La Brea Tar Pits: Ice Age Fossils and Excavation Tour

Uncover Ice Age mysteries at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Watch paleontologists excavate fossils and explore an active dig site. Discover saber-toothed cats, mammoths, dire wolves, and more!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 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…
What's Included
  • Excavator Tour
  • Pit 91 Access
  • Atrium Access
  • Pleistocene Gardens
What's Not Included
  • Souvenir photos (available for purchase on-site)
  • Ice Age Encounters show and 3D Film (tickets are available on site when you arrive)
Additional Information

Uncover the mysteries of one of the most peculiar places in L.A., the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, with this entry pass. The location provides a distinctive experience illuminating the local enigmas of the Ice Age. Witness an operational Ice Age excavation location and observe paleontologists uncovering millions of fossils right before your eyes. From…

Location
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
5801 Wilshire Blvd,
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(151 Ratings)
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Ceejayaswas
Sep 18, 2024
Really don't miss LaBrea - When you see top 10 things to do in LA, LaBrea usually isn't listed.....why? Fabulous museum with dire wolf, mammoth, giant Sloth and other fossils still being unearthed from the target pits. Plus the bubbling tar/tar smell - place is unique and fascinating. Plus as an added advantage you are next to LACMA...modern art, which even if you don't want to go in has great outdoor display. No tat, no dusty stars... kids will love it too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fred_b
Sep 16, 2024
A Great Experience In A Unique Setting - The Tar Pits (which are really asphalt seeps) were very fun and informative to visit. The history and geology is fascinating. Our guide (Emily) was very personable and knowledgeable. She was awesome and fun. The museum is a treasure trove of artifacts/history. You can spend half a day enjoying yourself on the beautiful grounds.
Review provided by Viator
Newfiepuplover
Sep 10, 2024
Take 1-2 Hours When in Central Los Angeles to Visit La Brea Tar Pits - La Brea Tar Pits is a super interesting place to visit in the middle of Los Angeles. The self-guided tour will take most around an hour I would think. Great docents are available to answer questions and describe the things you are seeing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber29547982808
Sep 3, 2024
What a cool place - Try interesting museum, the botanical garden was lovely and the actual tar pits were really unique. The excavation area was very interesting to see.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonathana404
Aug 30, 2024
Unique, up close and personal, smell the tar - My wife thought I had traveled to many tourist attractions in both large and small cities. You can explore the outside without paying any fee. We paid the $18 fee per person to see the museum. It was worthwhile. It was fascinating to see skeletons of huge bears, ground sloths, mastodons, Sabre-tooth cats, etc. We also paid an extra $6 per person and watched a 3-D movie about ice animals. The tar pits very unique. We have never seen anything like it. For one thing, you can actually smell the tar. The big tar pits are behind fences. However, there are a few small spots with tar bubbling up from the ground. They had construction cones to try to warn you to stay away from them. There were sticks that people had put in the tar. The consistency is like chocolate syrup that has been put in the refrigerator. If you were an animal who got stuck, it would be very hard to get out. Overall, the experience was very worthwhile.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
267peggyj
Aug 11, 2024
Great day out in LA - Excellent place to spend a day learning about our planet. Great for children too. Inside and outer displays and really well explained- we learnt a great deal.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T6110zvmichaelh
Aug 10, 2024
Unique glimpse into prehistoric life - Unique glimpse into prehistoric life. The active fossil site showcases tar pits that have preserved the remains of ice age mammals, which you can see being excavated. It's educational and intriguing stop for history and science enthusiasts a like.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_b
Aug 9, 2024
Fascinating place - Touching fossil and feeing what it is like to be stuck in tar. Helpful guides. Fun to watch them cleaning fossils.
Review provided by Viator
Manuela
Jul 22, 2024
A worthwhile little excursion. - The park is beautifully landscaped. Everywhere you can get well informed and then you feel like seeing what was recovered there and visiting the museum fulfills this wish in a really well staged way. The museum is very small but really lovingly built with nice dedicated staff. A bit of a shame were the somewhat hefty parking fees of 18$, because you don't really make a whole day trip here.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helene_a
Aug 12, 2024
A fun way to understand... - A fun way to understand the tar pits in LA and the pre-historic animals found! Touchable exhibits for kids.
Review provided by Viator
From $18
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).