Summer Nights at the Tar Pits
Date
Friday, July 18, 2025 | 6–9 pm
and July 25, 2025
Location
Tickets
Summer Nights at the Tarpits
Kick off your weekend with a one-of-a-kind evening at La Brea Tar Pits. Enjoy free after-hours museum admission, along with special programming, hands-on activities, music, local food trucks, and drinks at the Tar Bar–all set against a glowing summer sunset in the heart of the city. Bring a blanket, grab a drink, and settle in for a relaxed night of discovery, connection, and parkside picknicking. It’s science, social time, and summer vibes–all in one place!
What to Expect:
- Free museum admission from 6 to 9 pm
- Live outdoor DJ sets from Ladies of Sound
- Ecos: La Brea at Summer Nights! Ecos: La Brea is a video game that combines art and paleontology to bring an ice age ecosystem to life utilizing the ROBLOX game engine.
- Ecos: La Brea Discussion | 7pm : Join us for a discussion on art and paleontology in the virtual world with Cameron Clow and Aditya Srinath from Ecos: La Brea and NHM’s own Matt Davis!
- Visit the Ecos: La Brea game station from July 17–21! Choose your adventure by playing as the Dire Wolf, Saber-tooth Cat, Ancient Bison or Western Horse. Experience the world of Ecos: La Brea, only on ROBLOX.
- Visit with experts from Research and Collections and visit the popular Fossil Lab to learn more about the work being done at the Tarpits
- Hands on activities for the entire family
- Tasty treats from local food trucks
- Enjoy a drink at the Tar Bar, presented by EN Events
Our DJs: Ladies of Sound Takeover | 6–9 pm
6 pm: DJ Zuly♡ is an open format Latina DJ known for her signature style of groovy, electric hits that make you want to dance! She enjoys combining genres from Hip Hop/R&B, to Latin hits, and afro-house beats. She specializes in mobile DJ services for a variety of events and also enjoys curating dynamic sets at vibrant bars and breweries.
7 pm: Dr. Samson is a Los Angeles-based DJ known for genre-blending sets that fuse hip-hop, house, R&B, and global beats. With turntable skills, custom edits, and an eye for style, she brings high energy and a curated soundscape for elevated experiences.
8 pm: Midi Riperton brings 13 years of music industry experience, with 7 years of those years mentoring under the world-renowned Beat Junkies DJ crew. As a co-founder of Ladies of Sound, the official women’s division of the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound, she empowers women and non-binary individuals in the DJ and music community through education, development, and mentorship. A Los Angeles native, Riperton’s sound is inspired by the city’s rich cultural diversity. She has gone on international tours with R&B Grammy-Award winning artists Lucky Daye, Joyce Wrice, and BLXST.
Ecos La Brea and Paleo Art Discussion | 7–7:30 pm
Inside the Museum in front of the 3D Theater
Join us for a discussion on art and paleontology in the virtual world with Cameron Clow and Aditya Srinath from Ecos: La Brea and NHM’s own Dr. Matt Davis! Ecos: La Brea is a video game that combines art and paleontology to bring an ice age ecosystem to life utilizing the ROBLOX game engine. Ecos: La Brea is based on the ecosystem preserved by the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California, depicting the environment as it was 50,000–11,700 years ago during the last ice age.
Born in Dallas, Texas, Cameron Clow is an animator, illustrator, sculptor, and graphic designer who focuses on bringing anatomical prowess, scientific accuracy, and his real world experience with animals both domestic and wild into every piece of art he creates. With a degree in Animation and VFX from Chapman University, he's spent his early career lending his experience to major motion pictures, episodic television, and now Ecos: La Brea as a Lead Animator, Concept Artist, and Texture Artist.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Aditya Srinath is an academic specializing in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Studying at the Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, his devotion for ecosystems of the past, present and future has led him to contributing research towards wildlife conservation projects within the Tortuguero and Yellowstone National Parks. He currently serves as a Scientific Advisor & Sound Designer for Ecos: La Brea.
Exhibition Content Developer, NHMLAC, Dr. Matt Davis is a conservation biologist, paleontologist, and diorama historian whose research appears in National Geographic, The NY Times, and Rolling Stone. Davis was a Smithsonian Fellow before coming to NHM where he has edited two books: A Field Guide to La Brea Tar Pits and Fabricating Wilderness: The Habitat Dioramas of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Summer Nights at the Tar Pits is Sponsored by
