18 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Long Beach
Last updated on August 31, 2026
Looking for fun things to do in Long Beach with kids?
If so, this list is for you! As a Southern California resident and travel expert, Long Beach is a destination where we have spent lots of time.
Located just south of Los Angeles, Long Beach is an ideal destination to spend some time. Though often overlooked in favor of the more popular beach towns and theme parks in Orange County, Long Beach is packed with fun and family-friendly activities and beaches.
Top 5 Picks: Things to Do with Kids in Long Beach
If you are just looking for a quick list of the can’t miss, very best family-friendly things to do in Long Beach, I am here to help! Here are our Top 5 recommendations.
► Visit the Aquarium of the Pacific, one of the best aquariums on the west coast!
► Go on a harbor cruise or whale watching cruise.
► Stroll through Shoreline Village.
► Ride bikes along the boardwalk or spend time at the beach.
► Check out the Queen Mary, said to be one of most haunted destinations in America.
Keep reading for more details on these top five things to do in Long Beach with kids and teens, plus lots more ideas to help you plan a great trip!
Family-Friendly Things to Do in Long Beach
If you’re looking for a fun vacation spot in Southern California, this seaside destination has a lot to offer. Here are 18 activities to consider.
1. Explore the Aquarium of the Pacific
Kids and adults alike will love visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific. Although the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey is often heralded as the best aquarium in California, the Aquarium of the Pacific most certainly holds its own!
The Aquarium of the Pacific features numerous indoor and outdoor exhibits, many of which are interactive! There are over 11,000 animals from 500 different species, in more than 50 exhibits that represent the diversity of the Pacific Ocean on display. The aquarium is home to shark lagoon, sea lions, jellies, penguins, seals and the usual array of fish.
Catch an educational show or one of the feedings scheduled throughout the day. We made sure to do this on a recent visit, and it was so fun and interesting to learn about the aquarium’s residents while watching the scuba divers interact with them!
The Aquarium of the Pacific has one truly unique exhibit you won’t want to miss! Lorikeet Forest is a 5,400-square foot outdoor aviary that will transport you to the coastal lowlands of Australia. In this walk-through exhibit, the colorful birds will literally surround you. Purchase a cup of nectar and you can feed them. Birds love this, and will literally land on your hands and shoulder to get a treat!
Even if you don’t want to spend the money to purchase nectar, you’ll still enjoy the experience with these very friendly, beautiful birds in the Lorikeet Forest at the aquarium. The Aquarium of the Pacific is definitely one of the best places to visit with kids in the Los Angeles area!
► Interested in visiting the aquarium? Click here to book your Aquarium of the Pacific discount tickets.
2. Stroll through Shoreline Village
Shoreline Village is a quaint and colorful shopping and dining district on the Long Beach waterfront. Nestled along Rainbow Harbor, it has a nice variety of restaurants and is a great spot to grab lunch or an ice cream and do a little souvenir shopping.
We had lunch at Tequila Jack’s Restaurant and Cantina, which had wonderful Mexican food and lovely views overlooking the boats in the harbor. Service was amazing and the food was plentiful and delicious. The menu is a mouth-watering collection of innovative, Baja-style Mexican dishes, and the refreshments are unmatched.
Shoreline Village is also home to Parker’s Lighthouse, one of Long Beach’s most renowned waterfront restaurants. In addition to its many shops and restaurants, Shoreline Village has a carousel, an arcade, and spots where you can rent boats, jet skis, kayaks, sailboats, bikes and more. In the summer, live music is scheduled to perform.
3. Take a Harbor Cruise or Whale Watching Cruise
Who doesn’t love a nice boat ride? A harbor cruise is a great way to see Long Beach from the water. Tours depart throughout the day and are conveniently located at the docks right outside the entrance to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
We took an excursion with Harbor Breeze Cruises. These short, 45-minute narrated boat cruises offer a relaxing way to take in the views. You’ll see the Queen Mary, oil drilling islands, lighthouse, Shoreline Village and learn a bit about the area.
A relaxing boat cruise along the harbor is definitely one of the best things to do in Long Beach with kids!
Longer whale watching cruises are also available and the perfect activity especially for older kids. These tours are about two hours long and fully narrated by a guide. Marine life you will likely see include Gray Whales (November-April), Blue Whales (may-November), and year-round Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Minke Whales, Orcas, Dolphins, Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, and much more!
