La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is an active paleontological research site and a registered National Natural Landmark. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground for tens of thousands of years. Over many centuries, the tar preserved the bones of trapped animals. The Tar Pits have fascinated scientists and visitors for over a century, and today, this area is the only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site found in an urban location in the world.

Over 100 excavations have been made at the Tar Pits since the early 1900s, and most of the fossils discovered here are housed in the George C. Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits, at the center of the Tar Pits. The discoveries range in size from huge, extinct mammoths and sloths to “microfossils,” or tiny remains of plants and animals that give us clues about how ancient ecosystems and climates changed.

Museum Hours
Daily: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed the first Tuesday of every month.
Also closed on Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Park Hours
Daily: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Pricing and Tickets
Purchase La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Tickets – Prices vary based on time, day, residency, and membership, but are usually between $7 – $15. Children 2 and under are free. L.A. County Residents get free Museum Admission from 3:00 – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Tickets are available at the Museum ticketing desk or kiosks.

Parking
$15 flat fee