🥟 The 626 & East LA
San Gabriel Valley with kids
Curated by Punita Patel
21 spots within 60 miles of 92692
Hsi Lai Temple
Hacienda Heights
One of the largest Buddhist temples in the Western Hemisphere — ornate courtyards and a vegetarian cafeteria. Dress modestly.
🗓️ Year-round
Get directions →Frank G. Bonelli Park / Puddingstone
San Dimas · Regional park & lake
A swimming beach, boating and fishing — and Raging Waters water park sits right next door for a big summer day.
🗓️ Year-round
💵 ~$10/vehicle
Get directions →Pío Pico State Historic Park
Whittier
The last Mexican governor of California's adobe — the grounds are free; the interior is by guided appointment.
🗓️ Thu–Sun
Get directions →American Military Museum (Tankland)
South El Monte · Outdoor museum
180+ tanks and military vehicles outdoors — the standout El Monte-area spot. Weather-dependent.
🗓️ Fri–Sun
💵 Modest admission
Get directions →Whittier Narrows Nature Center
South El Monte
Small wildlife exhibits and easy trails; the broader rec area includes Legg Lake with paddle boats and playgrounds.
🗓️ Year-round
Get directions →Montebello Barnyard Zoo
Montebello · Petting zoo
Inside Grant Rea Park — a toddler/preschool favorite, with rides à la carte.
🗓️ Closed Mon–Tue
💵 ~$11; pony/train rides extra
Get directions →Vincent Lugo Park ('Monster Park')
San Gabriel
The beloved 1965 concrete 'sea creature' playground. Heads-up: some sculptures are under multi-year restoration and may be fenced — verify before a special trip.
🗓️ Year-round
Get directions →Almansor Park
Alhambra
A lake, playground and golf course — a solid local stop to pair with Alhambra's Main Street dining.
🗓️ Year-round
Get directions →Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
San Gabriel · Historic mission
Reopened in 2023 after the 2020 fire — a restored church and a reimagined museum on Tongva history.
🗓️ Year-round
💵 Modest admission
Get directions →Santa Anita Park
Arcadia · Racetrack & events
A Family Fun Zone (jumpers, pony rides, face painting) runs on select race days with the San Gabriel Mountains as backdrop. Also hosts the 626 Night Market.
🗓️ Spring meet starts ~April
💵 Admission varies; many free-parking days
Get directions →LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Arcadia · Botanical garden
Famous free-roaming peacocks and flat, stroller-friendly loops — a reliable, low-key family morning.
🗓️ Year-round
💵 ~$15 adult / ~$6 child; free 3rd Tue
Get directions →Mariachi Plaza
Boyle Heights
Mariachis gather here and there's a Metro stop right at the plaza — best as a self-guided walk past the neighborhood murals.
🗓️ Mariachis gather esp. weekends
Get directions →The Huntington Library, Art & Gardens
San Marino · Library & gardens
120 acres — pick 2–3 gardens. The Children's Garden and Chinese Garden are family favorites; the free day books out fast.
🗓️ Closed Tue
💵 ~$25–29 adult; one free day/month
Get directions →Olvera Street (El Pueblo)
Los Angeles
The oldest part of LA — food stalls, folklorico and Mexican crafts, right by Union Station on the East-LA edge.
🗓️ Year-round; big Día de los Muertos events
Get directions →USC Pacific Asia Museum
Pasadena · Art museum
A Chinese imperial-palace-style building — the courtyard alone is worth a peek. Compact, good for a short family visit.
🗓️ Year-round
💵 ~$10 adult, under 11 free; free 2nd Sun
Get directions →Old Town Pasadena
Pasadena
Walkable Colorado Blvd shopping and dining; pairs naturally with the Norton Simon and the Gamble House.
🗓️ Year-round
Get directions →Norton Simon Museum
Pasadena · Art museum
World-class art plus a sculpture garden and pond — a manageable size for kids.
🗓️ Closed Tue
💵 ~$20 adult, under 18 free; free first-Fri evenings
Get directions →Kidspace Children's Museum
Pasadena · Children's museum
Outdoor-heavy campus next to the Rose Bowl, ideal for under-10s. Bring sun protection — most of it is outside.
🗓️ Year-round
💵 ~$15.50/person
Get directions →The Gamble House
Pasadena · Historic home
The Arts & Crafts landmark (and the 'Doc Brown' house from Back to the Future). Tours sell out — book ahead.
