arcade, and soft play under one roof. Check walk-in pricing, browse the attractions, or call 818-745-7575 to confirm public hours.
Planning a party instead? See the birthday packages.
FAQs
1. What is there to do in Burbank with toddlers?
Toddlers do best with the parks and the library. Brace Canyon Park has a playground and shaded picnic areas, Johnny Carson Park is stroller-friendly, and Burbank Public Library branches run free storytimes. For indoor play, a soft play area suits this age better than a studio tour or a trampoline park.
2. Are there free things to do in Burbank with kids?
Yes, most of the best outdoor options are free. The Verdugo Mountains trails at Stough and Wildwood canyons, the neighborhood parks, the Chandler Bikeway, and library storytimes all cost nothing. Parking at the parks is generally free too, which makes a low-cost family day straightforward.
3. What can families do in Burbank when it rains?
Indoors, Pickwick Gardens covers ice skating and bowling, the public library runs children’s programs, and Downtown Burbank has shops, restaurants, and a cinema. A short drive west, Kartopia in Van Nuys keeps go-karts, an arcade, and soft play running indoors regardless of the weather. Our guide to rainy day activities in Los Angeles covers more wet-weather options across the wider area.
4. Is the Warner Bros. Studio Tour suitable for young children?
It is better suited to older children and teenagers than to toddlers. The tour runs long, involves a lot of walking and standing, and rewards kids who recognize the films and shows. The tour publishes its own age guidance, so check that when you book rather than assuming.
5. How far is Van Nuys from Burbank?
Van Nuys sits just west of Burbank in the San Fernando Valley, close enough to add to a Burbank day without a long drive. Kartopia is at 14928 Oxnard St, Van Nuys, CA 91411, with free on-site parking, which makes it an easy indoor stop when Burbank’s outdoor options are too hot or too wet.
6. What is the best time of year to visit Burbank with kids?
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable for the outdoor options, with mild weather for the canyon trails and parks. Summer still works if you plan around the heat: outdoors early or late, indoors through the afternoon. Winter is quieter and fine for both, with occasional rain.
