What's near American Girl that a 12 year old boy would be interested in?

yngsj

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
We will be taking out DD9 to American Girl in a few weeks, I know we will be there for hours since we plan to experience it all. My question is what is nearby that my DS12 could do with DH for part of the time we will be there? I know he will be ready to leave after an hour or so and my DD and I will be staying for afternoon tea which he said he definitely didn't want to do. I know there is a theater, but because we only allow our kids to watch G movie we can never count on that.
 
We are coming from Australia in May and I am also taking my DD 9 to American Girl while Dh entertains DS 12 elsewhere, so I too would love to know any ideas.
 
Jumping on board as well. Thinking about taking my dd there, but I know dh and ds would be bored stiffless. Is the La Brea tarpits within walking distance?
 
The tar pits are a 20-30 minute walk.

There is a cool, although small, toy store in the Grove next to the Farmer's Market.
 
The tar pits are pretty neat (I would probably drive, but it's worth looking into the walking option). Checking out the Farmer's Market is also fun, although I'm not sure how long a pre-teen boy would last... You might also search to see if there are any arcades nearby (e.g. Dave and Busters?)
 
If you don't mind a drive 2-4 hour out of town (depending on traffic). Last I heard Edwards Air Force base is home to Nasa's Dryden flight research museum and they offer 2 free tours a day. You'll want to check on that of course.

I can imagine that would be fascinating for a 12 year old boy to see one or two of a kind test aircraft from several decades.
 
LACMA is right next to the Tar Pits too, so don't miss that. I live right down the street from The Grove/Farmers Market and also form LACMA/Tar Pits. Farmers Market and The Grove are on Third Street. The Tar Pits and LACMA are on Wilshire Boulevard. Fairfax connects the two streets, so you could jet down Fairfax from The Grove either by car or on foot, make a left (east) on Wilshire and then head down towards the museum/Tar Pits. LACMA is also down the block from the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA, and across the street from the buildings wheer E! Entertainment and other entertainment companies are. It is a bit of a walk from Farmers Market to the Tar Pits unless you are very used to walking a lot, so you may want to drive. Now, down at Third Street and La Cienega is the Beverly Center and the Beverly Connection. (Shopping centers.) If you go up Fairfax from Third Street to Beverly, CBS is right there, where The Price is Right is taped. Keep going up Fairfax and you will see the famous Canters Deli. Keep going and you will hit the famous Melrose Avenue, then Santa Monica Blvd., then Sunset Blvd., then Hollywood Blvd. So basically, just driving up and down Fairfax and turning onto any one of these streets will get you to interesting parts of town. If you head west on Wilshire, you will eventually hit Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive, etc. Lots of stuff to do around here!! It is a hotbed of activity!
 
It seems like the area is a pretty safe place to go and sight see and spend the day. I was thinking of going to the American Girl Doll store and then maybe taking a ride around.
 
It seems like the area is a pretty safe place to go and sight see and spend the day. I was thinking of going to the American Girl Doll store and then maybe taking a ride around.

Yep, it is a good area overall. It gets a little bit seedier the closer to Hollywood you get, but a lot of L.A.'s most famous streets are all in one little chain here, so there is quite a bit to see, and in general, it is considered a good area of town.
 
Thanks Sherry, you made me feel better. With 3 young children I get nervous and like to plan out the area and exactly where we are going. All the research I did looked like it was a safe area. The girls are going to be so excited.
 
There's an Apple Store in the Grove, if the OP's DS12 is so inclined.

Also, Dodger Stadium isn't too far away, although a baseball game would take hours.

Maybe the California Science Center in Exposition Park would pique his interest. Exposition Park is where the L.A. Coliseum is, site of the 1984 Olympics opening ceremonies and track and field events, as well as where USC plays its home football games. USC is adjacent to the park on the north side.
 
We just got back from our trip and my DH and DS found plenty to just at the Grove and Farmers Markets. We decided to visit the La Brea Tar pits as a family and I'm glad we did because we all enjoyed it. We also visited the Peterson's car museum which was also great and a very short walk from the tar pits.
 

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