Only 30 minutes drive away, Redondo Beach is filled with many little-known family activities, perfect for a day trip or a staycation. And since the city is so compact, youâll find almost everything within walking/biking distance or a short drive. My family and I had the pleasure of being hosted by Redondo Beach and we discovered a boatload of fun (literally!).
Hotel:
Redondo Beach Hotel
We stayed at the recently remodeled Redondo Beach Hotel, centrally located and only a short walk from the beach, the International Boardwalk, the Pier, SEA Lab and many other great activities. Our junior suite was clean and spacious, with two beds, a couch, and a big bathroom, making for a comfortable and delightful stay. A nightâs stay includes breakfast! During our two breakfasts at the hotel we enjoyed their selection of waffles (you make them yourself), eggs, bacon/sausage, cereal, fruit, tea, milk, juice, fruit, bagels, etc. Thereâs something for everyone in the family to munch on. The hotel amenities and staff made our stay with a toddler easy. Which is great, especially if you forget to bring a couple of essential items. The hotel also offers free bike rentals, heated pool and space, and has been recently renovated to make every room quite, clean and well-appointed.
Location: Pier area, Map
Cost: $160+
Entertainment & Attractions (points of interest):
SEA Lab
Located only an eight minute walk from Redondo Beach Hotel, the SEA Lab is a small, hands-on aquarium perfect for young families. If you visit, you MUST take the tour (see their daily tour hours) because itâs the true jewel of this aquarium. The tour (about 45 minutes long) takes you up-close with touch tanks and face-to-face encounters with marine life, like horn sharks, abalone, sea bass, sea cucumbers, bat seastars, and even a shovelnose guitarfish. The friendly and knowledgeable tour guides love their work, and we love that most of the marine animals are rescues. The SEA Lab gave us a chance to touch and see some animals that we have never seen at other aquariums. The fish feeding (extra cost) gives you a little container of fish food that you throw into their tide pool tank. Getting splashed by hungry fish competing for the food is a splashing good time!
Location: Pier area, half mile from Hotel
Time Spent: 1 hour
Cost: $5.00 per person. Free for members and for children ages 14 and younger. SEA Lab is also free on the first Tuesday of each month.
Pier and International Boardwalk
If youâre lucky enough to be able to go out at night without the kids, this is the place to be. Go bar-hopping at a variety of themed pubs along the Boardwalk. Take a romantic walk along the sweeping pier under the moonlight. Enjoy the sound of waves crashing as you sample fresh seafood and desserts along Fishermanâs Wharf. You can even enjoy upscale dining at Kincaidâs. During the day, bring the whole family along for souvenir shopping at the many gift shops, retro arcade fun at the Fun Factory and ocean adventures on the Looking Glass and Pedal Boats (see below for more info). You can also enjoy whale watching and paddleboarding from this location.
Location: Half mile from Hotel
Time Spent: 1-3 hours
Cost: varies
Looking Glass & Pedal Boats
Whatâs a boat on top and submarine on the bottom? The Looking Glass Semi-Submersible underwater viewing boat! What a cool experience being guided through the bay and seeing jack smelt, calico bass and other local fish swarm around the boat for their snack. Our son kept laughing in delight, and he even made friends with one wacky fish that just kept coming up to the glass again and again. We would totally come back again on our next visit to Redondo Beach. Infants and children under 30 lbs are not recommended for this ride.
Location: International Boardwalk, half mile from Hotel
Time Spent: 1 hour
Cost: Adults $15. Seventeen and under, $10.
Fun Factory
Transport yourself back in time and relive the 1990âs arcade scene at this Redondo Beach mainstay. Youâll hardly believe it when you see most of the games only cost ONE QUARTER (OR TWO)! Youâll soon realize that these machines are actually from the 1990âs, but you wonât care since your kids are only spending a quarter at a time instead of $1 to $2 at other arcades. Use your savings to buy yourself some hot seafood next door or to ride the Tilt-a-Whirl, which is way more intense than it looks. Donât say I didnât warn you. Some of the newer games are $1-$2, but overall, you and your family will get more than your moneyâs worth of family fun at the Fun Factory.
Location: International Boardwalk, half mile from Hotel
Time Spent: 1-3 hours
Cost: Most games 25 or 50 cents, some are $1-$2.
South Bay Galleria
The big draw to this mall is the recently renovated AMC Dine-In Theater with food, alcohol and reclining chairs. Restaurants include Johnny Rockets, Red Robin and a very nice food court. For the little ones they have a Chuggy Chug Express Train on level 3, and an endless array of both high-end and mid-range stores. And, of course, with the Wonder of Dinosaurs attraction inside, it is 100% kid friendly, and a great place to spend an afternoon at, especially for families whose kids span a large age range.
