I found the La Brea tar pits fascinating. I was pressed for time, so I only visited the tar pits, I did not visit the museum. The museum tickets are up to $15 for admission. There's parking on-site for a flat rate of $15. The grounds with the actual tar pits are free and open to the public. There's plenty of signage with enough info for a self guided tour. There are multiple tar pits, and yes, there is a strong tar odor. I imagine that in the hot summer, it may get stifling. This is a great family adventure that everyone can enjoy. I was most surprised by the bubbling tar pits. It amazes me that a window into the past is located in the middle of such a big city. There's also actual on-site excavators working here. Keep in mind that during the weekdays, you will probably have to contend with school field trips. And if you visit the tar pits grounds, check your shoes as you leave. Great educational value here.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

As an L.A local I was blown away by how tar seeps through the ground here. They have fenced-off lots of tar where thousands of animals have fallen trapped to the sticky black tar. While the LACMA parking lot was being built, the tar pits were discovered. From which, we’ve been able to discover fossils from mammoths and other animals that have gone extinct. There’s a museum in the center of the park. It’s free for USC students children under 2. For adults it’s $15, and I felt was worth checking out for the sake of learning about L.A. We live atop a giant basin! There’s a beautiful garden in the museum and a nice gift shop. You can grab tickets to their virtual reality presentation. Outside the museum there’s plenty of paths to explore. It’s a nice area to have a picnic, if you don’t mind the smell of tar wafting through the air. Plenty of metered and free parking around the outskirts.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$11–15

Joined the Summer Nights event, which allows free entry from 5pm-8pm. On the lawn, there's a bar, food trucks and d.j. Make sure to bring a picnic blanket as the picnic tables are limited. Recommend booking in advance. Great learning experience! Lot's to see and do and enjoyed that you could see actual pits! It was awesome to see both scientists and paleontologists in action. I don't really understand the indoor garden, but it was peaceful to walk through. The skeletons were interesting to read about, but I would have liked to known where and when they were found. I also didn't see a lot of information on the marine life. The excavation tour was interesting, though I was crushed to find the dramatic looking lake pit was just dirty water and asphalt and not gooey tar The Observation Pit is closed, but I'd definitely want to explore if it ever reopens.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
Free

Wonderful museum!!! The statues, fossils, and other replica displays really help to visually bring the extinct animals to life. Plus, it was exciting to see the on-going lab work and digs onsite. My husband and I had never been here before, despite living in California our whole lives, and decided to bring our young boys. It was exciting not only for our kids, but also for us to learn about the geology of the Los Angeles region. Our 3-year-old son has been talking about it non-stop for weeks after our visit, and now has to watch the movie Ice Age all the time and tells everyone he sees about how the "Wooly Mammoths got stuck in the gooey stuff." There is a short 3D movie exhibition too, which costs about $6/adult, which I thought was worth it. Tours are offered as well, and educational for all ages, especially preschool and elementary aged children!!!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

As far as museums go, this was the most paleontology oriented that I have visited. The tar pits are far from being the main attraction. In between the reconstructed fauna of the late pleistocene, I particularly loved the glass-off cleaning laboratory with real scientists at work on display. I also really appreciated the guided tour (and the guide) and would recommend it. I went on Sunday and it wasn't too crowded but if you buy a ticket online for just $15 you can skip most wait lines anyways. It's not a bad deal. One caveat: they have parking but I don't think it's worth it especially if you only want to spend a few hours. There are some street parking nearby if you are lucky.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

My mom and I had never been to the La Brea Tar Pits before, although we've both spent a ton of time in L.A. We finally decided to stop by there while we were in the area for other obligations, and I'm glad we did. We had a lovely time! The museum was kinda small but very interesting. The grounds are huge, though, and there are many things to see while you're there. The staff was very friendly; especially the man that was running the booth selling wristbands by the parking lot. He was wonderful! I wish I could remember his name! All together, it was a great time. I would definitely recommend stopping in at least once to see everything!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
$16–20

The LA Brea Tar pits was an excellent visit tour for us especially with me being a science freak right along with my daughter. The exhibits were astounding as well as the history behind them. To see the actual living laboratory as you walk through the exhibits was also very fascinating. From 1-110 everybody we saw there was having a great time and were fascinated by the exhibits and history. We will definitely be going back! By the way, we also did the 3D movie presentation which is absolutely a must to get a better understanding of the the history of the tar pits and the ongoing research. This was a fun family activity!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
$16–20