🗓️ Year-round
💵 ~$17 adult, under 12 free; tours only
Get directions →Rose Bowl Stadium & loop
Pasadena
The iconic stadium with a great family walk/bike loop around the Arroyo Seco — and the legendary monthly flea market.
🗓️ Year-round; flea market 2nd Sun
Get directions →Descanso Gardens
La Cañada Flintridge · Botanical garden
Camellia and oak-forest gardens with a seasonal enchanted forest and railroad. Cool and shady on a hot day.
🗓️ Year-round
💵 ~$15 adult / ~$5 child
Get directions →The famous 626 food scene 🥟
Dim sum, soup dumplings, Sichuan, hand-pulled noodles, hot pot and boba — plus the legendary tacos and panaderías of East LA. Real, well-known spots; weekend dim sum lines are long, so go early.
Sea Harbour Seafood
RosemeadDim sum
Har gow, scallop siu mai, baked BBQ pork buns and egg custard buns. Michelin-listed — long weekend-morning lines.
Lunasia Dim Sum House
AlhambraDim sum
Oversized har gow, XL soup dumplings and crispy shrimp rice rolls. Michelin-listed; also in Pasadena.
NBC Seafood
Monterey ParkDim sum (cart-style)
Classic carts — shrimp dumplings, turnip cake, egg tarts. The old-school SGV dim sum experience.
888 Seafood
RosemeadDim sum
Har gow, shrimp rice rolls and egg tarts; dim sum runs ~9am–2:30pm.
Din Tai Fung
ArcadiaSoup dumplings
Pork XLB, truffle-and-pork XLB, and shrimp-pork wontons in chili oil. At Westfield Santa Anita — expect a wait.
Shanghai No. 1 Seafood Village
San GabrielShanghainese
XLB, sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork buns) and braised Shanghai classics.
Mama Lu's Dumpling House
Monterey ParkDumplings
Pork XLB, pan-fried pork buns and beef roll. A dependable SGV staple.
Beijing Pie House
Monterey ParkNorthern Chinese
Beef-and-green-onion meat pies (xian bing) and cumin lamb.
Luscious Dumplings
MonroviaDumplings
Pork-and-shrimp pan-fried dumplings, Michelin-listed. The original San Gabriel shop closed — it's Monrovia-only now.
Chengdu Taste
AlhambraSichuan
Toothpick lamb, mapo tofu and boiled fish in green-pepper sauce — the flagship of the SGV Sichuan boom. Michelin-listed.
Sichuan Impression
AlhambraSichuan
Mouthwatering chicken, toothpick lamb and boiled fish in chili oil. Michelin-listed.
JTYH Restaurant
RosemeadHand-pulled noodles
Knife-cut and hand-pulled noodles and green-onion pancakes. A Jonathan Gold honoree; closed Tuesdays.
Boiling Point
San GabrielHot pot
Single-serve clay-pot hot pots — the House Special is the move. Also in Monterey Park.
Haidilao Hot Pot
ArcadiaHot pot
Mala + mushroom dual broth, the noodle-pulling 'dance' and famously theatrical service. Open late; also Rowland Heights.
Newport Seafood
San GabrielCantonese seafood
The House Special Lobster (green onion, jalapeño, butter) and house special crab. Michelin-listed — the SGV special-occasion icon.
Savoy Kitchen
AlhambraHainan / Macanese
Hainan chicken rice and Macau-style pork chop. Tiny — expect a line.
Golden Deli
San GabrielVietnamese
Chả giò (fried egg rolls) and phở — a longtime SGV favorite.
Sam Woo BBQ
RosemeadCantonese BBQ
Roast duck, char siu and soy chicken over rice — the go-to Cantonese-BBQ slot.
Yang's Kitchen
AlhambraCalifornia-Chinese
Mapo tofu, dan dan noodles and a popular modern brunch.
Half & Half (Tea Express)
Temple CityBoba / tea
Originated in San Gabriel — the signature layered Iced Milk Drink with hot honey boba.
Meet Fresh
ArcadiaTaiwanese dessert
Signature taro-ball dessert with grass jelly. Also in Temple City and Hacienda Heights.
85°C Bakery Cafe
AlhambraBakery / boba
Sea-salt coffee and marble taro bread — grab a tray and tongs. Also in Arcadia.
