Columbian mammoths, saber-toothed cats and mastodons once roamed the LA landscape in search of shelter and prey. Until 11,000 years ago the area that is now Hancock Park on the Miracle Mile was an ancient wilderness of exotic mammals and plants. Hundreds of these now-extinct species were well preserved in the cluster of tar pits.
Many small animals, birds and insects became immobilized in the thick, sludge-like asphalt or tar that seeps up from the ground. The viscous liquid is an excellent preservative and bones, teeth, shells, insect exoskeletons and even some plants seeds have been extracted from the pits.
There are more than 100 of these bubbling pools of tar spread across Hancock Park, and they are among the world’s richest sources of knowledge about life in the Ice Age. They are fenced off to prevent inquisitive visitors from suffering the same fate as the animals, but there are viewing stations nearby.
Scientists have been pulling bones out of the ground here for more than a century and many are on display at the Page Museum, a prehistoric treasure chest that provides a window into Pleistocene and Ice Age California.
The museum has more than a million fossils from more than 650 species, and exhibits include skeletons of mammoths, sloths, wolves and a saber-toothed cat. The museum is more than just a collection of bones. Visitors can watch paleontology as it happens. Excavations of the ground are ongoing and the museum’s Fishbowl Lab lets you watch scientists as they clean, identify, tag and put fossil pieces together.
The La Brea Tar Pits are located about seven miles (11 kilometers) west of downtown on Wilshire Boulevard. There is paid parking directly behind the museum on the corner of Sixth Street and Curson Avenue. The museum is open every day with the exception of major holidays.
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Reviews of La Brea Tar Pits
5/5 - Excellent
Fascinating! So much more interesting than our last trip there 25 years ago.
5/5 - Excellent
3 miles away from the hotel. I went there on a Tuesday and to my surprise it was free admission day. Score!
2/5 - Disappointing
Expected more
5/5 - Excellent
save a couple of bucks by purchasing tickets online. The grounds surrounding the museum are beautiful. Good for a picnic or just relaxing.
5/5 - Excellent
get your tickets on line and save a few dollars
3/5 - Okay
There are cool things you can see by walking around outside the museum for free. Paying for the museum didn’t add much to my experience. They had some interactive elements that children seemed to be excited about, but for adults only I would suggest just doing the free walk around the museum.
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Best Lodging Options Near La Brea Tar Pits
Check availability on hotels close to La Brea Tar Pits
Wilshire Crest Hotel Los Angeles
LYFE INN & SUITES by AGA - Beverly Hills
Kimpton Hotel Wilshire by IHG
Short Stories Hotel
AC Hotel by Marriott Beverly Hills
Beverly Laurel Hotel at West Hollywood
Beverly Inn
Palihouse West Hollywood at Beverly Hills
Loews Hollywood Hotel
Best time to go to La Brea Tar Pits
The best time to visit La Brea Tar Pits can depend on the weather and when visitor numbers rise and fall. The hottest average temperature around La Brea Tar Pits falls in August, when visitor numbers are average and weather is sunny with no rain. The coolest average temperature around La Brea Tar Pits falls in December, visitor numbers are slightly low and weather is sunny with light rain.
 Calendar Month |  Temperature |  Precipitation |  Cloudiness |  Occupancy |  Pricing |
| January | 56.3°F (13.5°C) | Light Rain | Sunny | Average | Slightly Low |
| February | 56.7°F (13.7°C) | Light Rain | Sunny | Average | Average |
| March | 59.0°F (15.0°C) | Light Rain | Sunny | Slightly High | Average |
| April | 62.6°F (17.0°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Average | Average |
| May | 65.3°F (18.5°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Average | Average |
| June | 69.8°F (21.0°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Slightly High | Slightly High |
| July | 74.3°F (23.5°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Slightly High | Slightly High |
| August | 75.7°F (24.3°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Average | Slightly High |
| September | 75.0°F (23.9°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Average | Average |
| October | 69.6°F (20.9°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Slightly Low | Average |
| November | 62.6°F (17.0°C) | No Rain | Sunny | Slightly Low | Slightly Low |
| December | 55.9°F (13.3°C) | Light Rain | Sunny | Slightly Low | Slightly Low |
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