Natural History Museum of L.A. County
add photosAdmission is free on the first Tuesday of each month.
9 Reviews for Natural History Museum of L.A. County
63
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'10, '11, '12
1 family found this helpful
"3 Tyrannosaurus Rex's"
We have a 4 year old that is totally into dinosaurs right now. I remember this museum from my childhood so decided to take her. The just re-did (don't ask me what exactly) the Dinosaur Hall and it looked pretty cool online so I figured, why not.
First thing I noticed is the price. I think it cost $10 to park, but 4 years old and under is free. Adults were $12 each. In comparison to some museums I've been to lately, even smaller ones in San Diego, this seemed like a bargain to me. We spent most of our time in the dinosaur hall. The big attraction is that they have 3 Tyrannosaurus Rex's which is my daughter's favorite dinosaur. One is a baby, one is medium sized and the other is huge. It's pretty impressive. There are also some interactive displays and short videos along the way that kids can watch and learn something.
In another section, there's fragments from meteors. Now my daughter can not stop asking questions about stuff falling down from space. I think this is a good thing (as annoying as it is that I can't answer everything), but it just never occurred to us to talk to her about meteors. This exhibit, like a lot of others, was exactly at her eye level. It was small, but very cool.
We were there on a Wednesday in the summer time and it wasn't too crowded. I wish we would have had time to catch the butterfly exhibit. It's a small extra cost but people were raving about it.
We'll definitely come back. The museum really doesn't need more than 90 minutes - 2 hours of your time. There are others to visit nearby too.
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2 families found this helpful
"Went on a free day"
Once a month they have a free day here. It was crowded but it was worth it. I took my 4 and 2 year old and they LOVED this place. It can be scary keeping track of your kids but they loved the giant dinosaur and life size North American animal room. THere is also a really good bug collection. For a few dollars there is a butterfly exhibit just outside. It is well worth the extra $ but be sure to do that first because they only let a few people in at a time. Butterflies land on you!!
1 family found this helpful
"Lots to see!"
FREE on the first Tuesday of the Month. Parking is under $10.
I took my son when he was 18 months. He liked looking at all of the animals and loved the Discovery Center. I brought the stroller and I would park it in at the beginning of the rooms and then walk around.
I need to go back soon.
3 families found this helpful
"Dinosaurs and more!"
We've visited the Natural History Museum twice and couldn't recommend it more! My children (ages 3 and 5) loved looking at all of the different floors and areas of the museum, especially the large animal halls. There's also a wonderful hands-on Discovery Center downstairs with insects, snakes, fish, skeletons, story time and there's even an area for digging for fossils. The last time we went, there were craft tables set up in the main entry area where the children made zipper pulls out of beads and stones. And the year before we enjoyed the Spider Pavilion which housed an amazing assortment of webs and large, colorful spiders. But the greatest part of this museum hands down is the Dinosaur Encounter which features a life-like Triceratops or T-Rex show. It's a wonderful experience for children and parents alike! Don't forget to stop by the Dino Lab to watch real-life scientists working with real fossils.
2 families found this helpful
"Dinosaurs and history- whats not to love?"
My kids love dinosaurs. It seems like most kids do. The museum is a great place to see dinosaurs up close and personal. It should be said that Dinosaur Hall is currently be revamped so most of the dinosaurs are not on display but there are still a few out along with the dino lab where kids can watch real paleontologists at work on real bones. Pretty cool. There is also a discovery area where kids can search for bones in simulated digs and help put together a dinosaur replica. There is much more to see besides dinosaurs such as taxidermy mammals in dioramas that make you feel like you are in a museum from when you were a kid. The California history was really cool as well. My favorite was the mega mouth shark. It looks prehistoric and only a couple have ever been found. The museum happens to have one of them. I highly recommend this museum.
3 families found this helpful
"Dinos, Bugs & Animals, Oh My!"
We visited the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County because I wanted to check out the Pavilion of Wings. We wound up spending almost three hours there because my 4 ½ year old loved everything about the place. I knew we were in for a treat from the moment we walked in the front door, when my son’s eyes lit up at the sight of two life-sized dinosaur skeletons. He also loved getting an up-close and personal view of all the stuffed animals in the North American and African Mammal Halls. The Hall of Birds was a blast with plenty of buttons for the little ones to push, each activating lights, sounds or motion in accompanying educational displays. If you’ve got little ones, you’ll also enjoy the Discovery Center and Insect Zoo, where live tiny critters abound. The best part is that most stations include a step stool so little ones don’t have to rely on an adult to check out what’s inside. We also watched a live animal presentation during our visit, where we met a scorpion and tarantula. My son dug for fossils and tried his hand at putting together a giant T. Rex puzzle with fossils for pieces. Kids under 5 are free, so if you haven’t been to this place yet, get going!
2 families found this helpful
"One day was not enough"
We spent the whole day there and we still did not have time to do it all. They have recently added a great kids area on the bottom floor. I think my kids could have spent half the day just in the children's discovery area on the bottom floor. The butterfly pavilion is really fun but can get hot so try to do it early in the day. There is a really great model of LA from the 1940s. I only wish my kids would let me take more time to read everything.
1 family found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
Kids love the museum because of its lifelike dinosaur replicas, animal habitat dioramas, insect zoo, Native American Cultures exhibit, plus the Halls of Birds, Gems & Minerals, and Marine Life. The Discovery Center is awesomely interactive. Well worth your time!
3 families found this helpful
"If you have a kid into dinosaurs, this is the place!"
Another place to go on free Tuesdays or the annual free museum day. Dinosaur skeletons abound and rocks and gems galore are available for your child's enjoyment!
If you are a homeschooler, check out their artifact loan program. Nothing is better than experiencing things first hand!
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