La Brea Tar Pits: Ice Age Fossils and Excavation Tour

Uncover Ice Age mysteries at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Watch paleontologists excavate fossils and explore an active dig site. Discover saber-toothed cats, mammoths, dire wolves, and more!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • La Brea Tar Pits and Museum - Gain entry to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum with your general admission ticket. This site is where Ice Age fossils are actively being unearthed in the heart of Los Angeles.
    Delight in this exceptional attraction by exploring everything it has to offer. Be amazed by the outdoor Lake Pit, with its bubbling tar; journey…
What's Included
  • Excavator Tour
  • Pit 91 Access
  • Atrium Access
  • Pleistocene Gardens
What's Not Included
  • Souvenir photos (available for purchase on-site)
  • Ice Age Encounters show and 3D Film (tickets are available on site when you arrive)
Additional Information

Explore the wonders of one of Los Angeles’ most intriguing sites: the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, with this admission ticket. Immerse yourself in this extraordinary experience that reveals the secrets of the Ice Age. Visit a live Ice Age excavation site and observe paleontologists as they unearth millions of fossils right before your eyes. From…

Location
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
5801 Wilshire Blvd,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(173 Ratings)
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Lotsatraveling
May 18, 2025
Fascinating ! - I had read about the La Brea tar pits and was in town for a conference so I decided to check them out. The museum is very well designed and informative. The staff were very friendly and helpful. For example I had a detailed discussion of the dire wolf with a staff member in front of that exhibit. The large skeletons of the mammoth and sloth were especially striking. In addition to the museum, I wandered around the paths and got a much better sense of the tar pits and the other types of animals that got trapped and preserved there. Overall I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pedrocamposarias
Apr 23, 2025
A millennial look at California's past - Extraordinary professional scientific work to rescue thousands of animal remains trapped by these magnificent natural pitch pits from the ice age to now. Highly recommended and in the heart of LA!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Crystal_h
Apr 20, 2025
cajungirl - We loved seeing the tar still active and loved the history that we saw. We loved seeing the lab working on the findings.
Review provided by Viator
El_arte_de_viajar7
Apr 14, 2025
I thought it was just a movie. - One of its places that you only imagine in the movies, but that really exist, is worth visiting, as well as the museum. You will be surprised to see the pitch live and in full color!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathy_v
Feb 26, 2025
Fascinating fun favts - Be ready to step back in time to imagine what happened in this very location. Los Angeles can be proud of preserving this valuable area. It is a working paleontology fossil find with millions of fossils already categorized.
Review provided by Viator
James_h
Feb 24, 2025
Great information - Very informative trip. I especially enjoyed the free site tour and information received. I would definitely recommend taking the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Nigelf728
Feb 22, 2025
A museum highlight, in the heart of L.A - Fantastic place to visit. We walked around the museum, taking in the exhibits. There is a place where you can watch the scientists at work, through the glass. After the museum, we walked around the grounds, where you can see some current tar pits, others which are actually being excavated. A fascinating find in the heart of an urban area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna_l
Feb 23, 2025
Great educational tour... - Great educational tour for the children. But may add more activity structures to attract more family outing destinations.
Review provided by Viator
Tour811551
May 10, 2025
Early inhabitants of LA - If you have to choose between this museum and the Museum of Natural History, this one would be your second choice. If you live in LA or visit often this should probably be on your list, because the it's so amazingly strange and interesting. You learn about modern humans discovering the sight and the creatures that lived in LA loooong ago. Camels?? They are still unearthing fossils and you can watch people at various stages of cleaning them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan
Jun 5, 2025
Disappointed - I chose this excursion from the princess cruise. I was under the impression that you would see more of the archeological dig and the actual tar pits. It is nothing more than an attraction suited for children. I can also tell you I paid a whole lot more than $18.00. Not what I was expecting at all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $18
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).