We had such a great learning experience. The exhibits were interactive and so interesting. I'm a science buff, so it was right up my alley. The place is huge and there is so much to see and do. We spent a lot of time walking the grounds before going inside. We enjoyed playing around with the codes to scan to create pictures and videos of the dinosaurs. The museum inside was excellent, and we got to see and learn so much. It is a must go, especially if you have children and adults who love history and learning about the tar pits
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$11–15

This is a cool museum that is right in the heart of Los Angeles. Probably not downtown, maybe not even Central LA. But you're in the city. Apparently, this is a pet cemetery for extinct species that has been visiting Southern California for the past 50,000 years. Greatest hits include ground sloths, dire wolves, woolly mammoth and mastodons, as well as even beetle legs. It's 15 bucks a person which isn't bad. There's actually interesting stuff outside if you're a cheepo and can't afford the 15 bucks. I have been wanting to come here since I was a little boy in the '80s and read about this please. So, a little boy's dream has come true.

We visited La Brea on a Saturday and really enjoyed our visit! We did the guided tour that they offer twice a day and our tour guide Tony was hilarious and informative. The museum is full of interesting information and fossils with a fun little gift shop. Definitely recommend a guided tour to learn more about the "tar" pits! They have a parking garage right across from the entrance that you can park at to hit several museums in the area too.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$16–20

The main museum for the tar pits and where you can see some of the archeological findings. The museum will only take about an hour to go through. The museum does a great job of presenting the discoveries and the history of how and why the tar pits are so important to scientists and archeologists. The big attraction for adults is to see the full skeleton of a mammoth while the kids want to play escape the tar pits plungers game.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$11–15

Wow! What a treasure of museum that shows the animals that lived in L.A. area during the ice age. The history behind it it's pretty cool and the fact that you can actually walk around the tar pits where fossils have been found by paleontologists is just thrilling. My 10 year old little scientist picked the place as part of his birthday adventure (family tradition), and he enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it 100%.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

As a geologist, this was a cool place to check out. The grounds consist of a museum as well as various tar pits. The museum is worth checking out. There are many species that they have identified from fossils collected in the tar pits, including animals you wouldn't have suspected existing on the continent such as the now extinct American lion. If you're lucky enough, you can watch scientists identifying and cleaning fossils live within the museum.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

It is a story that seems hard to believe until you see it, and then it still seems hard to believe, lol. Much of the area was under construction and closed, but there was still plenty to wander around and see. Talk about history and still active. The greeting staff to the museum seemed to be having an off day for customer service, but the gift shop gentleman was pleasant. It was an overall nice visit, worth a stop, in my opinion.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

Given the price, the museum is fairly small and extremely busy. We enjoyed our visit. I've enjoyed it since I was a kid, but there isn't much “new”. It looks the same now as it did then. At this point, the exhibits and displays are getting fairly dated and could use updating. Many exhibits also has more than a couple cobwebs. Would be nice to see them better maintained!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$16–20

Nice. No maps printed in English and few signs pointing to actual museum. I had to go back to the ticket booth to ask where it was. Not all paths are marked clearly. Frustrating because If you don't know the area, we ended up behind there at LACMA, the bathrooms and restaurants behind the Tar Pits. I asked a couple of employees who couldn't point me in the right direction, either.
Price for entry
$15
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Really fun little area right in town to spend a few hours. Lots of great fossil displays and the free guided tour was quite informative. It's surprising this is right in town so if you're up for some good education while in the city it's definitely worth the visit. Be sure to keep an eye out for the green cones around the area to see active tar popping up to the surface.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$11–15

What a fabulous collection of fossils and reconstructed animal skeletons. I learned so much about ancient geological history and ecology from the museum. I am quite floored to see the animals that have found themselves in the tar pits over thousands of years. It’s such a bizarre historical accident and it’s right in the middle of LA. The length of the museum is nice — we got done in about an hour and a half or two. The grounds are also very peaceful to stroll through and explore.