Guisados
Boyle HeightsBraised tacos
The original flagship — cochinita pibil, chuleta, tinga, or the 6-taco Sampler. Michelin-listed.
Mariscos Jalisco
Boyle HeightsMexican seafood truck
Tacos dorados de camarón (fried shrimp tacos) and aguachile — the only Michelin-listed taco truck in LA.
El Tepeyac Cafe
Boyle HeightsMexican-American
The Hollenbeck burrito (or the giant Manuel's Special if you're brave). Since 1942.
La Mascota Bakery
Boyle HeightsPanadería
Tamales (chicken mole, chile rojo), conchas and pan dulce; menudo on weekends. Since 1952.
King Taco
East LATacos
Al pastor, carne asada and suadero — and those red and green salsas. An East-LA institution.
Birrieria Don Boni
Boyle HeightsBirria
Birria de chivo (goat), quesatacos and consommé. 50+ years in.
SGV & East LA events worth planning around
626 Night Market
Summer (Jun & Aug)Arcadia — The marquee Asian night market at Santa Anita Park — hundreds of food stalls, Fri–Sun, summer-only. Cheap online tickets, free parking; go hungry.
Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival
Late Jan / FebMonterey Park — On Garvey Ave — the largest and most established of the SGV Lunar New Year street festivals, with lion dancers, food and rides.
Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival
FebruaryAlhambra — On Main Street — ~50,000 attendees and 250+ booths; a separate event from Monterey Park's.
Hsi Lai Temple Lunar New Year
FebruaryHacienda Heights — One of the nation's largest Chinese New Year temple celebrations (100,000+). Free, with a shuttle from Puente Hills.
San Gabriel Lunar Lantern Festival
MarchSan Gabriel — In the Mission District — a huge lantern festival that marks the close of Lunar New Year.
Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival
AprilMonterey Park — A free spring festival at Barnes Park.
Pasadena Chalk Festival
JunePasadena — A free street-painting festival at The Paseo — hundreds of artists turn the pavement into a gallery.
Huntington Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
Early OctoberSan Marino — A ticketed evening celebration at The Huntington — lanterns, performances and mooncakes.
Self Help Graphics Día de los Muertos
Late Oct / Nov 1Boyle Heights / East LA — A procession from Mariachi Plaza to East LA Civic Center — the oldest continuous Día de los Muertos celebration in the area.
Tournament of Roses / Rose Parade
January 1Pasadena — The famous New Year's Day flower-float parade down Colorado Blvd, followed by the Rose Bowl game. Free curbside; camp out or hit post-parade float viewing.
Doo Dah Parade
NovemberPasadena — Old Pasadena's irreverent 'anti-Rose-Parade' — costumes and oddball entries. Goofy fun older kids love.
Rose Bowl Flea Market
Monthly (2nd Sun)Pasadena — ~2,500 vendors at the Rose Bowl. Go early, bring cash and a wagon.
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Frequently asked questions
What's there to do in the San Gabriel Valley with kids?
A lot, and most of it is shaded or indoors for hot days. Highlights: Kidspace Children's Museum and the Norton Simon in Pasadena, the Huntington in San Marino, the LA County Arboretum (with the famous peacocks) in Arcadia, Descanso Gardens in La Cañada, Mission San Gabriel, Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, and the Monster Park playground in San Gabriel.
Where's the best Chinese food in the San Gabriel Valley?
The SGV is one of the best Chinese-food regions in the country. For dim sum, try Sea Harbour (Rosemead), Lunasia (Alhambra) or NBC Seafood (Monterey Park). For soup dumplings, Din Tai Fung (Arcadia) or Shanghai No. 1. For Sichuan, Chengdu Taste and Sichuan Impression in Alhambra. For a special occasion, Newport Seafood's house-special lobster. Weekend dim sum lines get long — go early.
When is the 626 Night Market?
It's summer-only, on select weekends in June and August at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia (Friday–Sunday evenings). It's the marquee Asian night market — hundreds of food stalls. Buy tickets online to save, parking is free, and go hungry.
Is the San Gabriel Valley good for a family day trip?
Yes. Easy pairings: the Huntington + dim sum in San Gabriel; Old Town Pasadena + Kidspace + the Norton Simon; the Arboretum + Din Tai Fung at Santa Anita; or Olvera Street and Mariachi Plaza for an East-LA culture-and-food afternoon.