Museums
Local GemLos Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Under $25The largest art museum in the western United States, next to Chris Burden's iconic streetlamp forest.
Photo: Caterpillar84, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
MuseumsIconicFamily FavoriteFree
La Brea Tar Pits
La Brea Tar Pits is a museum in Los Angeles, CA, part of the Los Angeles guide. Cost: free.
5801 Wilshire Blvd · Los Angeles, CA
Why you should go…
Natural asphalt seeps here have trapped Ice Age animals, and the oldest material found dates back about 38,000 years. Excavations have turned up Columbian mammoths, dire wolves, saber-toothed cats and ground sloths. The museum closed on July 7, 2026 for a two-year renovation, but areas of Hancock Park and the active outdoor dig sites stay open. Methane bubbles make the tar look like it is boiling, and scientist-led Insider Tours take you behind the scenes.
- #tar pits
- #ice age fossils
- #paleontology
- #hancock park
- #fossil dig
What's around here?
The closest stops to La Brea Tar Pits, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
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