Location: 15 min drive from Hotel, Map
Wonder of Dinosaurs
Located in the South Bay Galleria, Wonder of Dinosaurs boasts two floors of dino fun. The first floorâs animatronic dinosaurs and dino facts displays make up the âmuseumâ portion. Adjacent to the museum are a few rides and indoor mini-golf. My son kept pointing at the dinosaurus, teaching me their names or asking me âwhat is this one called?â He counted over five T-Rexâs (his favorite). A short elevator ride upstairs takes you to the second floor, a mecca of dino-themed bouncers and mazes. My son screamed with glee when he saw the second floor and ran through the entire place, trying every single bouncer. At the end, he was bushed!
Location: 10 min drive from Hotel
Time Spent: 1-2 hours
Cost: Weekdays: Child (2-12) $16 & Adults (13-54) $8, Weekends: Child (2-12) $18 & Adults (13-54): $10
Hopkins Wilderness Park
A hidden gem in Redondo Beach, this park beckons anyone who wants to explore--with trails, abundant trees and a pond full of fishes and turtles. Little ones will love to feed the fishes. A vending machine dispenses fish food for only 25 cents! I recommend you bring a container of some sort to hold the fish food. Kids will be turning over rocks and jumping off tree stumps. If youâre lucky, youâll even see some wildlife, like bunnies and lizards. Bathrooms and picnic tables are available. The park also has camping if you are looking for a little more adventure. Free entry and parking make this a very affordable stop.
Location: 10 min drive from Hotel
Time Spent: 1 - 2 hours
Cost: No park entry fee, free parking, fees for overnight camping.
Riviera Village
Looking for one-of-a-kind boutiques, restaurants, galleries and more? Head out to Riviera Village, where the whole family can take a stroll in this beach town as well as enjoy a lovely meal at one of the many Riviera Village restaurants, like Suburbia (see below for more info). On Sunday mornings (9am - 2pm) Riviera Village hosts a popular Farmerâs Market. I love farmerâs markets because you never know what tasty snack or artisan goodies you will find.
Location: 10 min drive from Hotel, Map
Time Spent: 1-1.5 hours
Cost: Free to walk and browse around
Restaurants we tried:
Suburbia
Located in Riviera Village, Suburbia is casually chic with a globally inspired menu and a lengthy selection of beers, wine, and cocktails. As a parent, I love it when a restaurant like Suburbia offers high chairs making it easy for parents of young children to eat here. Their menu changes seasonally; during our visit we (including our three-year-old) loved the Street Corn âOff the Cobâ and the Charcuterie & Cheese Board. Plenty of metered parking is available in the parking lot across the street.
Sea Level
Right next to the marina, in the Shade Hotel, Sea Level restaurant is an upscale, yet breezy and casual place where the parents can enjoy excellent cocktails (try the Bloody Mary), a great wine list, original chef-created dishes (try our favorite, the fresh local mussels), while the kids enjoy their new kidâs menu (I love that Sea Level just became more family-friendly). Splurge on at least one of your meals here and you wonât regret it. We found it especially nice for lunch, with shady outdoor seating and a gorgeous view of the marina.
Rubyâs Diner
For good, old-fashioned burger, fries and milkshake, no one can beat Rubyâs Diner. As a bonus, the service was excellent, attentive and cheerful. Good views of the Seaside Lagoon can be enjoyed, as well. Our son loved the fishes travelling around the ceiling, the kids menu, and his build-it-yourself cardboard car. I liked the fried green beans, especially since my son was eating them like they were french fries. Very family-friendly dining.
The Great Room Cafe
Unlike other places we have visited, the Great Room Cafe is a combination toddler play area, gaming area, restaurant, and lounge. The menu includes freshly made pizza, burgers and paninis, pastas, salads, a kids menu, wine and beer. There are two play rooms designed to entertain kids of all ages. The toddler play area is designed for younger children, consisting of a play structure with slide and various toys. The gaming area is designed for older kids, equipped with air hockey, giant Jenga, skeeball, foosball, multiple Xbox Ones with Kinect, and more. The Great Room Cafe is a nice place to take a load off while the kids explore and play.
Redondo Beach boasts of other activities and attractions sure to entertain and please families with kids of all ages, like bike riding, fishing, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, whale watching, and much more. In addition, Redondo Beach hosts great events throughout the year like Springfest Carnival, Riviera Village Summer Festival, South Bay Greek Festival, Redondo Beach Lobster Festival, King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade and more. Click here to view a list of Redondo Beach events.
Map of all the attractions in this article.
DISCLAIMER: My family and I were hosted at these attractions and restaurants for the purpose of this article and reviews. All opinions are my own.
