I went there for a field trip in high school decades ago (but, the required "When did you go?" field only goes back to January 2022). We went to the Getty Art Museum first then the tar pits. It was very cool. And yes, there is actual tar all over the place. Ask my friend Tim, who ruined his shoes.
I don't know what you all low rating people expected when you went there. But, they're literally pits of tar in the middle of Los Angeles (my home town). Wooly mammoths and other prehistoric animals got caught up in the goo. And, their perfectly preserved bones are on display at the museum. That's it.
Yeah, it stinks (the tar has a lot of sulfur in it - go figure). But, it's not an amusement park. It's a museum and preservatory of a really special, historic place in the middle of a major city.. If you need constant, mindless amusement, go to Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm instead (and spend about 10 times as much money).