We are open today from 9:30 am to 5 pm. See what is Happening Today

Exterior shot of La Brea Tar Pits

Welcome to La Brea Tar Pits

A gateway back to the Ice Age, right in the heart of L.A.

Witness science in action at La Brea Tar Pits.

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lake pit at la brea tar pits

Lake Pit

observation pit at the tar pits

Observation Pit

dire wolf wall at the tar pits

Dire Wolf Wall

Analisa Rivera, a UCLA senior, examining microfossils in the Fossil Lab.

Fossil Lab

LBTP_pit14

Project 23

Photo of saber tooth cat teeth in the fossil lab

Ice Age Fossils

Mind Blown - Tar Pits

What blows YOUR mind?

Discover mind-blowing tours and experience the Tar Pits YOUR way.

Start your adventure
Two pedestrian paths bring people above the Lake Pit, a site for urban fiction and imagination.
Reimagine
La Brea Tar Pits

Architects WEISS/MANFREDI selected to lead the master planning process in Hancock Park.

Imagine what's next

Upcoming Events

More events

Sat

15

Feb

nibbles sabertooth cat puppet ice age meet and greet la brea tar pits and museum

Ice Age Meet and Greet

Live Theater Show
  • 3 pm
Learn more

Sat

15

Feb

gallery interpreter saberooth smilodon skull la brea tar pits guest kid

Discoveries from the Tar Pits

Talks
  • 3:30 pm

Hear some of the little-known stories behind the world’s most famous Ice Age fossil site.

Learn more

Sun

16

Feb

Tour the Museum to learn how the Tar Pits have been telling the stories L.A.'s ice age giants for over 100 years

Mammoths and Mastodons Exploration

Tours & Shows
  • 11 am

Tour the museum to learn how the Tar Pits have been telling the stories of L.A.'s ice age giants for over 100 years.

Please note, we will have an additional programming on 2/17/20

Learn more
Photograph of people looking at the Tar Pits Fossil Lab
Did you know the Tar Pits are pretty cool?

La Brea Tar Pits has been voted one of 2019's World's Coolest Places by TIME for Kids.

Learn more

What are you interested in learning about at the Tar Pits?

Icon of a saber-toothed cat to represent cats
Cats
Icon of a globe and thermometer to represent climate change
Climate Change
Icon of binoculars to represent discoveries
Discoveries
Icon of a woolly mammoth head to represent mammoths
Mammoths
Icon of a shovel to represent digs
Excavations
Photo of workers excavating in the 1800's

Tales from the Tar Pits

Before Wilshire Was Wilshire

Want to discover more?

Our Excavations

We literally have Ice Age L.A. in our hands.

Dig deeper
Photo of paleontologist excavating fossils

Discoveries Made Daily

See the Ice Age at eye level
mammoths and mastodons key art type left

Mammoths and Mastodons

Go on an exploration of MAMMOTH proportions

Discover what's inside

In L.A.

We try to connect nature, people, and science—at our museums and out in L.A.

Stories

Okay, now I'm curious
Aerial photograph of two people cleaning mammoth fossil

Mammoth on Display

The skull of an Ice Age giant