Los Angeles family guide
Things to Do in Montrose with Kids
Curated by Simir Shah
Reviewed & updated August 2026 · we check listings regularly, but hours and prices change — confirm before you go.
Montrose on the map
📍 Where Montrose is
Montrose sits in Los Angeles, Southern California. Nearest major airport: Hollywood Burbank (~8 mi / 12 km). It's roughly 11 mi (17 km) from Downtown LA and 120 mi (193 km) from San Diego — SoCal traffic can make a drive take far longer than the distance suggests, so plan around it.
Visiting? See SoCal at a glance, getting around and which airport.
Family attractions near Montrose
The closest kid-friendly attractions in neighboring towns — with driving distance from Montrose.
Descanso Gardens
This 150-acre garden, established in 1953, holds one of the largest camellia collections in North America. Kids gravitate to the Enchanted Railroad's scale-model electric train and the shaded, 25-acre oak forest, with seasonal blooms — camellias in winter, roses and more through spring and summer — changing the scenery year-round.
~$15 adult / $11 child
Verdugo Mountains Family Trails
Accessible foothill trails with shade and views, great for an easy family nature walk. The Catalina Verdugo Trail was purpose-built as a middle option — easier than the steep fire roads that lace the rest of the range, but with more elevation gain than a flat park path — a good next step for families ready to graduate from stroller-friendly trails. Trailheads at the base of the range in both Glendale and Burbank offer several starting points.
FreeWilliamson Gallery, ArtCenter
A free gallery on ArtCenter's hillside campus above the Rose Bowl, showing student and professional work in transportation, product and graphic design. Check the exhibitions page before driving up Lida Street.
Free; free parking
Hahamongna Watershed Park
Open-space park at the foot of the mountains with flat trails and a kids' nature stream. The 1,300-acre park was previously known as Oak Grove Park until the city renamed and reimagined it as Hahamongna in the early 1990s — a word meaning "flowing waters, fruitful valley," fitting for where the Arroyo Seco watershed meets the flatlands. Beyond the streamside trails, it also holds a 24-hole disc golf course and wide-open fields for picnics.
Free
Brand Library & Art Center
Hillside park with hiking trails, a Moorish-style library, and shady picnic spots. Built in 1904 as timber baron Leslie Brand's mansion, El Miradero, the building's domes and minarets were inspired by the East Indian Pavilion at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. Brand left the estate to the city on the condition it become a public library and park, which happened in 1956, and the grounds still include a small Japanese garden, a restored Victorian house-museum, and a hiking loop into the Verdugo foothills.
Free
Eagle Rock Recreation Center
Neighborhood park with playgrounds and sports courts below the namesake Eagle Rock formation. The recreation building itself is worth noticing — a 1953 pavilion by modernist architect Richard Neutra, with walls that hand-crank open like windows to blend indoors and outdoors. It was threatened with demolition in the 1980s but saved and designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, and today anchors 21.5 acres of park space.
FreeFarmers markets in Montrose
Montrose Harvest Market
Sunday market on Honolulu Ave in the Montrose Shopping Park with certified SoCal produce, flowers, and prepared foods in a walkable village.
Local restaurants in Montrose
The Black Cow Cafe
Montrose's quintessential neighborhood cafe on the Honolulu Ave strip — hearty all-day comfort food and a big weekend breakfast, with sidewalk patio seating.
Local shops in Montrose
Tom's Toys
Family toy store on Honolulu Ave with quality brands and classic generational toys.
The Paper Rabbit
Charming Honolulu Ave stationery shop with unique paper goods and creative gifts.
Sidebloom
Independent Honolulu Ave shop among Montrose's best local gift and home stores.
Once Upon A Time Bookstore
America's oldest children's bookstore, founded 1966 on Honolulu Avenue, with books, gifts, and greeting cards for all ages.
Once Upon A Time
An enchanting indie children's and general bookstore with a plant-filled entrance, billed as one of California's oldest children's bookstores.
It Takes a Village...Kids
Children's clothing from infant to size 14 on the walkable Montrose Shopping Park strip.
Seasonal & outdoors near Montrose
The closest splash pads, patches, lights and more — distances from Montrose.
More Los Angeles family guides
Montrose family FAQ
Where can families eat in Montrose?
Local, family-friendly spots in Montrose include The Black Cow Cafe — independent, SoCal-only eateries, never national chains.
What does the YourSoCal Montrose guide cover?
Our Montrose family guide includes 1 local eats, 6 local shops and 1 farmers market — all hand-curated, locally owned, and sorted by distance from you.
Listings are curated and may change — confirm hours and details before you go.