WHAT:
In anticipation for a possible walk-out by essential union laborers, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) in Exposition Park and La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park, announced they will offer free general admission to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students and chaperones during what is expected to be a three-day strike beginning Tuesday, March 21. Free general admission tickets will be available only onsite at the Museums’ ticket counters.
At the Museums, all students will have access to free daily programming, as well as access to grade-appropriate, self-guided activities and lesson plans for pick-up onsite. NHMLAC provides educational resources for students of all ages year-round online.
At the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park, general admission includes:
- More than 300 fossils and 20 mounted skeletons in the Jane G. Pisano Dinosaur Hall
- The Nature Lab, which features hands-on interactives and live animals and allows students to use the tools of a scientist to discover the incredible stories of L.A.’s wild plants and animals.
- L.A. Underwater, a multimedia, immersive exhibition exploring the underwater realm of ancient Los Angeles when much of the L.A. area was submerged by the Pacific Ocean
- The Nature Gardens, a lush urban landscape where over 600 kinds of plants make a bustling home for birds, butterflies, lizards, squirrels, and more
- …and more, see nhm.org for details
At La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, visitors can see:
- Watch scientists at work at La Brea Tar Pits, the only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site found in an urban location, including Pit 91, where thousands of bones of extinct animals, like the western horse, saber-tooth cat, and dire wolf are jumbled together in sticky asphalt, and Project 23, where 16 new fossil deposits were discovered, including an almost-complete skeleton of an adult mammoth, and where live excavations and new discoveries happen daily
- The iconic Lake Pit, located in front of the museum, is leftover from asphalt mining operations in the late 1800s where rain and groundwater has collected above the bubbling asphalt, creating a small lake.
- The Fossil Lab, where visitors can watch science in action as real scientists work sorting microfossils, cleaning actual mammoth tusks and more.
- the Pleistocene Garden, representing the native vegetation of the Los Angeles Basin 10,000 to 40,000 years ago
- ….and much more, details online at tarpits.org
ONSITE TICKETS:
Free general admission tickets are available only onsite at the Museums’ ticket counters. Chaperones may identify themselves as parents or caregivers of LAUSD students to receive same-day tickets for their party during the strike. Special experiences require an additional ticket for purchase, at Museum ticket counters and are subject to availability.
NHM special experiences requiring an additional ticket for purchase include the Butterfly Pavilion (capacity is limited) and Dinosaur Encounters.
La Brea Tar Pits special experiences requiring an additional ticket for purchase include Ice Age Encounters and screenings of Titans of the Ice Age 3D.
Plan your visits at NHM.ORG or TARPITS.ORG.
HOURS:
Both Museums are open 9:30 am to 5 pm daily.
WHERE:
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
About the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County:
The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) include the Natural History Museum, La Brea Tar Pits, and the William S. Hart Museum. They operate under the collective vision to inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds. The museums hold one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history—more than 35 million objects. Using these collections for groundbreaking scientific and historical research, the museums also incorporate them into on- and offsite nature and culture exploration in L.A. neighborhoods, and a slate of community science programs—creating indoor-outdoor visitor experiences that explore the past, present, and future. Visit NHMLAC.ORG for adventure, education, and entertainment opportunities.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Maura Klosterman-Vu, Polskin Arts
maura.klosterman@finnpartners.com; 310.552.4117
Amy Hood, NHMLAC
ahood@nhm.org