Asphalt is still bubbling to the surface at the site today, naturally creating sticky, hazardous traps for local wildlife.
Pit 91 is an active excavation site where visitors can watch paleontologists work directly on recovered asphalt blocks.
The most common fossil found at the site is the California state fossil, the saber-toothed cat, with over 2,000 individual specimens identified.
Many fossils are found in 'bone beds,' where large quantities of animal remains are densely packed together within the asphalt.
Scientists use solvent-based cleaning processes to remove thick, sticky asphalt from individual bones before they can be studied.
The site was once part of the Rancho La Brea land grant, where the asphalt was harvested for roofing material in the 19th century.
The museum houses a 'Fishbowl Lab' that allows the public to observe the entire preparation process, from raw asphalt to cleaned fossil.
Researchers use radiocarbon dating on recovered bone collagen to determine the precise age of the extinct animals.
The preservation process at La Brea is unique because the asphalt acts as a natural preservative, often keeping bones in pristine, non-fossilized condition.
Some of the specimens represent species that became extinct during the Quaternary period, such as the American lion and the Western camel.
The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is the world’s only active urban paleontological research facility where excavation occurs within a major metropolitan area. Natural asphalt seeps have trapped and preserved fossils of Ice Age mammals, birds, and insects for over 50,000 years. The site features Lake Pit, a bubbling asphalt lake, and several active dig sites known as 'pits' labeled by number. The museum showcases thousands of fossils recovered from the site, including complete skeletons of Columbian mammoths and saber-toothed cats. Ongoing research continues as paleontologists clean and catalog new finds from the asphalt in the on-site Fossil Lab. The facility is situated within Hancock Park, which features reconstructed prehistoric landscapes and native flora. Researchers have recovered over 3.5 million specimens from the site to date.
The Lake Pit, featuring the iconic display of a fiberglass mammoth family appearing to be stuck in the bubbling asphalt.
Check the daily schedule for live Fossil Lab demonstrations to see researchers at work.
Walk the perimeter of Hancock Park to see the bubbling asphalt pits and view the life-sized statues of extinct fauna.
Visit on a weekday morning to avoid peak school field trip traffic and weekend crowds.
Do not attempt to walk off-trail in the park, as the ground can be unstable or contain active, unmarked seeps.
Closed on the first Tuesday of every month.
Wear comfortable walking shoes for the outdoor park paths; do not touch or approach the open tar seeps as they are hazardous.
