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Admission: La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Admission Ticket

Admission: La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Admission Ticket

Overview

Discover the curiosities of one of L.A.'s most unusual attractions: La Brea Tar Pits and Museum with this admission ticket. Enjoy this unique experience which helps unlock the local mysteries of the Ice Age. Visit an active Ice Age dig site and watch paleontologists excavate millions of fossils before your eyes. From viewing saber-toothed cats, mammoths, dire wolves, giant sloths, and watching scientists work on excavated fossil bones — it's all done right inside the museum.

City: Los Angeles

Fri 10 Jan

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $14.36

Make a reservation

Fri 10 Jan

Starting at $14.36

Make a reservation

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What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges

Excavator Tour

Route and map

Meeting point

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Los Angeles
5801 Wilshire Blvd,

This ticket provides direct entry into the attraction

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Involves a moderate amount of walking

What To Expect

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

Use your general admission ticket for entry to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Here, Ice Age fossils are being excavated right in the middle of L.A. Enjoy this truly unique attraction by experiencing all that it has to offer. Marvel at its outdoor Lake Pit, oozing with bubbling tar; travel back in time among the prehistoric plants of its Pleistocene Garden; and explore its active dig sites, where it seems excavators uncover something new daily. The museum itself features its own wealth of offerings. Scope out the fossils of prehistoric mammoths, saber-toothed cats, wolves, and ground sloths, or take an opportunity to watch paleontologists working in the Fossil Lab on their most recent finds. For a wonderful overview, reserve a spot on the Excavator Tour, free with admission. This guided tour delves into the history of the tar pits and explains just how so many massive creatures ended up stuck here. You’ll also visit the Fossil Lab, Observation Pit and Project 23, where excavators are continuously helping to unlock the mysteries of prehistoric L.A.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (77)

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dmlail42

Sep 2019

Kids loved this. Super interesting. They have water fill stations in the museum by the bathrooms. No food on property but staff very nicely provided a map with nearby food locations. The pit excavation was amazing. Where else can you see an active dig?!

Loribbb

Sep 2019

Where does oil come from? Deep beneath the ground. When it bubbles up to the surface, usually someone declares it an oil field, pumps are set up, and unless you work there, you won't see this in nature. The LaBrea tar pits are a terrible oil field (the quality of the tar/oil is not suitable for refining) but an amazing archaeological site. For the past 40,000 years or so, animals and other things have gotten stuck in the tar and preserved. For the past hundred years, we've been slowly digging them out. The museum has exhibits about those animals and the history of the tar pits (how indigenous people and others used the tar). I agree with other reviewers that the museum is not the best thing about the park - you'll have to decide if you want to see the 'preserved tar pit' and museum, or just see the amazing park. There is a parking lot (pay to park). Stay mostly on the paths and look out for little cones - those mark current asphalt "oozes", and you (or your kids) can lose a shoe to the sticky tar. So stay away from the cones, and be careful where you step. You can walk on the grass, even bring a picnic, but be aware that this is an actual active tar pit. Don't wear your best shoes, and be aware you might get a stain that will never come out. There's a large tar lake at one end of the park where you can see and smell the tar in all its glory, and see methane bubbles rising. The smell is not overwhelming, it's interesting. There are several smaller pits, and a tent where you can watch volunteers, scientists, and graduate students slowly excavating one of the pits. I found that fascinating, personally (but I'm a scientist). The park also has statues of some of the species recovered from the pits...nice photo spots. Guess how large a "giant ground sloth" is before you find the answer. And why do you think there's a picture of a camel there? Answers to these and other questions at the park (and in the museum). When we were there, there was also a (temporary) walk-in art exhibit that was interesting. Whether you're into science or not, this is a must-see. You almost certainly have never seen anything like this, and probably never will. It's amazing. If you're into science, spend the bucks and also visit the museum. About the museum, there are the cutest stuffed animals there. Probably not the most accurate representations, but adorable.

robbiem271

Sep 2019

This was my second trip to the tar pits, and I enjoyed it as much as the first time! It's a great visit because it's easy to access, clean and safe, and fascinating to see. One of my favorite parts is stopping to just watch the bubbles rise and pop. It's one thing to read about the how the earth works, but it's another to see it up close and personal. We also did the museum this time, and while small, it's still great to experience. Lots of examples of the animals that used to roam right in this area, and ultimately met their demise here. Also a very knowledgeable and friendly staff who were very willing to share facts.