La Brea Tar Pits

5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90036 USA

Free

Free to Visit

Independent
Pet Friendly
Wheelchair
Accessible

Iconic Attraction

Our Take

You don't need to pay to visit the Page Museum to experience the famed tarpits, although the museum is great. Located in Hancock Park in the middle of the city, you can see some slowly bubbling away with statues of prehistoric creatures in them, and others being excavated for bones. The pits aren't the prettiest things in the world to see in person, but something about seeing saber-tooth cat bones being dug up really brings out the childlike wonder at science and natural history, which is a priceless feeling.

by Anna Hider

“Come see what we're digging up!”

La Brea Tar Pits are a group of tar pits around which Hancock Park was formed in urban Los Angeles. Natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, pitch, or tar—brea in Spanish) has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. The tar is often covered with dust, leaves, or water. Over many centuries, the tar preserved the bones of trapped animals. The George C. Page Museum is dedicated to researching the tar pits and displaying specimens from the animals that died there. La Brea Tar Pits are a registered National Natural Landmark.

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Reviewed by
Passepartout

179 Reviews
37 Helpful

August 05, 2021

Rated 4.0

The Tar Pits are interesting -- and a little smelly, but that's part of the charm -- and pleasant, but I'd recommend springing for the museum entry to make the whole experience so much more valuable, and enjoyable.

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