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La Brea Tar Pits

Museum
In Los Angeles, California
1.9 mi from Route 66

The La Brea Tar Pits are a working fossil dig in the heart of Los Angeles, CA, on Wilshire Boulevard's Museum Row. Natural asphalt has oozed from the ground over tens of thousands of years, trapping prehistoric animals and preserving their bones. The site sits in Hancock Park and is a National Natural Landmark. Its George C. Page Museum closed in July 2026 for a renovation expected to last about two years.

What is La Brea Tar Pits?

Hancock Park grew up around a cluster of pits where asphalt, called brea in Spanish, keeps rising to the surface. Over the ages, animals became stuck in the sticky deposits, and their skeletons were preserved. Scientists still dig and study here, which makes this an active research site rather than a finished exhibit.

The George C. Page Museum was built to handle the excavation, the research and the public display of the finds. The whole site is recognized as a National Natural Landmark.

Visiting La Brea Tar Pits: tips

The museum building closed in July 2026 for a renovation of about two years, so check the official website for what is open before you plan around it. Restrooms and wheelchair access are listed for the site.

The neighbors make the stop worthwhile either way. Craft Contemporary and the Pavilion for Japanese Art are each about 0.1 miles away, and LACMA is about 0.2 miles off. Food is about 0.1 miles away.

Practical info

Address: 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: +1 213-763-3499
Website: tarpits.org
Hours: We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near La Brea Tar Pits

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Pink's Hot Dogs
Los Angeles, CA · 1.6 mi from La Brea Tar Pits
A Los Angeles hot dog stand on North La Brea Avenue, serving since 1939 at the edge of Hollywood.
Diner & restaurant
Formosa Cafe
West Hollywood, CA · 2.0 mi from La Brea Tar Pits
A West Hollywood restaurant and bar from 1925, long a hangout for film stars from the studio lot nearby.
Diner & restaurant
Barney's Beanery
West Hollywood, CA · 2.2 mi from La Brea Tar Pits
A West Hollywood roadhouse on Santa Monica Boulevard since 1927, its walls covered in old license plates.