For 40,000 years, long before LA was anybody's idea of a good time, Rancho La Brea has been doing its gooey, sticky, oozing thing, spewing out asphalt that would trap and entomb any animal unlucky enough to saunter by. Rancho La Brea is one of the world's most famous fossil sites and is home to over three million fossils from the last Ice Age. Among the trapped animals were huge mammoths, fierce saber-toothed cats, and giant ground sloths.
Be sure to check out the adjacent Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, which displays the largest and most diverse collection of Ice Age plants and tar-stained skeletons in the world. And today, asphalt still steams and belches its way to the surface, and during the summer months, visitors can observe the ongoing excavation from Pit 91.An entertaining 15-minute film documenting the recoveries is also shown.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- Monday through Friday: 9:30am to 5pm
- Saturday, Sunday and Holidays: 10am to 5pm
- Admission:
- Adults: $7
- Seniors (62+), Students (with ID) and Youths (13-17): $4.50
- Children (5-12): $2
- Members and Children under 5: Free
- Contact:
- Location: 5801 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA
- Phone: 323-934-7243
- Website: www.tarpits.org