► Click here for discount tickets to the best guided Whale Watching Tour from Long Beach
4. Take a Tour of the Queen Mary
Arguably one of the most famous landmarks in Southern California, a visit to the Queen Mary is a must-do on your Long Beach getaway. The Queen Mary is a luxury ocean liner now permanently docked in Long Beach. Her maiden voyage took place in 1936, and she came to Long Beach in 1967.
General admission to the Queen Mary includes your choice of one guided tour from the following options: Glory Days, Haunted Encounters, Steam & Steel, and Hollywood. You’ll also be free to explore more than 20 exhibits, restaurants, bars, and shops onboard, or relax on deck to take in stunning harbor views.
The Queen Mary is also said to be one of the most haunted destinations in America, and there are a number of tours and experiences. We really enjoyed taking a ghost tour of the ship; you can also sign up for a paranormal investigation if that is your thing. Of course, these options are best if your kids are older.
If you find yourself in Long Beach on the weekend, the Queen Mary Royal Sunday Brunch was named the one of the best brunches in the world by Conde Nast Traveler! It is served in the stunning and historic Grand Salon. This brunch is pricey through (currently $98 for adults), so it’s an experience you’ll have to be ready to pay for if you are willing to splurge on a memorable meal!
5. Go Shopping at the Pike Outlets
Located just steps from the Aquarium, Long Beach Convention Center, Pine Avenue and downtown Long Beach, the Pike Outlets is a shopping and entertainment complex worth a visit! It has 30 stores and restaurants – which is not a ton – but more than plenty if you are just looking to browse and whittle away a relaxing afternoon.
There is also a movie theater, which we took advantage of on one of our quiet nights in town. The Pike is also home to the Long Beach Laugh Factory comedy club and a giant Ferris wheel you can take a spin on for only $6 per person.
6. Go for a Bike Ride
With miles of bike trails along the harbor and an extensive beach boardwalk, Long Beach is prime for biking.
We rented bikes at Wheel Fun Rentals, located right in Shoreline Village. They offer surreys, pedal karts, traditional bikes and tandem bikes, so you can choose whatever best fits your family’s needs and ages. (A surrey bike is great if you have young kids!)
We rode from Shoreline Village, up and around the lighthouse, and then all the way back out to Belmont Shore, enjoying beautiful beach and harbor views the whole time.
7. Hit the Beach
What’s a SoCal beach town without a beach? Long Beach has one and it is pretty nice, but don’t expect giant waves or lots of surfers. The beaches in Long Beach are sheltered, so the water is relatively calm. This actually makes it a great beach for young kids to go swimming.
If you are traveling with your dog, Long Beach has one of the most fantastic dog beaches in Southern California! Long Beach has been recognized four years in a row by Dog Fancy Magazine as one of the most dog-friendly cities in America! Visit Rosie’s Dog Beach with your pooch for a fun day.
8. Hang Out at Kidz Town
If you have little ones, you’ll definitely want to make the short drive from Long Beach to Lakewood to spend a few hours at Kidz Town, an indoor playground perfect for toddlers and young children.
Kidz Town has a ball pit, slide, obstacle courses, a race course and tons of places to climb through. There is a fun mini-section just for toddlers, too! This indoor play area is perfect for when it is raining or really hot outside.
9. Go to the Theater
Long Beach has a number of performing arts venues, offering everything from opera to ballet to live theater and even its own symphony. There are many kid-friendly performances throughout the year.
If you are looking for fun things to do with kids in Long Beach during the holiday season, buy tickets to the Nutcracker at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. We just saw the Nutcracker here this year. The Long Beach ballet puts on an amazing show, filled with some opulent special effects you won’t find anywhere else. It also happens to be one of the only Nutcracker performances in Southern California featuring a live symphony, which makes a huge difference and is the only way we will see a ballet anymore!
In addition to Long Beach Terrace Theater located right downtown and the more intimate Long Beach Playhouse, check out the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, which is located at California State University, Long Beach.
► For a great place to stay in downtown Long Beach with kids, check out our review of the Marriott Long Beach Downtown. It is located just a block away from the theater.
10. Visit the El Dorado Nature Center
The El Dorado Nature Center is a 105-acre nature sanctuary located at a local park in the City of Long Beach. It has several hiking, biking, and walking trails, including an easy quarter-mile paved trail that winds around two lakes, a stream, native plants and trees – perfect if you are walking with kids in strollers! The Visitor Center has some interesting educational displays, kids activities, a picnic area, art gallery featuring local artists, and a gift shop.
