These tar pits hold the fossils of Ice Age animals that became trapped in the asphalt deposits here. The fossils were first described by Wellesley College professor William Denton in 1875.
Natural pools of bubbling hot tar with mammoth statues desperately trying to escape, prehistoric victims of Mother Nature's molten grip. Beautiful park and lots of cool history!
A lot of guidebooks make it seem like you have to go to the museum to see the tar pits; you do not. You can walk around, smell the tar and see excavations for free. Plus, the big rock at LACMA, too!
This is a relatively small place. When buying your ticket, be sure to say "yes" when they ask if you want to go on the excavator tour. It's included with admission and the best part of the whole time.
Check out the La Brea Tar Pits & museum to see some of the prehistoric creatures that once roamed the land that's now the concrete jungle of Los Angeles.
Getting into the underground parking structure is an absolute pain to get into, at least when I was there. While they'll tell you it's strictly for LACMA, you can park there, anyway.
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