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La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles, CA

Photo: Caterpillar84, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsIconicFamily FavoriteFree

La Brea Tar Pits

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

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

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.

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

    Under $25

    The largest art museum in the western United States, next to Chris Burden's iconic streetlamp forest.

    Steps awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

    $25–$50

    Explore galleries of film history, costumes and props, then step onto the glass-domed terrace of the Sphere.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Quirky Fun

    Petersen Automotive Museum

    Under $25

    A car-lover's museum in a striking stainless-steel-ribboned building on Museum Row.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    Original Farmers Market & The Grove

    Free

    A historic open-air produce market bolted onto an outdoor shopping mall with a trolley connecting the two.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    Melrose Trading Post

    Under $25

    Sunday flea market at Fairfax High School with vintage clothing, handmade crafts and live music.

    1.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Nightlife
    Iconic

    The Comedy Store

    $25–$50

    See stand-up in three rooms at the Sunset Strip club that opened in 1972 in the former Ciro's nightclub.

    2.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife