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Children in colorful swimsuits play in a splash pad on white plaza in front of a dramatic midcentury performing arts center.
The Music Center’s revamped plaza features a new splash pad.
Alissa Walker

LA’s best splash pads

These public fountains are refreshing for all ages

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The Music Center’s revamped plaza features a new splash pad.
| Alissa Walker

When the heat wave hits, most Angelenos make plans to visit the nearest pool or beach. But splash pads require less of a time commitment, are far more accessible, and don’t require carting a boatload of equipment along with you (although you may want to bring a towel or change of clothes).

Los Angeles is immersed in somewhat of a splash pad renaissance. From Tongva Park in Santa Monica to the recently renovated Music Center plaza in Downtown, water features are a hot trend in new park design. As the city warms, expect to see more of these wet plazas—or, perhaps, ”spraygrounds”—incorporated into our urban fabric.

While some splash pads are designed for kids, most are just as welcoming for people of all ages and abilities to stop in and cool off. Be sure to also check with your local recreation department, many of which have splash pads that are part of public pool complexes. Some water features operate seasonally, so confirm opening hours before you head out—in true Southern California fashion, they might be turned off during times of drought.

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Rancho Tapo Community Park

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A gem of a splash pad set inside a big, grassy Simi Valley park filled with lots of other diversions—bocce ball!—should you tire of the Dr. Seuss-like water features.

Annenberg Community Beach House

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You don’t have to get tickets to the beach house to enjoy the splash pad just outside the entrance. It makes a great beach-day alternative when the Pacific is too rough—or too chilly—for swimming.

Annenberg Community Beach House

Tongva Park

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Santa Monica’s best park has a splash pad nestled into the children’s section of the park, which is named Discovery Hill. An adjacent rock climbing wall challenges big kids, while the super soft surface underfoot is great for littles.

Virginia Avenue Park

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Another Santa Monica gem, this no-frills splash pad is housed in the same park as a great playground, library, and, on Saturday mornings, a farmers’ market.

Panorama Park

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A splash pad that feels like a Rube Goldberg machine for water, complete with dumping buckets, funnels, and water wheels.

Coldwater Canyon Park

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More like a faux stream than a proper splash pad, this water feature rolls gently through a leafy, shaded Beverly Hills park, making it the ultimate summertime destination.

The Lion’s Fountain

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Yes, that’s the Cowardly Lion—or a feline inspired by him—from The Wizard of Oz, which was filmed right down the street. The Culver City plaza has 40 dancing water jets that will make you want to kick off your ruby slippers.

Hollywood & Highland

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There is indeed a splash pad in the center of the Hollywood & Highland mall. A good bet if you don’t mind sharing the fountains with tourists, and don’t want to be too far from Hot Topic.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM)

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The Nature Gardens exhibit at the Expo Park museum has a refreshing creek for wading—a great way for kids to cool off after they dig worms out of a compost pile (really). Museum admission required.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Pacific Park

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This gem of Glendale’s park system has a large colorful splash pad and a sparkling new pool. Also be sure to check out Glendale’s network of wading pools.

The Music Center

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A major makeover for the Music Center’s midcentury plaza reopens in time for Labor Day weekend, including a splash-ready fountain at the center. Plus, coffee by Go Get ‘Em Tiger is fountain-adjacent, as well as a new wine bar.

Tim Street-Porter, courtesy The Music Center

Grand Park

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The progenitor of LA’s contemporary splash pad scene, this Downtown institution is always packed yet never crowded. Hot tip: The fountain lights up at night, making it the perfect escape for a warm summer evening.

Rio de Los Angeles State Park

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This splash pad is part of an amenity-rich recreational complex in Cypress Park where a new pedestrian bridge will cross the river, connecting both banks.

Aquarium of the Pacific

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To get the full-immersion experience at this Long Beach museum, head to the Shark Lagoon, where an outdoor playground features interactive water-squirting squids and chance to pet some actual sharks. You’ll need to pay the museum admission to get in.

Aquarium of the Pacific

Kidspace Children's Museum

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Multiple outdoor water play areas means this Pasadena museum never gets old. Interpretive arroyos, flood plains, and a “rainstorm” even teach kids about how water affects local habitats. Admission required, but absolutely worth it on a hot day.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

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The children’s area of the legendary San Marino garden offers some of the coolest water features in town, with fountains, misters, and vine-strewn pergola shrouded in fog. Requires museum admission, but you get access to an entire botanical gardens.

Rancho Tapo Community Park

A gem of a splash pad set inside a big, grassy Simi Valley park filled with lots of other diversions—bocce ball!—should you tire of the Dr. Seuss-like water features.

Annenberg Community Beach House

You don’t have to get tickets to the beach house to enjoy the splash pad just outside the entrance. It makes a great beach-day alternative when the Pacific is too rough—or too chilly—for swimming.

Annenberg Community Beach House

Tongva Park

Santa Monica’s best park has a splash pad nestled into the children’s section of the park, which is named Discovery Hill. An adjacent rock climbing wall challenges big kids, while the super soft surface underfoot is great for littles.

Virginia Avenue Park

Another Santa Monica gem, this no-frills splash pad is housed in the same park as a great playground, library, and, on Saturday mornings, a farmers’ market.

Panorama Park

A splash pad that feels like a Rube Goldberg machine for water, complete with dumping buckets, funnels, and water wheels.

Coldwater Canyon Park

More like a faux stream than a proper splash pad, this water feature rolls gently through a leafy, shaded Beverly Hills park, making it the ultimate summertime destination.

The Lion’s Fountain

Yes, that’s the Cowardly Lion—or a feline inspired by him—from The Wizard of Oz, which was filmed right down the street. The Culver City plaza has 40 dancing water jets that will make you want to kick off your ruby slippers.

Hollywood & Highland

There is indeed a splash pad in the center of the Hollywood & Highland mall. A good bet if you don’t mind sharing the fountains with tourists, and don’t want to be too far from Hot Topic.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM)

The Nature Gardens exhibit at the Expo Park museum has a refreshing creek for wading—a great way for kids to cool off after they dig worms out of a compost pile (really). Museum admission required.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Pacific Park

This gem of Glendale’s park system has a large colorful splash pad and a sparkling new pool. Also be sure to check out Glendale’s network of wading pools.

The Music Center

A major makeover for the Music Center’s midcentury plaza reopens in time for Labor Day weekend, including a splash-ready fountain at the center. Plus, coffee by Go Get ‘Em Tiger is fountain-adjacent, as well as a new wine bar.

Tim Street-Porter, courtesy The Music Center

Grand Park

The progenitor of LA’s contemporary splash pad scene, this Downtown institution is always packed yet never crowded. Hot tip: The fountain lights up at night, making it the perfect escape for a warm summer evening.

Rio de Los Angeles State Park

This splash pad is part of an amenity-rich recreational complex in Cypress Park where a new pedestrian bridge will cross the river, connecting both banks.

Aquarium of the Pacific

To get the full-immersion experience at this Long Beach museum, head to the Shark Lagoon, where an outdoor playground features interactive water-squirting squids and chance to pet some actual sharks. You’ll need to pay the museum admission to get in.

Aquarium of the Pacific

Kidspace Children's Museum

Multiple outdoor water play areas means this Pasadena museum never gets old. Interpretive arroyos, flood plains, and a “rainstorm” even teach kids about how water affects local habitats. Admission required, but absolutely worth it on a hot day.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

The children’s area of the legendary San Marino garden offers some of the coolest water features in town, with fountains, misters, and vine-strewn pergola shrouded in fog. Requires museum admission, but you get access to an entire botanical gardens.