Loved it! There's lots to see and discover The tar pits are STILL ACTIVE and have plenty of informative plaques to learn something new. Great for the whole family to visit. The outer park and grounds are serine and great for a shady picnic or day nap Overall it was a great experience and great to see history live in the middle of Los Angeles.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$6–10

Oh my God so much to see! So pretty and yet creepy! So cool how portions of time are frozen in tar! I think the skull wall off the 404 dire wolf skulls was my favorite. Or maybe the active dig site they had going on. Be careful tho there are lots of small tar sites that have started up! Super cool but dangerous if you don't pay attention!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

My boyfriend and I visited the La Brea tar pits because he’s never been there. He’s wanted to go for a long time. We enjoyed walking around the park and exploring the different pits! The museum was really nice and clean! We went on a Saturday. It wasn’t crowded. We heard during the week it can get busy with a lot of kids on field trips.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$11–15

This is a definite go to location. I’ve visited the La Brea Tar Pits & Page Museum many times over the years. It’s always a pleasure. This was the first time I attended the guided tour included with the ticket to the Page Museum. It was an absolute treat! I love puns, and the guide sprinkled them throughout his presentation.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
$11–15

It's a very small museum but very nice. They have lots of great bones and replicas with a few interactive displays. The walk through the whole place is relatively short. It's a fun place to bring kids (or adults) but don't count on it taking up a long time. They have a gift shop with some t-shirts, jewelry, and other assorted gifts. Parking was full last time I went so we had to pay to park across the street.
Price for adult entry
$11–15

This interesting Museum has fossils from animals from 10,000 to 50,000 years trapped in natural asphalt that come under the pond next to museum. You can see the pond next to Museum. You can see the fossils of sabertooth, Mammoths, and Wolves and many more. Here you can see the scientific working in the laboratories with the fossils.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

This was a fun trip. They have pits to walk around outside for free. The museum costs to get in. There are lots of fossils from various creature types found in the pits. My most memorable exhibit was the one where they had tar and you got to see what it was like to pull out of the tar.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
$11–15

The outside exhibits are free and it is a very large area to get a walk in or just lounge around for the day in nature. The actual tar pits are interesting but not really anything beautiful to look at. The museum costs $15 to enter and is small with information and a few animal statues. If I returned I wouldn’t pay to enter the museum, I would simply use the lawns for a quiet place to chill for the day.

The museum is a gorgeous working lab. They are always discovering new skeletons, and tar pits are still revealing more. Mammoths, dire wolves, sloths, horses, a variety of birds, and Saber tooth cats are constantly being found STILL! It is a great place for kids of all ages.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
$11–15

What a great place full of history right in the middle of the city. I can't say enough about the location in close proximity to other attractions, Wilshire Blvd, Hollywood Blvd, as well as good restaurants. Definitely consider taking a walk through the area, it's beautiful. The pits and museum are interesting and informative, easy to understand and navigate, and just plain awesome to see in person.

Amazing I loved it so much. It’s affordable, if you like being outside you can be outside there’s many things to see and learn from also it’s not crowded in the inside. The fossils are amazing I enjoyed my time here it is really beautifully made and decorated
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$11–15

Pretty nice hidden gem of LA. Wouldn't have known this place without gocity pass. Join the tour. Super informative about the beginnings of this place, and what they are doing. It's a pretty small place, but expect around 2-3 hours to clear everything including the tour.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
Free

This was a neat place! Beautiful grounds in the middle of the city. Well done intro video. Recommend the $6 to view it. Smallish museum but very well done. Seeing the live pits and areas they are currently working was really cool. Had a great afternoon here.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
$21–30

Very interesting site and wonderful museum. Tar (actually asphalt) oozes in random areas of the park area. I ate my lunch in the park. After visiting the Museum, I walked to 5713 W. Pico to see oil derricks hidden behind a facade building next to houses in LA.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

I enjoyed my time here exploring the tar pits and walking through the musuem. There is a lot of history behind the tar pits and area which I found fascinating. Easy to get to, parking available, and lots of grass areas to sit down and enjoy your lunch.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

What a fantastic experience! Who wouldn't want to learn about the Ice Age and the animals who roamed the globe millions of years ago. I absolutely love this stuff! Parking is $18, ADA accessible, and check out their website for exhibits and shows.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

