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Activities from the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the Los Angeles Zoo plus California's great weather makes LA a year-round travel hot spot.

With flair and attitude, Los Angeles, California provides the setting for families seeking the excitement of outdoor activities, the intrigue of world-class culture where you can explore the past or discover something new, or just plain, pure fun. The energy of L.A. will keep you busy from dawn 'til dusk. 

Shopping is a year-round indulgence where family members can find everything from the hippest fashions to handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces.  Most well-known for shopping (and celebrity watching) are a three-block area in Beverly Hills called Rodeo Drive and Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. 

Los Angeles reinvents itself for every season, so there's always something hip and happening. Here a few ideas to keep your family entertained in the city where dreams come true.

Come see where L.A. began at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Park. Here you'll find restored historical buildings including Avila Adobe, the Old Plaza Church, the Old Plaza Firehouse and more. The park is also the home of a colorful Mexican marketplace, Olvera Street, with strolling Mariachi musicians and folkloric dancing. This shopping paradise of colorful stalls lined with piñatas has shops of candles, bright woven blankets, hand-crafted silver jewelry and handmade toys which double as folk art.

Families can enjoy wonderful times, good meals, and each other at The Getty Center ( 310/440-7300), the art complex set on a 110-acre hilltop ridge overlooking Westwood and Beverly Hills. Two silver trams ferry visitors from the parking lot on a three-quarter-mile trip to the excitement of discovering and studying art. Don't know Monet from Titan?   There's audio guides designed especially for families to make the art accessible.  Everyone will also enjoy exploring the innovative Family Room and its extensive art library and costume shop.  The tram ride and admission are free, however, there is a $15 charge for parking.  

Staples Center, a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex, is the dynamic home of the Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers, Kings, Sparks and Avengers sports teams, as well as one of the biggest concert venues in the entertainment world. The Staples Center also has theatrical productions. Be sure to arrive early to give yourself enough time to park (in one of their 20,000 parking spots) and to go through security.

Skirball Cultural Center (310/440-4500) just a mile north of the Getty Center, has a wide range of cultural programs and museum exhibitions for adults and children of all ages.  The Music Center (213/972-7211) in downtown L.A. is where theater lovers will find their groove at one of four venues. The elegant Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theater, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall (designed by architect Frank Gehry), showcase outstanding Broadway musicals, dramas, world music, and other arts productions.    Nokia Theatre (213/763-6031) across form the Staples Center is a new, smaller venue for music and theater.

Not every city has a destination library, but the Los Angeles Central Library presents the vibrant and colorful things the world has to offer on cool computers in awesome reading rooms. You can spot the restored 1925 landmark from a distance by the multicolored tile pyramid on its roof. Another landmark, Union Station, proves that half the fun is getting to the fun, particularly if you're aboard the California Zephyr or the Coast Starlight. On the way you'll pass beautiful scenic views. Architectural buffs will marvel at the palatial 1939 Spanish Colonial Revival depot that now serves Amtrak trains.  

City Hall, built in 1926, is a favorite of TV and movie directors. Old-timers will remember it as police headquarters in the "Dragnet" series. As you study the skyline, keep in mind that for many years, L.A. building codes prohibited construction of anything taller than City Hall.  Zimmer Children's Museum ( 323/761-8989) is a place where everyone gets to have fun, and creativity soars. Children can dress up and play act in the theater section, pretend they are traveling in an actual Piper aircraft, or explore outer space with a geodesic dome. Seasonal workshops and family day art activities are offered. Children under the age of 2 and grandparents (when accompanied by grandchild) are free.