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La Brea Tar Pits

5801 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California

Description

La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site - most unusually, it is located in the middle of Los Angeles where natural asphalt ('brea' in Spanish) has seeped up from the ground and trapped animals over thousands of years. The tar has preserved the animal bones and the museum displays some of the skeletons of the animals that died there in a museum next to the pits. The collections include mammals such as mammoths and big cats (mountain lions, etc.), Reptiles, Birds, Fish, Amphibians, Invertebrates and Flora.

Access & Transport

The museum is at 5801 Wilshire Blvd in the Wilshire neighbourhood (Miracle Mile / Park La Brea) Parking is at the corner of Curson Avenue and 6th Street, directly behind the museum. Enter from the western side of Curson Avenue. Flat fee of $15 applies. Buses 20 / Fairfax stop along Wilshire Blvd. Accessibility info: https://tarpits.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility-1

Instructions & Recommendations

Advanced, online tickets are highly recommended to ensure entry into the Museum and for special ticketed experiences. Access to the park is free, only the museum requires a ticket. We suggest combining this activity with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) or the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Meta review

Most visitors state that the museum is worth checking out with some great fossil specimens but more targeted at kids than adults and that it is quite small, which makes the admission fee seem unnecessarily high. As for the tar pits themselves the experience is a little underwhelming, not much action - but watching the scientists as they clean bones and teeth is interesting.

Environmental & Social

Entrance fees help with funding requirement (museum and research). Educational content and limited environmental impact (electricity).

Conclusion

If you happen to be in 'Museum Row', make sure to take a look at the park with the pits and, if you have a spare 1h and dollars, the museum with its striking fossils in the museum is a good investment. Admission is a little over-priced but the complex is extra-ordinary and educational.

Key positive

Unusual paleontological site

Educational content

Key negative

Expensive entrance fee considering the museum size

Suitability

Accessible to visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

Updated in July 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Park hours are 06h - 22h. Closed the first Tuesday of every month

av. transport time:0h 30m

est. visit time:1h 15m

Regulated hours

Monday09:30 - 17:00

Tuesday09:30 - 17:30

Wednesday09:30 - 17:00

Thursday09:30 - 17:00

Friday09:30 - 17:00

Saturday09:30 - 17:00

Sunday09:30 - 17:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
62 - 99
US$12
Adult
18 - 61
US$15
Teen & Young
13 - 17
US$12
Child
3 - 12
US$7
Infant
0 - 2
US$0
Price for General Admission

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