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Fossils

Exhibitions

Scanning Electron Microscope Lab

See how big discoveries can come from the tiniest things in the Gem and Mineral Hall.

Exhibition | NHM
Dinosaur Hall

Step Into Our Award-winning Exhibition, and Enter the Age of Dinosaurs

Exhibition | LBTP
Fossil Lab

What happens after the fossils at La Brea Tar Pits are excavated? This is where you find out.

LBTP
Kids & Family Adults

Summer Nights at the Tar Pits

Join us for science, live music, hands-on activities, food trucks, and drinks at the Tar Bar—a perfect laid-back summer night at the Tar Pits!

Special Event

  • 6:00 pm
LBTP
Kids & Family Adults

Summer Nights at the Tar Pits

Join us for science, live music, hands-on activities, food trucks, and drinks at the Tar Bar—a perfect laid-back summer night at the Tar Pits!

Special Event

  • 6:00 pm

Discover more

L.A. on Wheels Scavenger Hunt

Go on a Museum scavenger hunt to explore how L.A. turns transportation into a celebration of creativity and community!

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Girls in STEM Programs

Join us for Girls in STEM Programming at the Natural History Museum! Our Girls in STEM Programming has opportunities for girls ages 8-18 to participate in hands-on STEM activities, meet real scientists, and explore future career paths in a fun and engaging way.

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Saber-toothed Summer Self-Guided Tour

Smilodon for the camera and capture some purrfect pics on this selfie scavenger hunt. Discover everything there is to know about the fearsome feline with the killer canines only at La Brea Tar Pits.

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News & Press

New Species of Armored, Monstersaur Lizard that Lived Alongside Dinosaurs Identified by NHM Paleontologists

Discovery of Bolg amondol, a name inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe, reveals the complex evolutionary history of giant Gila Monster relatives
 

Ancient Crocodile-Like Predators Ruled the Islands of the Caribbean

A new study finds that land-dwelling crocodile-like sebecids were the apex predators of the West Indies, surviving on the islands after vanishing from South America

La Brea Tar Pits Researchers Identify a Mysterious Fossil Seed to Reveal New Chapters in L.A.’s Climate History

Through advanced microscopy and imaging techniques, La Brea Tar Pits scientists successfully identify a previously unknown species to Southern California from fossilized seeds, revealing a drought-fueled dance between two species of juniper with lessons for the region’s climate future

New Bird Species from the Age of Dinosaurs Fills in the Gaps of Bird Brain Evolution

The exceptionally rare fossil skull of a new bird species from the Age of Dinosaurs reveals that avian skulls achieved their recognizably modern shape using archaic structures—an unexpected but stunning example of parallel evolution—while also unearthing a missing link in the long evolutionary history of the bird brain.  
 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s New Wing NHM Commons Will Open on November 17, 2024

NHM Commons will open with a Celebratory Block Party and New Exhibitions, Programs, and Experiences