Fun Activities/sights in LA Area for Visiting 12 & 9 Yr Old Nieces.

As corny as it sounds, I would take them up to Hollywood. I've done that with visitors of all ages and they all love it. Just seeing the Hollywood sign is exciting. Grauman's Chinese Theater is great fun. They offer tours that are interesting and seeing a movie in there is an experience. It is really beautiful and I don't think there is anything like it in NY.
http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/
You can take a tour of the Star's homes, again pretty corny, but very LA. There is a tour bus location on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Argyle right next to the Pantages Theater.
http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-1.asp
There is a Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum on Hollywood Blvd.
http://www.laavenue.com/hripleys.htm
You can actually get around easily on foot or take the metro line that runs along Hollywood Blvd. There are lots of parking lots by the Pantages Theater and there is a metro stop right across the street from the Pantages on Hollywood blvd. Take it down to the Kodak which is also fun to walk around. Make your way back to the Pantages and hit Grauman's and Ripley's. End up back at the Pantages and take your tour. You'll be ready to sit and ride at that point. It is a uniquely LA experience.
The Petersen Car museum is rather unique. I am not a big car aficionado, and actually thought I was being very polite when I went the first time and I had a blast. It is very close to the La Brea Tar Pits.
http://www.petersen.org/
You don't say where you live, but a short drive up the coast to Ventura or Santa Barbara
might be nice.
A great and unique to LA museum is the Fashion Institute that is bound to appeal to two young ladies.
http://fidm.edu/resources/museum+galleries/index.html
A hike in the canyons? Venice Beach even on an overcast day.
Have fun!

I think the Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens in San Marino (right next to Pasadena) is a fantastic place to go. http://www.huntington.org/ While the museum is small compared to anything in NY, the gardens are beautiful and the weather is perfect right now which they definitely can't say about NY in January. Also, if you're picking them up at LAX you should go to "plane park" right next to In & Out. It's on Sepulveda right next to LAX. The planes land right over your head which is pretty cool. You can grab some burgers & fries and picnic in the grass. There are always families out there. Venice is cool for all the people watching, but it might be a prettier ride to go to Hermosa or Redondo & rent bikes for a half day. If you go to Santa Monica you can ride for a while and then still go up to the promenade...
Hope that helps!
N.

Hi D.,

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is great and the Queen Mary is close by, too.

Have fun!

R.

The Queen Mary ship down in Long Beach is free for the month of January, you can take them on some of the tours at no cost. Its a fun place to raom around and learn some history, after that they have down town long beach where they have great arcades ferris wheels and a lot of fun you can visit the aqurium in long beach for ten dollars call for where you can get coupons. OO The Queen Mary is $ 10.00 for parking unless you go on Sundays, most Sundays the toll booth is closed, check with them first. Knotts berry farm is pretty cheap at this time of year, and if you check craigs list under tickets I see them all the time for
$ 20.00 each very cheap.

Enjoy