Location

4 with deals

Things to do in Santa Monica with kids

Museums, tours & cruises and family fun — 20 places to go with kids in Santa Monica, California. 1 free to enter · most admission $10 to $39. 4 have a verified saving right now.
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Indoor things to do in Santa Monica →

Museums in Santa Monica6

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Tours & cruises in Santa Monica4

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Family fun in Santa Monica4

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Adventure in Santa Monica2

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Zoos & aquariums in Santa Monica1

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Escape rooms in Santa Monica1

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Ice & roller skating in Santa Monica1

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Theme parks in Santa Monica1

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What’s on in Santa Monica

Within 25 miles of Santa Monica. Dates and wording are each venue’s own.

Free in Santa Monica

One attraction in Santa Monica gets you in for nothing, in the venue’s own words.

  • Santa Monica Pier

    The venue says: “keep the Santa Monica Pier free, fun, and full of life”

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Places with deals in Santa Monica

See each venue's offer wording and ticket conditions before choosing.

Santa Monica offers a diverse range of attractions centered around interactive experiences and entertainment venues. Virtual reality attractions dominate the landscape—Player One VR World features full-body tracking technology and 5K immersion, VR HOUR offers virtual reality escape room experiences where players solve puzzles using VR headsets and controllers, and THE CUBE VR Immersive Park puts visitors into virtual worlds using advanced VR technology and motion simulators. For younger children, Cayton Children's Museum is a hands-on space where children and families explore ideas through play and open-ended discovery. The Heal the Bay Aquarium sits beneath the Santa Monica Pier and displays over 100 local marine species in exhibits focused on protecting bay wildlife. Museum of Illusions features interactive exhibits that visitors explore at their own pace, typically spending forty-five minutes moving through perspective-changing rooms, installations, and optical illusions. These attractions suit different trip lengths and ages, from an hour with a toddler to a full day with teenagers.

What this list covers

Santa Monica has 20 places to go, mostly museums (6), tours & cruises (4), family fun (4).

16 of them publish an admission price, 18 publish opening hours, 3 have something dated on now, 4 are running a verified saving.

Every figure here was read on the attraction’s own website, most recently on October 13, 2026.

How we know these are real

Savings here are quoted from the attraction’s own website, word for word. This one, for example:

“EBT (cardholder): $6.00”

Quoted from healthebay.org · checked on

Common questions

How many attractions in Santa Monica are running a deal?
4 of the 20 attractions in Santa Monica currently have a verified saving, covering 10 offers in total. Each is quoted from the attraction’s own website. Examples include Heal the Bay Aquarium, Museum of Illusions, Santa Monica History Museum. Check each venue’s offer wording and eligibility conditions.
How much do things to do in Santa Monica cost?
Most admission in Santa Monica runs $10 to $39 per person, and 1 place is free to enter. Published prices run from $7 to $89 — $7 at John Drescher Planetarium, $89 at Malibu Discovery, across 3 attractions in Santa Monica that publish their own. Each figure is that venue’s own price line for what it names, which is not always plain admission, and each attraction’s page carries the rest of its rates.
What’s on in Santa Monica right now?
3 attractions in Santa Monica have something dated running, 6 listings between them. Each carries its own dates and the venue’s own sentence, and nothing is listed once its dates have passed.
Is there anything free to do in Santa Monica?
1 attraction in Santa Monica says on its own website that admission is free. We only say free when the venue does, unqualified — a child rate priced at nothing is not a free attraction. Examples include Santa Monica Pier.
What kinds of attractions are included?
museums (6), tours & cruises (4), family fun (4), adventure (2), zoos & aquariums (1), escape rooms (1), ice & roller skating (1), theme parks (1).
Are these deals guaranteed to still be available?
No. Every deal here carries the date it was last checked on the attraction’s own website and a link straight to the page it came from, so you can confirm it before you travel. Prices and offers change without notice.
What can we do with a toddler for an hour or two?
Cayton Children's Museum is designed for hands-on exploration through play and open-ended discovery. The Heal the Bay Aquarium displays over 100 local marine species in exhibits focused on protecting bay wildlife, offering an engaging visit beneath the Santa Monica Pier.
My teenagers want something more immersive than a typical attraction. What's available?
Player One VR World features full-body tracking technology and 5K immersion in free-roam virtual reality. VR HOUR offers virtual reality escape room experiences where players use VR headsets and controllers to solve puzzles and explore immersive environments.
Are there any free or discounted options for military families?
Heal the Bay Aquarium offers military free admission. Santa Monica History Museum provides children under 17 free admission, making it accessible for families with younger kids.