The site’s name is not only doubly redundant but also erroneous – the tar pits are not tar at all; they are asphalt deposits.

Located in what is now Hancock Park, this 23-acre parcel was first mentioned in the diary of a Franciscan friar in 1769. it eventually fell into the hands of Major Henry Hancock. His son donated the historic land to Los Angeles County. Some of the fossils excavated from the 100 pits include saber-toothed cats. An observation pit enables visitors to see some specimens.

Page Museum

The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, opened in 1977 at the tar pits. The 57,000 square foot building houses reconstructed skeletons, educational exhibits, and an introductory film. A glass- enclosed laboratory allows you to watch palaeontologists clean and identify fossil bones from the pits.