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Summer of Sloths
The Chillest Ice Age Giants
We love sloths. Nothing else tops their oddities, strange mannerisms, and of course slow, meandering pace—that’s why this summer is all about celebrating these beloved creatures.
This summer learn all about these amazing mammals in our Excavator Tour and Discoveries From the Tar Pits talks. Outside, visit Project 23 and Pit 13 where excavators have already found a treasure trove of sloth fossils. Stand next to giant sloth statues in the park to get a sense of their size and what these creatures from the past looked like. Inside, watch as our scientists work on sloth fossils in the Fossil Lab right before your eyes. Wander through our displays to find skeletons—and even some touchable fossils.
Plan your visit to La Brea Tar Pits for our Summer of Sloths from June 3 to September 2.
Did you know giant ground sloths roamed Ice Age L.A. from ~100,000 to nearly 13,000 years ago?
Three different types of sloths have been found right here at the Tar Pits: the Shasta, the Jefferson’s, and the Harlan’s ground sloth. Weighing up to 3,000 pounds, Harlan’s Ground Sloth (Paramylodon harlani) is the largest and most common one. It had small nodules of bone (osteoderms) buried in its skin, making it a well-armored giant of the Ice Age.
Follow @thelabreatarpits on Instagram, @labreatarpits on X, and @tarpits on Facebook for more big fun with giant sloths, and share your pictures with #SummerofSloths all summer long.
Experiences
Take it slow this summer at the Tar Pits with a slew of slothy experiences where you can learn everything about the strangest Ice Age titans.
Sloth-Full Stories:
Explore some of the latest research about how these animals lived and what they looked like.
