The Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department operates 150+ recreation centers and 350+ parks (including 5 Regional Parks) throughout the Los Angeles area. Its facilities throughout the city include nearly 16,000 acres of park land, 15 swimming pools, 13 golf courses, 92 miles of hiking trails, and hundreds of basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, playgrounds, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, indoor and outdoor gyms, and picnic areas. School-aged childcare is offered at park district facilities throughout the area, along with preschool programs for children ages 3-5.

Regional Parks:

Elysian Park. Near the Civic Center. Contains picnic areas, hiking trails, Angels Point and the Memorial Grove Arboretum.

Ernest E. Debs Regional Park. 4235 Monterey Rd., 213-847-3989. Features a landscaped picnic areas, natural wilderness including hiking trails, bird sanctuary, reservoir, and scenic views of the L.A. Basin and parks of Glendale.

Hansen Dam Recreation Area. 11770 Foothill Blvd., 818-756-8190. Features an 18-hole, par 72 golf course with food service, golf professional clubhouse and free parking (off Glenoaks Boulevard in the recreational area), as well as picnic areas and a lake, children's play area, a softball field, barbecue facilities, and outdoor amphitheater. Parking is available.

Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park. 25820 Vermont Ave., 310-548-7515. Features a reflecting lake and offers overnight camping (for groups only), fishing and nature hikes, picnic area with BBQ pits, 9-acre golf course, and children's play area.

Sepulveda Dam Recreational Area. 17017 Burbank Blvd. in Encino. Features three 18-hole golf courses, and 8-acre major sports field with baseball diamonds, lighted tennis courts, an outdoor gym with basketball, volleyball, and handball courts, children's play areas, parking facilities, a 20-acre picnic area, cricket field, archery range, garden center, and bicycle and roller skating paths.

Griffith Park. Open from 6 AM-10 PM daily. Features over 4,000 acres of land, bridle (equestrian) trails, hiking paths, jogging paths, mountain roads, picnic areas, golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pool, soccer fields, and playgrounds. Attractions include the Autrey Museum of Western Heritage (4700 Western Heritage Way, 323-667-2000, open 10 AM-5 PM Tues.-Sun.), Greek Theater, Griffith Observatory (planetarium theater, Hall of Science, Zeiss telescope, open 2-10 PM T-F, 12:20-10 PM Sat.-Sun.), Los Angeles Equestrian Center (480 Riverside Dr. in Burbank, 323-840-9063), Los Angeles Zoo, Travel Town Museum (5200 Zoo Dr., 323-662-5874, open 10 AM-4 PM daily, emphasis on railroad history, bicycle rental available here, 323-662-6573), Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round (Park Center, 323-665-3051, open weekends during school year and weekends over the summer, daily 11 AM-5 PM for Christmas and Easter breaks), Griffith Park Southern Railroad and Pony Rides (Los Feliz/Riverside entrance to park, open during school year from 10 AM-4:30 PM Tues.-Sun. during summer till 5 PM. 323-664-6788 for Railroad, 323-664-3266 for Pony rides)

Sherman Oaks/Castle Park. 4989 Sepulveda Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, 818-756-9459. Open from 10 AM-11 PM Sun.-Thurs., till Midnight on Fri. & Sat. Offers miniature golf, batting cages, an arcade, and party facilities (charges vary according to activity).

Orcutt Ranch. 818-346-7449. Open to public from 8 AM-5 PM daily. Features manicured gardens and towering oak trees. Available for rental from 8 AM-10 PM on the weekends and 4 PM-10 PM M-F.

The Los Angeles Zoo is open from 10 AM to 5 PM daily, and to 6 PM on Sat. & Sun. during July & August. Admission rates are $3.25 for children ages 2-12, $8.25 for adults, and $5.25 for senior citizens. Admission is free for members of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) or the American Zoo & Aquarium Association. Group discounts are available, as are employee discounts for companies of 50 or more. Educational Programs offered by the zoo include docent- and self-guided tours, classes for preschoolers, youth, and scout groups, as well as adult workshops, "zoo on the road" programs for schoolchildren, adults, and community groups, and curriculum materials for teachers.

The Los Angeles Unified School District educates nearly 700,000 students in grades K-12, with about half in the Elementary grades, 1/4 at the Middle School level, and the remainder in High School. Magnet programs serve just over 45,000 pupils, and about 4,300 students are enrolled in special education programs. Opportunity and continuation schools serve around 5,600 students. Children's centers enroll around 11,000 preschool- & primary school-aged children, and Community Adult Schools and Occupational/Skills Centers enroll nearly 200,000 post-secondary aged students. The district employs just over 67,000 staff, including 36,000+ teachers, about 5,300 other certified personnel, and nearly 26,000 classified (non-teaching) staff. The district maintains 668 schools, including 420 Elementary Schools, 72 Middle Schools, and 49 High Schools. The remainder is multi-level buildings, Continuation and Opportunity High Schools, Magnet Programs, Special Education facilities, Community Adult Schools, and Central Adult Senior High School. The district's 248 centers offer educational programs for infants and young children (102 children's centers & 4 infant programs), magnet programs (115 centers), primary centers (7), and newcomers centers (2). In addition, vocational programs serve high-school-aged students and older (5 Regional Occupational Centers, 6 Opportunity Centers, 5 Skills Centers, and a Business & Industry School).