The hard part of planning a day out with teenagers in Los Angeles is not finding options. It is finding options they will not treat as a chore. Teens generally want three things from an outing: something to do rather than something to look at, a degree of independence within it, and something worth photographing.
Sorted below by what kind of day you are trying to have, with what each one costs and how much energy it takes. Several are free.
Free Things to Do With Teens in LA
Los Angeles is unusually good on this front. According to the city’s official tourism resource, several of LA’s best-known cultural destinations offer free admission year-round, including Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, and The Broad.
1. Griffith Observatory: Free admission to the building, exhibits, and grounds. The view over the basin at sunset is the thing teens will actually remember, and the Hollywood Sign sightline is the photograph. Parking is charged separately and the lot fills fast on clear evenings, so arrive earlier than feels necessary. The planetarium show is ticketed on its own.
2. The Getty Center: Free admission, with a tram ride up the hill that is half the appeal. Gardens, architecture, and views, which means teens who have no interest in the collection still have somewhere to be. Parking is paid.
3. The Broad: Free general admission to a contemporary collection that photographs extremely well, which for this age group is not a trivial consideration. Some installations are ticketed separately and book out early.
4. Venice Beach boardwalk: Free, chaotic, and the most independence-friendly option on the list. Skate park, street performers, murals, and shops. Works best when teens are allowed to wander in a pair while adults sit somewhere with coffee.
Competitive and Active
5. Indoor go-kart racing: Competitive, weather-proof, and genuinely head-to-head, which is the part teens care about. Tracks set a height requirement rather than an age limit, so a mixed group of teens and adults can run the same session.
6. Hiking with a payoff: Runyon Canyon and the Griffith Park trail network both deliver a view at the top, which is the difference between a hike teens complain about and one they post about. Go early, bring water, and expect it to be busy.
7. Escape rooms: Sixty minutes of forced collaboration with a clear win condition. Works particularly well for a group of four to six, and gives quieter teens a role.
8. Skating and bouldering: Both reward repetition and visible progress, and both let teens work at their own level in the same space as their friends.
Food and Neighborhood Wandering
9. Grand Central Market: Downtown food hall where everyone picks their own thing, which resolves the single most common group argument. Also a natural launch point for walking the surrounding blocks.
10. Melrose and thrift shopping: Vintage stores, murals, and the kind of browsing that fills two hours without a schedule. Cheap if you set a budget in advance, expensive if you do not.
11. Arts District murals: Free, walkable, and built for photographs. Pairs well with a food stop.
Rainy Day and Indoor Options
12. Arcades and family entertainment centers: The reliable answer when the plan collapses. Card-based venues that pair an arcade with another attraction hold a teen group longer than an arcade alone. Our guide to rainy day activities in Los Angeles has more for when the forecast turns.
Sorting Them by Budget and Energy
| Idea | Cost | Energy | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Griffith Observatory | Free, paid parking | Low | Sunset, first-time visitors |
| The Getty Center | Free, paid parking | Low | Half a day, photographs |
| The Broad | Free general admission | Low | Rainy afternoons |
| Venice boardwalk | Free | Medium | Independence, larger groups |
| Indoor go-karting | Paid | High | Competitive groups, any weather |
| Hiking | Free | High | Mornings, smaller groups |
| Escape rooms | Paid | Medium | Groups of four to six |
| Grand Central Market | Paid | Low | Fussy eaters, mixed tastes |
| Melrose thrifting | Variable | Medium | Unstructured afternoons |
| Arts District murals | Free | Medium | Photographs, walking |
| Arcade or entertainment center | Paid | Medium | Bad weather, mixed ages |
Two patterns worth using. The free options are mostly low-energy and visual, so they pair well with something active rather than stacking together. And the paid options mostly involve competing at something, which is what holds a teen group’s attention longest.
Planning a Teen Birthday Around It
A day out and a birthday are different problems. An outing needs one good idea. A birthday needs a structure, because unstructured time with a large group of teenagers is where the energy dies.
The formula that works is a competitive activity for the first block, food in the middle, and something looser afterwards. That sequence front-loads the part that needs everyone present and engaged, and leaves the end open so people can drift without the party visibly ending.
Where it goes wrong is a venue that offers one activity for three hours. Teens exhaust a single attraction faster than younger children do, so somewhere with more than one thing to do is worth the extra cost. Our teen birthday party ideas guide covers themes and timings in more detail.
Karting and Arcade at Kartopia in Van Nuys
Kartopia is an indoor entertainment venue at 14928 Oxnard St, Van Nuys, CA 91411, combining an indoor go-kart track with an arcade and a soft play area for younger siblings 8 and under. The track admits anyone 36 inches or taller with no upper age limit, which means a teen group and the adults with them race together rather than watching. Each heat runs 5 minutes with 6 karts on track, and helmets are provided.
A waiver is required for karting only and can be signed online before arrival, which saves a queue at the counter with a group. Parking is free and on site, the building is ADA compliant, and outside food and decorations are currently welcome. Open Thursday and Friday 3 PM to 9 PM, Saturday 11 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday 11 AM to 8 PM, with Monday to Wednesday reserved for private events.
Planning a teen day out or party? Compare the event packages, check current pricing, or call 818-745-7575.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What can teenagers do in Los Angeles?
The options that work best combine activity with independence. Free choices include Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, The Broad, the Venice boardwalk, and the Arts District murals. Paid options that hold teen attention include indoor go-karting, escape rooms, bouldering, and arcades. Anything competitive outperforms anything purely observational.
2. What is there to do in LA with teens for free?
Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, and The Broad all offer free admission year-round according to Discover Los Angeles, though parking is charged at the first two. The Venice boardwalk, the Arts District murals, and the Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon trails cost nothing at all.
3. What can teens do in LA when it rains?
Indoor options hold up well here. The Broad and other indoor museums, escape rooms, bouldering gyms, and arcades or family entertainment centers all work regardless of weather. Venues combining an arcade with a second indoor attraction hold a group longer than a single-activity space.
4. How do you plan a day out with a group of teenagers?
Lead with a competitive or active block while everyone is fresh, put food in the middle, and leave the end unstructured. Avoid stacking two low-energy activities together, and avoid any venue offering only one thing to do for more than about two hours.
5. What is there to do with teens in the San Fernando Valley?
Kartopia in Van Nuys runs indoor go-kart racing and an arcade under one roof at 14928 Oxnard St, open Thursday through Sunday. The Valley also puts Griffith Park and the Observatory within easy reach, and Universal CityWalk sits on the Studio City side.
6. Is Griffith Observatory free?
Yes. Admission to the building, exhibits, and grounds is free year-round, as listed by Discover Los Angeles. Parking is charged separately and the lot fills quickly on clear evenings and weekends. Shows in the planetarium are ticketed on their own at the box office.
