La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

The good times really stick with you. Share your favorite #TarPits memory with us below! 📸 @barnunavailable

Before dawn one spring day, three Tar Pits Museum scientists boarded a boat bound for a rustic, mountainous stretch of Catalina Island in search of one hard-working bug: the dung beetle. 💩 go.nhm.org/dung-beetle-...

Wednesday, October 28, join us for our Homeschool Day at @nhm.org as we discuss all of the plants and animals that survived the Ice Age! Drop in on nature chats with our scientists, make a Tar Pits-inspired craft, explore the Museum, and more. Register today: go.nhm.org/oct-homeschool

🐾 Fang-tastic moments courtesy of ktlaunscripted and erinmyersktla on Instagram. See how we're reimagining the #TarPits for the future: tarpits.org/reimagine

Digging through the archives! Do you have a favorite #TarPits memory? 📸 @paleohyun

What happens when you disrupt plants? You disrupt ecosystems! Tune in as #TarPits Assistant Curator Dr. Regan Dunn chats with Dr. Matt Candeias on the podcast “In Defense of Plants” about how climate and plants interact during important periods in Earth's history. go.nhm.org/in-defense-o...

Educators! Next Saturday, join us for our Educator Open House where you'll hear about our School Programs offerings for 2026 - 2027, enjoy table displays and activities, and enter to win fabulous prizes—including a bus scholarship for a trip to NHM! Register for free today: go.nhm.org/eoh-0926

From Pampatheres and Gomphotheres to Eremotheres, discover some of the Ice Age titans of Pampa La Brea, the asphaltic site in Talara, Peru, where #TarPits researchers have been working alongside the Instituto de Paleontología at the Universidad Nacional de Piura. go.nhm.org/peruvian-tar...

Get a sneak peek as excavators take you to what is possibly the second most fossil-rich tar pit in Peru, where our researchers have been working alongside the Instituto de Paleontología at the Universidad Nacional de Piura. Coming soon to YouTube. Subscribe today! youtube.com/watch?v=BRtL...

A look back into our pre-closure past. Have you shared your #TarPits memories with us yet? 📸 @dinoguy128

A #TarPits researcher reconstructed forests of 56 million years ago against a backdrop of elevated atmospheric CO₂, global warming, and reduced rainfall triggered by volcanically driven carbon release—and trees are at the root of these drastic changes: go.nhm.org/paleocene-eo...

FINAL DAYS! Application window for our STEAM Teen Club at @nhm.org closes Saturday, August 15: go.nhm.org/steam-teen-c...

BEHOLD. Meet Spea labreae, a new species of Ice Age Toad discovered at La Brea Tar Pits! The extinct species of burrowing frog helps us understand the impacts of climate change on species distributions, past, present, and future. go.nhm.org/ice-age-toad

No matter what changes, La Brea Tar Pits will always be home to mammoths, mastodons, and countless memories. Share yours with us! 📸 @zookeeperchase

🗣️ Time’s running out, young scholars! Debuting this September, explore how STEAM is at the heart of every aspect of our Museum—from researchers and caretakers to artists and communicators—through five resource-filled sessions. Apply now through August 15: go.nhm.org/steam-teen-c...

Published in the journal Science, a new study by NHM researchers shows that Mexico acted as a biodiversity "holding pen" for 10 million years ahead of the Great American Biotic Interchange that opened the floodgates between North and South America 2.8 million years ago.

🦖🦣 When two ancient titans face off, who would really win? Friday, August 21, join us alongside Rextooth Studios' Ted Rechlin for an epic battle to crown the toughest champions of the dino and Ice Age eras with “Prehistoric Fight Night” at the NHM Commons Theater!

A small amount of carbon can give us a whole lot of information, allowing scientists to build a timeline of animals and environments that existed during Ice Age L.A by measuring traces of carbon. Discover how ancient fossils are shaping new research: go.nhm.org/tar-pits-res...

Wonder what animals of the late Pleistocene snacked on? Through examining microscopic plant fragments from the teeth of Western horse and ancient bison specimens, scientists discovered their diet consisted of leaves and twigs from Rancho La Brea. Take a closer look: go.nhm.org/horsing-around

In sunny California, shade is always a hot commodity, but during extreme heat, it becomes a necessity. The La Brea Tar Pits tell the story of how shade has been a resource that has changed over time.

A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who stopped by during our final days. See you in 2028!

Thanks to our friends at the Concern Foundation for having La Brea Tar Pits and @nhm.org at their #ConcernBlockParty! Cali joined members of our Performing Arts and Research & Collections teams for a “wild” safari-themed night out, all in the name of cancer research.

👋 Final countdown. What message would you leave for the staff?

Run, don't walk. @tarpits.org closes July 7th. #museum #paleontology

FINAL DAY! 🥹

I was lucky enough to visit when I took a short trip to LA a couple of years ago. If you can, go see it before it changes! The vintage exhibits are very cool. I'm sure it'll still be cooler in 2 years, but that's gonna wait!

🦣 Our doors may be closing in a week, but the memories can last a lifetime! Shop official La Brea Tar Pits merch now through July 6 and save 25% with code TARTARFORNOW25: go.nhm.org/tar-pits-shop

⚽ We’ve got two new ways to show your team spirit this season! Celebrate your passion for the beautiful game and museum pride with our brand-new museum-themed scarves—which one are you rooting for? @nhm.org: go.nhm.org/team-nhm-scarf @tarpits.org: go.nhm.org/team-tarpits...

‼️ T(ar)-minus 10 DAYS to go!  For nearly 50 years, La Brea Tar Pits has been one of L.A.'s most beloved treasures, and it's about to become something even more extraordinary. Experience the #TarPits in its vintage state now through July 6 before our two-year makeover! tarpits.org

This Saturday, June 27, is your last chance for a Last Dance at La Brea Tar Pits!

PaleoCalifornia Part 2 is out! It is a WebXR educational theme park ride featuring Creative Commons models from @tarpits.org. View it in any web browser or in VR headsets at www.paleoca.com! #WebXR #AFrame #ThreeJS #EduSky

🦣 To those who inspire and uplift even in the stickiest of situations. Happy Father's Day!

oh no! go see while you can! I like the giant wall of dire wolf skulls. 🐺💀