Not all dads are the same, but, c'mon, all dads born in the wake of WWII who grew up on cowboy shoot-'em-ups on TV have a lot in common. Next time said father figure visits L.A., it would be advisable to take him to the Autry Museum of the American West. My dad collects and refurbishes vintage cap guns (because he's adorable), so I took him to see the museum's current exhibit “Play!” (on display through Jan. 7), which features children's toys from throughout history. That was cool, but the ongoing exhibits are the real highlight, including “Journeys Gallery,” which tells the stories of notable Old West figures through an impressive collection of artifacts, and “Western Frontiers: Stories of Fact and Fiction,” which features hundreds of firearms, many of them with intricate engravings that are beautiful regardless of your position on gun control. Enlightened dads (like mine) also will dig the small but affecting display on Standing Rock.

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