El Dorado East Regional Park also features tennis courts, baseball diamonds, disc golf, volleyball courts, an archery range, soccer fields, a basketball court, a skate park and nearby golf course. This place is a sports lover’s dream!
11. Wander through Naples
Naples is a neighborhood in Long Beach comprised of three islands in Alamitos Bay. The houses all line canals and you can walk along the waterfront and under picturesque bridges. During Christmastime, Naples is a magnet for visitors who come to see the decorated homes and boat parade that goes through the neighborhood’s canals.
12. Take a Gondola Ride
Speaking of Naples, the best way to explore it is not on foot but on a gondola ride through the canals. Gondola Getaway brings old world charm and thousand-year-old tradition to Southern California, right down to the singing gondoliers. Authentic Venetian gondolas gently cruise the enchanting canals and waterways of Naples Island.
We had the chance to try out this memorable activity on our recent visit to Long Beach and it was a highlight of our trip. Most people think of this as a romantic excursion and it probably is, but we did it as a family and the ride was just fine! The gondola rides last approximately one hour, and a souvenir photo is included.
13. Visit Belmont Shore
Belmont Shore is located a few miles from downtown Long Beach, but many think of it as the center of town. Belmont Shore is a charming community located on the beach, away from the hub of downtown.
The heart of Belmont Shore is Second Street, which comes alive at night with its boutiques, bars, and great food. This stretch of Long Beach is right near the water but boasts a vibrant, urban feel.
Enjoy patio dining or an adult beverage in the warm evening air. There are a lot of people enjoying the bar scene on weekend nights, but there are plenty of kids and their parents in Belmont Shore, as well!
We had dinner at George’s Greek Café. The restaurant is owned by father and son team George and Demitri Loizides. The call it “A little piece of Greece in Southern California.”
Greek food is not normally my thing so I ordered the most un-Greeky thing on the menu: grilled salmon. It was so good! Perfectly blackened and served with lots of fresh veggies and pita. My husband had the lamb and said it was good, too.
14. See the Museum of Latin American Art
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is the only art museum in the United States dedicated to showcasing, well, Latin American art! The museum features paintings and sculptures and has a lovely, expansive courtyard with sculpture garden. The museum is located in the city’s rapidly developing East Village Arts District.
15. Take in the Views at the Long Beach Museum of Art
Another fabulous museum in Long Beach is the Long Beach Museum of Art. The museum sits atop a bluff overlooking the beach, so the views alone make it worthwhile! To really enjoy the views, plan to have lunch at Claire’s, the museum’s onsite restaurant offering spectacular ocean views.
16. Peruse Retro Row
Go back in time with a visit to Fourth Street in downtown Long Beach, dubbed Retro Row. Retro Row is a specialty district made up of coffee shops, restaurants and shops selling vintage-inspired clothing, record stores and furniture. Were you a fan of the show Mad Men? The show’s set designers frequently visited Retro Row.
17. Visit Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
If you’re looking for a peaceful spot to retreat in Long Beach, visit the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach.
The Japanese gardens are beautiful but small – 1.3 acres to be exact – which is perfect if you have kids who might get bored quickly!
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 pm. The gardens have free admission, but the parking lot at the University of California Long Beach Campus costs $6 per hour.
18. Ride the Aquabus
Here’s a secret. You don’t have to pay for a harbor cruise or rent a boat to get out on the water. Long Beach Transit offers transportation between waterfront attractions via the Aquabus and Aqualink. It’s a fun and inexpensive way to travel between the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, Shoreline Aquatic Park, Alamitos Bay, and other waterfront areas of Long Beach.
Final Thoughts: Things to Do with Kids in Long Beach California
With its beautiful coastal location, amazing restaurants and array of family-friendly activities, Long Beach, California is a great place to visit with kids of all ages.
We live nearby and have spent a lot of time in Long Beach. In fact, I used to work on Catalina Island and took the boat out of Long Beach every week! So I can say from experience the city has no shortage of fun activities to explore.
Save These Long Beach Activities for Later!
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My son LOVES museums. I have never heard of the Latin American art museum. I told him about it and he hasn’t been able to sleep all week. I think he is excited to go this weekend.