Fantastic time. Well put together for all ages. Enjoyed both the museum and the park (pits) as well. Call ahead if you think it could be super busy, to see if you should get tickets online.
Price for entry
$15.00
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Ticket type
Two Regular Adult tickets

It is a museum where its formation is explained with pleasure in terms of geography and geology. Great for kids too. It's a place where you can learn while having fun, and you should definitely see it if you go.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

The tour was more detailed than it needed to be considering there were young children in attendance that got bored in the heat. The exhibit was impressive. Love the rainforest like arboretum in the center.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
1 hr+
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$21–30

The La Brea Tar Pits are an absolute must-visit! My wife and I had an amazing time exploring this unique natural wonder. The sight of ancient fossils submerged in the tar is awe-inspiring. It's a fascinating journey through time and a great way to spend a day in Los Angeles. Highly recommended! More

We didn’t visit the museum, however the signboards were very interesting. The pond bubbled every now and then, with an oily layer on the surface and an intense smell of tar.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure
Price for adult entry
Free

Very interesting! Lots to see inside the museum as well as walking around the grounds to view the actual tar pits. Educational signs are posted both inside and outside.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes
Price for adult entry
$11–15

A fascinating museum, with excellent exhibits. The target pits may not be much to look at, but they're worth taking a peek at, as the process of getting out the fossils is interesting.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

You can actually smell the tar! Pretty cool stop passing through town. Free for active duty military. Parking is $14, I recommend searching for a paid meter out front. There's plenty of it.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Small but fun fossil museum with a little garden in the middle. Learn about prehistoric mammals. No dinosaurs. The best part is walking around the park surrounding the museum, and watching the scientists work in the "fish bowl" inside the museum.

What a great place to see right here in our own backyard. Had the best time. Watch the 3D movie, walk through the atrium, visit the dino-lab and bring a picnic. Very interesting. Clean facilities. Affordable. Staff was very nice. What a gem.

The parking can be challenging. Parking lot can be expensive. The official lot is $18. Street parking is cheaper but usually full. The admission isn't cheap but not expensive. The tarpits outside and exxcavation areas are free. The tar pits

Had no idea what to expect at the tar pits. Was pleasantly surprised that it was very educational and beautiful. They have done a great job with exhibits and signage aimed at both kids and adults. In the museum you can watch the scientists

We really enjoyed the museum and surrounding grounds. It was my wife, myself and our son. The museum had lots of interactive displays and we all were impressed with seeing the paleontologists cleaning bones. The outdoors spaces with the

Overall this is a great museum in the heart of LA. The billboards at each pit are very informative. The museum is top notch, lots of great displays and the information is great. The staff is really knowledgeable and willing to explain

As a family from Texas, this museum didn't disappoint for our vacation during the 4th of July weekend. It was very educational and the kids had fun. We did attend their show which was an extra fee but everyone enjoyed it.

A very interesting museum, with lots of unique artifacts & exhibits. It's amazing that La Brea Tar Pits has one of the largest specimen in the world. My kids love it A recommended place to go when you're in LA.

A well curated museum! The work they continue to do here is amazing. This was an interesting place to visit. Who knew that tar oozes up in unexpected areas there?
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait

That's an amazing place where you really see science in action. Incredibly more interesting than what you may imagine! Things there are millions of years old and yet paradoxically very present

Very interesting in the museum and the tar pits where they are currently excavating. You can observe the paleontologists with current work in the lab. Many things on display. Would recommend. More

Cool spot to check out for some learning and history. Went on a Monday, free admission for military. Pits are located outside with an indoor museum. Great for families and kids!

It was fun! We learned a lot of history and my son enjoyed looking at all the fossils. We did go about an hour before closing so we were offered a half off deal. More

This was a small museum with lots to learn. The atrium is pleasant. Everything on the lawn is free to look at. Could have a better snack collection in the gift shop.

Had a great time at the asphalt seeps--aka La Brea Tar pits. If you happen to take the tour you will learn a lot. Val our tour guide was AWESOME!!!!

We loved the blend of indoor and outdoor activities on a hot summer day. Good exhibits for both adults, children, and teens. More

Very cool place. A lot of things were closed when I was there. Hope you get to see more than I did.

Fun, quick museum. Cool things is the active tar pumping out of ground all over. And