Out of an abundance of caution amid severe conditions throughout Los Angeles, the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits will be closed Friday, January 10. Please continue to check our website and social media channels for updates.

Photo of the tar pits fossil lab collection

Behind the Scenes at La Brea Tar Pits

We have millions of specimens in our collections, from sabertooth bones, to microfossils, to bits of local L.A. history. Most of our collections are behind the scenes! Take a deep dive into our collections both on display and beyond.

Photo of microfossils being sorted in the Tar Pits micro lab

Prehistoric Plants Unlock Ice Age Secrets

Investigate the Ice Age

In Our Collections

tar pits microfossils animated GIF
tar pits microfossils PNG fallback for GIF
Microfossils are meticulously sorted through microscopes before we store them in our collections.
bat flying through trees

We Found Bats Living at La Brea Tar Pits!

Take flight