Plan Your Visit To The La Brea Tar Pits

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Who knew you could visit the Ice Age right in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles?! The La Brea Tar Pits on Miracle Mile in the heart of L.A. transports you back to the age of mammoths, mastodons, giant sloths, saber tooth tigers, a squirrel chasing that elusive acorn (Anyone?) and so much more. With over 3.5 million fossils having been found there, this place is definitely somewhere you want to check out when you are in town.

The La Brea Tar Pits are natural tar pits formed under L.A. that have seeped up from the ground in the area for tens of thousands of years. Over the centuries the tar has trapped and preserved the bones and remains of a variety of different animals there. Inside the museum you can view scientists working on the fossils discovered and learn all about the ancient creatures that walked the area. In fact the La Brea Tar Pits is one of the richest paleontological sites in the world and the ONLY one being actively excavated in an urban setting. In fact there are just a few tar pit locations in the world; similar ones being found at Trinidad and Tobago.

The La Brea Tar Pits is an indoor/outdoor interactive museum. You can walk around the still bubbling tar pits themselves at no cost. The grounds are large, beautiful and pet friendly.

The Page Museum on the grounds allows guests to view intact fossils, watch scientists work, and see the 3D movie, Titans of the Ice Age or take the Ice Age Encounters Tour ($5 tickets, not included with entry).

Entrance to the museum is free for members, $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $12 students (13-17 w/ID), $7 for kids 3-12 and FREE for children 2 and under. You can however attend on “Museum Days” which is the first Tuesday of every month (excluding July and August) when entrance to the museum is FREE! Free admission is also offered to current CA EBT cardholders, CA teachers, active/retired military, and kids 2 and under. The museum also offers 4 free home-school days during the school year.

Paid parking ($15) is available behind the Page Museum off Curson, or in the the LACMA parking garage off 6th street.

The best part about the La Brea Tar Pits is that it is all very hands-on and family friendly. Kids can touch, learn, play, watch, and experience real life paleontology happening right in front of their eyes. It’s science in action!

And, currently (until November 24, 2019) there is a special exhibit set up on the grounds of the La Brea Tar Pits. The Second Home Serpentine Pavilion is where art meets science and is definitely something you will want to check out! SelgasCano’s architectural exhibit is a truly beautiful experience that changes from day to night. The colors make you feel like you are standing inside an actual stained glass window and there is so much to take in. Open from 11 am to 7 pm daily (9 pm on Fridays) this art installation is free to the public. You can make a timed reservation here. But, for the art lover, Instagrammer (that’s a word now right?), photographer or those simply looking for an experience; it’s all right here for you.

The La Brea Tar Pits can be done in half a day pretty easily, so plan your day to get the most out of it! There is so much in the area to do. My recommendations:

LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is one of my favorite art museums in all of L.A. You can enjoy the outdoor exhibits (which shares ground with the Tar Pits). “Levitated Mass” can be seen on your walk to the observation pit of the Tar Pits. Or walk to the front of the museum to see the instagrammable “Urban Lights” display. There are a lot of outdoor things to take in, but it might be worth your time to go inside as well. It’s such a fun place!

The Grove shopping center is half a mile from the tar pits and one of the best shopping centers in LA. For food, fun, shops, music and entertainment this is definitely a go-to!

The Original Farmers Market is .61 miles away and is located in part on The Grove. Great for unique food options, and spending a day! This is an iconic Los Angeles landmark since 1934.

Like I said the Tar Pits are located on Miracle Mile because there is so much to do and see all within one mile of the location; Making the Tar Pits a fabulous destination!