La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

La Brea Tar Pits A gateway back to the Ice Age, right in the heart of L.A. Witness science in action at La Brea Tar Pits.

Uncover Ice Age discoveries both big and small at TARPITS.org.

Volunteer processing microfossils at the La Brea Tar Pits.

Lizard osteoderm (above) and a Lizard jaw (below).

🤏✨ Small but spectacular!

Fossils of reptiles, amphibians, and fishes aren't easily detected at the #TarPits because they're discovered as microfossils measuring between 1-4 mm in size. Smaller vertebrae recovered on-site is through processing matrix from Pit 91 and Project 23.

A La Brea Tar Pits visitor sorts through real fossils and matrix on-site, donning protective gloves.

Your exclusive backstage pass to the Ice Age is 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦! Go behind the scenes with scientists, sort real fossils, and explore bubbling tar pits up close with newly added #TarPits Insider Tour dates through May: go.nhm.org/tar-pits-tour

A coyote fossil mount in front of an Ice Age era mural previously on view at La Brea Tar Pits and Museum.

Educators! Saturday, March 7, join us for a workshop focused on climate change conversations. In this workshop, hear from Brayden Meredith (Senior Manager, Interpretive Training) about teaching communication centered around the topic of climate.

Space is limited—RSVP: go.nhm.org/educator-wor...

🦷 Fierce, fast, and iconic—meet the California saber-tooth.

𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 had blade-like teeth and powerful forelimbs that were built for taking down large prey. Learn more about the iconic Ice Age predator at TARPITS.org

SoCal Museums Free-for-All Day at La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits is excited to participate in SoCal Museums' annual Free-for-All Day, when over 30 museums in Southern California—presenting art, cultural heritage, natural history, and science—will o...

Discover Ice Age L.A., on us. We're excited to participate in the SoCal Museums Free-for-All Day Sunday, February 22!

📍 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Will we see you on #FreeMuseumDay? Advance tickets are required for the #TarPits Museum—save your spot today: go.nhm.org/free-for-all...

“Wolves v California” Documentary 2025 | NHM and National Geographic YouTube video by Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM)

The Last California Wolf was killed more than a hundred years ago, and now, they’re back.

Explore their history and future with “Wolves vs. California,” a documentary from #NHMLA in collaboration with National Geographic.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArKy...

Ted Rechlin of Rextooth Studios.

Dr. Zachary Morris, Dinosaur Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. Cullen Townsend, Scientific Artist, Paleo-artist.

Sean Campbell, La Brea Tar Pits Senior Fossil Preparator. Tony Turner, NHMLAC Museum Educator.

🦖🦣 Next week, join award-winning Graphic Novelist, Animator, Filmmaker, and Science Communicator Ted Rechlin as he goes head-to-head with #NHMLAC experts to crown the toughest dino and Ice Age era champions!

Don’t miss “Prehistoric Fight Nights” February 20 and 21: go.nhm.org/prehistoric-...

A portion of the Pit 81 block sliced through, showing numerous fossils, as it might appear if the asphalt matrix were clear.

The Pit 81 block on display at the La Brea Tar Pits.

A photo from the 1914 pit 81 excavation where excavators took a solid block out, boxed it in place, and moved it on a mule-drawn cart.

⛏️ This block of bones was excavated back in 1914 from one of the smallest pits at the #TarPits, Pit 81, and contains numerous fossil bones and shows the amazing density of specimens found in the excavations.

Explore more amazing discoveries at TARPITS.org!

"Prehistoric Fight Nights" logo lock up featuring T. rex, Spinosaurus, short-faced bear, and saber-toothed cat illustrations alongside the NHMLA and Rextooth Studios logos and text, "FEB 20: Battle of the Dinosaurs / FEB 21: Ice Age Brawl".

🦖🦣 Who will reign supreme?! February 20 and 21, join us alongside Rextooth Studios’ Ted Rechlin for an epic battle to crown the toughest champions of the dino and Ice Age eras with “Prehistoric Fight Nights” at the NHM Commons Theater: go.nhm.org/prehistoric-...

Pygmy Mammoth on display at La Brea Tar Pits.

Lower jaw bone of a pygmy mammoth.

The pygmy mammoth was a separate species from the wooly or Columbian mammoth that adapted to island life. 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴 was the size of a large horse, which was an advantage to their diet and navigation compared to their mainland cousins.

View the pygmy mammoth at La Brea #TarPits!

La Brea Tar Pits A gateway back to the Ice Age, right in the heart of L.A. Witness science in action at La Brea Tar Pits.

Learn more about Ice Age animals, big and small, at TARPITS.org.

Dragonflies at Rancho LaBrea.

A Striped Tadpole Snail and Ubiquitous Pea Clam

🪲 About 100 species of insects have been identified from recovered #TarPits fossils. Most of these, particularly bugs and beetles, were aquatic, as a thin layer of water over the asphalt would attract such insects. They would then get stuck in the asphalt while feeding or laying eggs.

Concept rendering of La Brea Tar Pits courtesy of WEISS/MANFREDI.

Concept rendering of La Brea Tar Pits courtesy of WEISS/MANFREDI.

