Tar Pits in the Middle of a City?

Only in Los Angeles.  Off of Wilshire Boulevard between the 101 and 10 freeways one can find the La Brea Tar Pits (map).  There are actual tar pits with bubbly black goo still coming to the surface that, according to the website, ooze 8-12 gallons per day.

Besides the bubbling tar pits, you can see old and current excavation sites (from a fence or viewing station of course) as well.

If you expect to see dinosaur bones, the La Brea Tar Pit is not for you.  Over one million bones from hundreds of animals have revealed that the most common animal to get stuck in the tar was the Dire Wolf.  A bit more exciting is the second most common animal to get stuck, the saber-toothed cat.

Also on site is the Page Museum, which features fossils and information about what life was like in Los Angeles during the Ice Age.  There are several rooms, and a short educational film in the theater.  One of the best features of the museum is the laboratory.  Visitors can look through the windows of the “fish bowl” lab and see the scientists cleaning, examining, restoring, and cataloging recently discovered bones.

I visited the Page Museum on a weekend afternoon and found it not terribly crowded.  I had no problem viewing the fossils, reading the information next to them, or checking out the “fish bowl”.  The only downside to visiting on the weekend is that there is no one working in the lab.  I found the La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum very interested and it’s always good to learn a bit of local history!

Admission is just $7 for adults, but free for teachers and free for the general public on the first Tuesday of every month.

If you’d like to volunteer at the museum or in the LAB(!!!) more information can be found here.

Photo Credits:
Tar Pit – Flickr
Page Museum – Flickr