La Brea Tar Pits Museum Ticket
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Flexible Tickets
USD 16
In the middle of one of the world's most modern cities, you'll find one of its most ancient. The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is the only active, urban Ice Age excavation site in the world — where prehistoric asphalt seeps have been trapping and preserving the remains of Ice Age animals for over 50,000 years, and where paleontologists are still making new discoveries every single day.
Your admission ticket covers the George C. Page Museum, the live Fossil Lab, the active dig sites, and the free Excavator Tour — a 35-minute guided walk through the history of the tar pits and their extraordinary finds. Book your La Brea Tar Pits tickets on Thrillark. Both General Admission and Youth & Student options are available.
Your admission ticket covers the George C. Page Museum, the live Fossil Lab, the active dig sites, and the free Excavator Tour — a 35-minute guided walk through the history of the tar pits and their extraordinary finds. Book your La Brea Tar Pits tickets on Thrillark. Both General Admission and Youth & Student options are available.
Key Highlights
- The world's only active urban Ice Age excavation site — science happening before your eyes
- George C. Page Museum — 3.5 million+ fossils from Ice Age Los Angeles
- Live Fossil Lab ('the Fish Bowl') — watch paleontologists clean and preserve real fossils in real time
- Saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, Columbian mammoths, giant ground sloths, and more
- Project 23 — an ongoing excavation that began in 2006 when parking construction uncovered 16 new fossil deposits
- Observation Pit — see what a real tar pit dig site looks like from the 1970s
- Pleistocene Garden — prehistoric plant species and bubbling asphalt pits across the outdoor grounds
- Free Excavator Tour included — 35-minute guided walk through fossil lab and active dig sites
About La Brea Tar Pits Museum Ticket
Most museums tell you about the past. The La Brea Tar Pits is the past — actively continuing in front of you. Every day, paleontologists extract fossilised bones from the asphalt seeps that have been slowly swallowing animals since the last Ice Age. The George C. Page Museum, which opened in 1977, organises those 3.5 million fossils into one of the most compelling natural history exhibits in the United States.
The Fossil Lab is the undisputed highlight. Behind a curved glass wall known as the Fish Bowl, you can watch scientists in real time — cleaning, preparing, and cataloguing fossils pulled from the pits. It's a remarkable sight. Outside, the Pleistocene Garden surrounds the museum with plants that would have been familiar to the mammoths and giant ground sloths that once wandered here. The Observation Pit gives you a window into what a 1970s-era tar pit excavation looked like, with bones still visible in the asphalt matrix.
Project 23 is the most dramatic chapter in the museum's recent history. In 2006, construction of an underground parking garage for LACMA next door uncovered 16 entirely new fossil deposits — including Zed, a nearly complete Columbian mammoth skeleton. That excavation is still ongoing. The free Excavator Tour brings it all together with a 35-minute guided walk. Book your tickets on Thrillark and experience one of the most genuinely astonishing scientific sites in the United States.
The Fossil Lab is the undisputed highlight. Behind a curved glass wall known as the Fish Bowl, you can watch scientists in real time — cleaning, preparing, and cataloguing fossils pulled from the pits. It's a remarkable sight. Outside, the Pleistocene Garden surrounds the museum with plants that would have been familiar to the mammoths and giant ground sloths that once wandered here. The Observation Pit gives you a window into what a 1970s-era tar pit excavation looked like, with bones still visible in the asphalt matrix.
Project 23 is the most dramatic chapter in the museum's recent history. In 2006, construction of an underground parking garage for LACMA next door uncovered 16 entirely new fossil deposits — including Zed, a nearly complete Columbian mammoth skeleton. That excavation is still ongoing. The free Excavator Tour brings it all together with a 35-minute guided walk. Book your tickets on Thrillark and experience one of the most genuinely astonishing scientific sites in the United States.
Inclusions
- Admission to the La Brea Tar Pits Museum
Exclusions
- Ice Age Encounters show — available for additional fee on-site
- 3D Theater (Titans of the Ice Age film) — additional ticket required
- Food and beverages
- Hotel transfers and transportation
- Parking at the museum lot (additional fee, credit card only)
Insiders' Tips
Book the Excavator Tour slot when you arrive — tour numbers are limited and the best timeslots fill up quickly, especially in summer and school holiday periods. Visit the Fossil Lab first (it's the highlight — and scientists may not always be working, so go early). The outdoor Pleistocene Garden and Lake Pit with the mammoth sculptures are free to enter without a museum ticket — good to note for pre- or post-visit wandering. Combine your visit with the Academy Museum or LACMA next door for a full Miracle Mile museum day.
Additional Information
Opening Hours:
- Monday–Sunday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM.
- Closed on the first Tuesday of each month.
- Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Children under the age of 3 enjoy free entry
- All exhibits and the museum building are fully wheelchair accessible.
- The parking lot and outdoor areas are also accessible.
- Only service animals permitted.
Cancellation Policy
- Cancellations accepted up to 24 hours before your travel date for a full refund. Cancellations made within 24 hours or no-shows will not be refunded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are the La Brea Tar Pits?
The La Brea Tar Pits are natural asphalt seeps — pools of tar-like asphalt that have been slowly bubbling up from underground petroleum deposits for tens of thousands of years. Animals that stepped into the shallow asphalt became trapped and were gradually preserved. The resulting fossil record is extraordinary: over 3.5 million specimens from more than 600 species have been recovered.
Can I watch scientists working on fossils?
Yes — the Fossil Lab (the Fish Bowl) is a glass-enclosed laboratory inside the museum where you can watch paleontologists cleaning, preparing, and cataloguing real fossils through the glass. Scientists and volunteers work at the Fish Bowl on most days.
What is Project 23?
In 2006, construction of an underground parking garage for LACMA next door uncovered 16 new fossil deposits. Project 23 is the ongoing excavation of these deposits, including the remarkable near-complete skeleton of a Columbian mammoth named Zed. The excavation is ongoing and can be observed as part of the Excavator Tour.
How long does a visit take?
Allow 2–2.5 hours for a thorough visit including the Excavator Tour. If you also want to see a 3D film or Ice Age Encounters show (additional tickets), budget 3 hours.
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