ICYMI 🦣 We're proud to announce the creation of the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, which will be the scientific and research backbone of the reimagined La Brea #TarPits, bringing Ice Age research and the museum into the future! Learn more: go.nhm.org/reimagine

Meet Zed, the Tar-Pit Mammoth Who’s About to Be a Star The gurgling black pools of the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum once trapped Ice Age animals, but now the site is getting a $240 million face-lift

The La Brea Tar Pits’ new star attraction, Zed the mammoth, was discovered when workers were digging out an underground parking garage near the gurgling black pools. on.wsj.com/3YVfqtn

La Brea Tar Pits receives largest-ever donation toward new Ice Age research center as part of campus makeover Thanks to its largest-ever donation, the La Brea Tar Pits will now house the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research.

La Brea Tar Pits receives largest-ever donation toward new Ice Age research center as part of campus makeover

Visitors in awe over life-sized orca models behind a silhouette of a whale tail. Photo courtesy of Diana Kou.

🐳 A new temporary exhibition is coming to #NHMLA this spring, and we want your thoughts on our upcoming campaign! If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, share your thoughts—your feedback will help us plan for future exhibitions: go.nhm.org/es-0126

Close-up of a Fossil Preparator at La Brea Tar Pits, scraping loose matrix from the crevice of a fossilized animal bone in preparation tray.

🦴 Calling all Educators! Saturday, January 24, join us for an Educator Workshop all about fossil conservation—from the cause of deterioration and mitigating damage, to the detective work behind fossils excavated a hundred years ago.

View full details and register today: go.nhm.org/ew-012426

Visiting this week? Make sure to stop by the Fossil Lab and see what Ben and the rest of our team are working on!

As the world's leading authority on this highly specialized method of preparation, Ben is spending time at La Brea #TarPits with Fossil Lab Preparators Connie and Stephany to learn about our asphaltic fossil preparation techniques.

Whale fossils like this are from asphaltum-impregnated sands immediately adjacent to the Higgins Asphalt Pit, which produced other asphaltum fossils from that area, right along the beach.

A warm welcome to Ben Rotenberg, Fossil Preparator at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History! Here, you can see Ben working on a potential whale fossil still covered in asphalt—the specimen itself comes from Carpinteria asphaltum deposits and is part of @sbnature.bsky.social’s collection.

An iNaturalist observation of the only known (and newly described) species in the new genus Siskiyu armilla, Willow Creek, CA, USA, 2024-11-09 (iNaturalist) uploaded by Chloe and Trevor Van Loon.

Artistic reconstruction of Bolg amondol, depicted raiding an oviraptorosaur dinosaur nest amidst the lush Kaiparowits Formation habitat. Art by Cullen Townsend.

An artistic reconstruction of a herd of ancient sea cows foraging on the seafloor. Courtesy of Alex Boersma.

🔎 From prehistoric giant lizards and ancient raccoons to newly discovered spiders and heroic extinct dugongs, #NHMLAC researchers had a busy 2025! Meet some of the coolest creatures newly described, along with other inspiring discoveries: go.nhm.org/2025-discove...

Meet the largest surviving Ice Age predator: the coyote, 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴.

Coyotes survived climate upheaval, changing diets, and the loss of giant prey to become one of L.A.'s most adaptable survivors.

Discover more about these Ice Age predators during your next visit to the #TarPits Museum!

Statue of a small faced bear at Hancock Park.

Guests strolling Hancock park.

Take a step back into #TarPits history in the heart of Hancock Park! Stroll the paths, watch real excavations, and see science in action right in the heart of L.A.

When will you be visiting? Plan ahead at TARPITS.org.

Closure Advisory ⚠️ Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our visitors and staff, the Museum will close at 3pm on Wednesday, December 24, due to the impending storms. Stay safe and dry out there!

A special guest takes a photo of the Lake Pit Mammoth Family at La Brea Tar Pits with text, "La Brea Tar Pits Insider Tour / Your Backstage Pass to the Ice Age" with the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum logo.

✔️ Enter the Lake Pit
✔️ Selfie with the Columbian mammoth family
✔️ Sort real microfossils
✔️ Support our science

Dig deep into the history and discoveries of La Brea #TarPits with our first-ever official Insider Tour on select dates: go.nhm.org/tar-pits-tour

📍 Find the Garden behind the Short-Faced Bear statue in Hancock Park!

Did you know Hancock Park is home to plants that echo L.A.’s Ice Age past?

#TarPits scientists have recreated this prehistoric landscape with the Pleistocene Garden, representing the native vegetation of the L.A. Basin 10,000 to 40,000 years ago.

A special guest takes a photo of the Lake Pit Mammoth Family at La Brea Tar Pits with text, "La Brea Tar Pits Insider Tour / Your Backstage Pass to the Ice Age" with the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum logo.

Ever wanted exclusive access to the #TarPits?

Beginning December 20, join an expert guide on select dates for a tour of the site, meet researchers, sort real micro fossils, and fuel crucial research while inspiring the next generation of paleontologists. 

Book your tour: go.nhm.org/tar-pits-tour