As we all begin to revel a little in the possibility that COVID-related mask mandates and quasi-lockdowns will once again ease soon, many folks will be excitedly heading out to engage in some of their favorite activities. This situation is no different for Woodland Hills residents, who will undoubtedly be looking forward to getting back to hitting posh boutique shops, excellent restaurants, and a plethora of festivals and events that take place in this SoCal hotspot throughout the year.

As a small, upscale city boasting about 64,000 residents, Woodland Hills – situated in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County – makes major attractions of the area easily accessible, with the cities of Calabasas, Tarzana and Topanga nearby and the beautiful beaches of Malibu only a short drive away.

Woodland Hills is also known for its myriad of parks and green spaces, in addition to an abundance of outdoor activities, including hiking and biking – to say nothing of the shopping indulgence opportunities at stunning destinations like Westfield Topanga and The Village and El Camino Shopping Center.

In this roundup, we’re going to suggest six of our favorite things to do in Woodland Hills, all guaranteed to beat the post-COVID blues.

Housing the world’s first and foremost collection of interactive, realistic, museum-quality animatronics, Kokoro Exhibits, located at 6800 Owensmouth Avenue #110 in Canoga Park, has led the U.S. traveling exhibit market for over 30 years. They offer displays that educate and entertain audiences with various interactive stations – such as remotely-controlled dinosaurs and rideable sculptures. The prehistoric creatures, giant insects, and Ice Age mammals on display are engineered to look, move, and sound alive, with each species carefully researched. Every exhibit is professionally designed, from anatomy and motion to skin and fur color; this is all to ensure the scientific accuracy of the natural history creatures and their habitats. Kokoro Exhibits offers many groupings of more than 100 animatronic creatures, each with its scenic habitat, and you can choose from both pre-designed and custom-designed exhibit packages.

Malibu Hindu Temple, located at 1600 Las Virgenes Canyon Road in Calabasas, is a temple of the Hindu God Venkateswara, built in 1981 and owned and operated by the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California, conceived in the traditional Southern Indian style and frequented by followers of Hinduism in SoCal. As one of the largest Hindu temples in the Western hemisphere, Malibu Hindu Temple hosts many gatherings for ceremonies and provides numerous spaces for meditation and picnicking, in addition to a full stage for special cultural and Hindu programs. The founding president of the Temple was Vasan Srinivasan, a civil engineer living in the Los Angeles area who was instrumental in raising funds from local families, overseeing construction, and bringing the priests from India. Later, and until his death in July 2017, Indian American tax consultant Nadadur Vardhan served as the Temple’s president.

Sandbox V.R., located in Westfield Topanga and The Village, is a futuristic virtual reality experience for groups of up to six. You can see and physically interact with everyone inside – just like the real world. Inspired by Star Trek’s “Holodeck,” these exclusive worlds let you feel like you’re living inside a game or film that was built by E.A., Sony, and Ubisoft veterans. Thanks to Hollywood motion capture cameras, 3D precision body trackers, custom hardware, and haptic suits, you get a feeling of “transformation” you can’t experience anywhere else – in fact, you might just forget you left reality.

GlowZone L.A., located at 6051 De Soto Avenue, offers numerous recreational activities like laser tag, laser maze, bumper cars, mini-golf, rope courses, indoor rock climbing, atomic rush, bazooka ball, and many others, with rooms that are rented to host private parties. This destination spot is great for giving the kids their leisure time, especially in the midst of an ongoing (and utterly exhausting, at this point) pandemic, with spacious grounds and an attentive staff that ensures everyone is secure and enjoys the offerings to their fullest. GlowZone is open from 11 am to 10 pm.

Getty Center, located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, is a visual art and cultural heritage showcase for the City of Angels and the world. Inspiring curiosity and engagement with human understanding, Getty Center also fosters scholarships and innovation across many disciplines, from art history and conservation to education and technology. As a cultural and philanthropic institution dedicated to the presentation, preservation, and interpretation of the world’s artistic legacy, Getty Center pursues its mission in L.A. and across the globe by serving both the general interested public and a wide range of professional communities to promote a civil society…all seen through the lens of the visual arts.

Griffith Observatory, located at 2800 East Observatory Road in Los Angeles, is one of Southern California’s most popular attractions, inviting you to explore the universe for free in the heart of L.A. while representing SoCal’s gateway to the cosmos. Look through telescopes, explore exhibits, attend live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and enjoy spectacular views of L.A. and the Hollywood sign; it’s all in a day of inspiring everyone to observe, ponder and understand the skies above us. Situated on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park just above the Los Feliz neighborhood, Griffith Observatory sits 1,134 feet above sea level. As a result, it is visible in many parts of the Los Angeles basin. Since opening in 1935, it has welcomed over 85 million visitors, offering the best vantage point for observing the world-famous Hollywood sign.

Los Angeles is famous for many things when it comes to attractions: Spotting movie stars, sipping cocktails on a rooftop bar at sunset, slipping on designer heels in a Beverly Hills boutique, or playing at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. But if you’re looking to do something a bit different in the Woodland Hills area, the attractions showcased in this article will have you re-thinking the merits of cultural institutions such as observatories, museums, and temples.