Travel Town

Last time we talked about the Southern Railroad in Griffith park. If your kids like chu-chus, it's a nice place to go. However, if they are really addicted to trains, and you want to take them to the world of trains, you should visit the Travel Town. It is located at 5200 Zoo Drive and is open from 10am to 4pm (Saturdays and Sundays to 5pm). It is an outdoor museum with a lot of real trains, and your kids can walk around, go inside some trains, and spend a really great time there. 

In the Travel Town you can do a lot more than just see trains. Picnic tables and BBQ facilities are available for rental, and a lot of families spend the whole day there. You can even organize your kids' birthday or other parties there, which I haven't tried but you can find out about it calling them at (323) 662-5874. There is a nice gift shop, but you better avoid it if you don't want to spend a lot of money. And of course, there is a miniature train to ride (about 3$), which is fun and enjoyable, just like the Southern Railroad trains.

If you want to visit the Travel Town, plan to spend there more than 2 hours. Of course, you can spend there the whole day as well if you plan picnic, BBQ, or parties. Have a great time!

Southern Railroad and Merry-Go-Round

Today, we'll explore the Southern Railroad and the Merry-Go-Round of the Griffith park.

The Southern Railroad is right next to the Pony Rides, which I've mentioned last time. It is a miniature train ride that has operated more than 60 years. It has two trains that come one after another taking children and adults for a ride through a lush green meadow, an old Western town, and a Native American village. The ride is interesting for children and affordable for parents (about 3$). It's usually open from 10am to 4.30 pm, and the address is the same as for Pony Rides: if you enter the Griffith Park from Los Feliz Boulevard and continue on Crystal Springs Dr., in a couple of minutes you'll see it on your right (4400 Crystal Springs Dr.).

The Southern Railroad is nice, however, you won't spend all your day there. It's good to visit it the same day as Pony Rides. Altogether, you will spend 2-3 hours there, however, if you want to do more in Griffith park, it's a good idea to move towards the Merry-Go-Round. To get there you will need to continue on Crystal Springs Dr. for about 1-2 min. (towards the zoo) until you see the sign and turn left. It's a little tricky, and I think the map has wrong directions for it, so be sure to follow the sign. There is also a nice big playground near the Merry-Go-Round, so you can spend some more time there. Overall, the area is green and nice for your kids to walk, run, lay on the grass, etc.

Have an amazing time and get ready for our next adventures in Griffith park.

Pony Rides

You can start your child's day in Griffith park from Pony Rides, which is always fun and interesting for kids. If you enter the Griffith Park from Los Feliz Boulevard, and just continue on Crystal Springs Dr., in a couple of minutes you'll see Pony Rides just on your right (address: 4400 Crystal Springs Dr.; hours: Tue-Sun 10am-4pm).

There are three types of ponies that you can choose for your child to ride: slow, medium, and big ponies. The slow ponies are for children 1+, but I took my son there when he was 3, and I sill was a little scared. The matter is that you put your child on the pony, the staff secures him onto the saddle, and then the pony takes him without you or the staff. Of course, the staff are still there to watch the ponies and the kids, but there are only 2-3 of them for about 10-15 ponies. The ponies walk around the arena track at a slow and very steady pace. Though it was the first time for my kid to ride a pony, I can assure that the ponies were very well-trained to walk around the track. we really enjoyed the ride. The medium ponies are a lot faster, and they are for 3+ kids, however, I wouldn't advise to take them if it's your kid's first time. The big ponies are for 7+ children. They are pretty fast, sometimes even slightly jumping. I believe all the ponies are really well-trained and secure, so you can be sure your child will not fall. The only thing to worry about is whether your child is ready for it or not in order not to make them scared and unmotivated for next times. I've read there are also "pony sweeps" for very little ones, and "wagon rides" for the whole families, but I haven't checked them out. 

Pony Rides are fun, and they cost only 3$ per person, so be sure to check it out. I wish you a fantastic time there!