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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

@tarpits.org
14K followers 46 following 352 posts

TEMPORARILY CLOSED. The Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research at La Brea Tar Pits will reopen in 2028. 🐾 linktr.ee/thelabreatarpits

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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 26/09/2026
Digging through the archives! Do you have a favorite #TarPits memory? 📸 @paleohyun
Instagram user @paleohyun taking a selfie with the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum sign.
Harlan's ground sloth previously on display at La Brea Tar Pits. 
Instagram user @paleohyun taking a photo in front of the dire wolf wall previously on display at La Brea Tar Pits.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 23/09/2026
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...
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Ep. 595 - Disrupt Plants, Disrupt Life: A Climate Change Story — In Defense of Plants
In Defense of Plants' Matt Candeias talks with paleobotanist Dr. Regan Dunn of the La Brea Tar Pits about how climate change disrupts plant communities and what that means for species extinctions.
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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 19/09/2026
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
Education professionals enjoy a round of laughs at a Natural History Museum Workshop/Open House.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 21/09/2026
Millions of fossils. 23 Boxes. One epic dig. Located in Hancock Park, Project 23 is an ongoing excavation where staff scientists and volunteers work on excavating 23 boxes of fossil deposits discovered in 2006 during the construction of an underground parking garage.
Volunteers excavating fossil deposits from Project 23.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 11/09/2026
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...
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The Beasts of Pampa La Brea, a Peruvian Tar Pit
Discover some of the Ice Age titans of Talara, the asphaltic site in Northwest Peru
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 07/09/2026
Fossil deposits from the Tar Pits provide a remarkable record of life in the Los Angeles region toward the end of the Pleistocene epoch. Because many specimens are unusually well preserved, scientists can study animals that disappeared thousands of years ago in remarkable detail.
Museum paleontologists excavating fossils.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 04/09/2026
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...
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The Beasts of Pampa La Brea, a Peruvian Tar Pit
Check out this New Teaser for "Peru's Tar Pits" a short documentary production from La Brea Tar Pits Narrated by Kevin Seymour, Royal Ontario Museum Research Associate Filmed and Edited by Daniel…
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 01/09/2026
A look back into our pre-closure past. Have you shared your #TarPits memories with us yet? 📸 @dinoguy128
IG user dinoguy128 taking a photo with the short faced bear statue previously on display at La Brea Tar Pits. Camelops hesternus previously on display at La Brea Tar Pits. 
American mastodon previously on display at La Brea Tar Pits.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 25/08/2026
The fossil record at La Brea Tar Pits is shaped by many factors including preservation, excavation, and what specimens survive over time. These conditions can reveal new insights and even reshape what we previously understood about the ecology and environment of Ice Age Los Angeles.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 20/08/2026
After decades of discoveries, the George C. Page Museum opened its doors in 1977, bringing the incredible fossils of La Brea Tar Pits to the public.
Columbian mammoth fossil mounting during the George C. Page Museum construction.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 17/08/2026
🐦 Although fossil birds are a rare find due to their fragility, bird bones found at La Brea Tar Pits were surrounded with liquid asphalt that kept them in a remarkable state of preservation.
Ralph W. Schreiber Hall of Birds at La Brea Tar Pits.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 13/08/2026
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...
Fragments of fossilized leaves like these helped the authors recreate the forest canopies of 56 million years ago. Photo by Dr. Regan Dunn.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 10/08/2026
FINAL DAYS! Application window for our STEAM Teen Club at @nhm.org closes Saturday, August 15: go.nhm.org/steam-teen-c...
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 08/08/2026
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
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Meet Spea labreae, a New Species of Ice Age Toad Discovered at La Brea Tar Pits
The first new extinct toad species and the first description of the Mexican burrowing toad at the Tar Pits help us understand the impacts of climate change on species distributions, past, present,…
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 06/08/2026
No matter what changes, La Brea Tar Pits will always be home to mammoths, mastodons, and countless memories. Share yours with us! 📸 @zookeeperchase
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 04/08/2026
🗣️ 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...
Illustrated facets of STEAM featuring text, "STEAM TEEN CLUB" and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County logo.Staff from La Brea Tar Pits examine microfossils with program participants.Staff from La Brea Tar Pits examine formations in Project 23 with teen participants.
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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 31/07/2026
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.
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10-million-year-long Mammal Layover in Mexico Primed the Pump for the Great American Biotic Interchange Between North and South America
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…
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 30/07/2026
🦖🦣 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!
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Prehistoric Fight Night
Join Rextooth Studios’ Ted Rechlin, award-winning graphic-novelist, animator, film-maker and science communicator, as he goes head to head with museum experts to battle it out and crown the toughest…
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 27/07/2026
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...
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 24/07/2026
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
Fossil Western horse previously on display at La Brea Tar Pits.

Fossil Bison antiquus dentary. 
Plant fragments removed from fossilized teeth.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 21/07/2026
🌎 One planet, countless life stories. The 83-foot-long mural once displayed at La Brea Tar Pits depicts the history of life on Earth—from the planet’s origin five billion years ago to the present, each inch representing approximately five million years.
"The Evolution of Life on Earth" mural previously on display at La Brea Tar Pits
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 18/07/2026
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.
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Shade, Then and Now
Discover the changing tree line of L.A. through the lens of La Brea Tar Pits fossils—and the evolving presence of shade in our warming climate
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 16/07/2026
A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who stopped by during our final days. See you in 2028!
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 13/07/2026
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.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 07/07/2026
👋 Goodbye for now! Thank you for your incredible support! As we begin our exciting transformation to reimagine La Brea Tar Pits, home of the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, we want to express our deepest gratitude.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 07/07/2026
👋 Final countdown. What message would you leave for the staff?
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Colin Purrington @colinpurrington.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Run, don't walk. @tarpits.org closes July 7th. #museum #paleontology
View of grassy area near La Brea pit #91. Sign in front reads, "please do wade in the stream," which is very, very good advice around tar pits.Three saber-tooth tiger skulls mounted on a wall.Skeleton of a Harlan's ground sloth. Not positive of the size of this one but they can be 10 feet tall.Chalkboard with 2017 dig details at La Brea Tar Pits research area #23. "We have already excavated to 15 feet in the middle of this pit. We estimate there may be up to 5 more feet of fossils!" "What did we find last season? Lots small birds, snakes, lizards." "The most common large animal from this pit is Smilodon fatalis (saber-toothed cat)."
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 06/07/2026
FINAL DAY! 🥹
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ElectroCeratops @ehrenenglish.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
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!
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 01/07/2026
🦣 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
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 01/07/2026
🦴 It isn't always easy to identify the sex of fossil mammals. While males tend to be larger than females, it’s the variations between individuals that speak louder than size alone—such characteristics are related to sexual dimorphism.
Male fossil skull of an Ancient Bison
Female fossil skull of an Ancient Bison
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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 29/06/2026
⚽ 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...
A model dons a two-toned green scarf with "Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County" text and a dinosaur silhouette.A two-toned green scarf with a dinosaur silhouette.A model dons a two-toned orange scarf with "La Brea Tar Pits" text and a sabertoothed-cat silhouette.A two-toned orange scarf with "La Brea Tar Pits" text and a sabertoothed-cat silhouette.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 26/06/2026
‼️ 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
Patrons at La Brea Tar Pits pose for a photo with a short-faced bear statue with text, "Make a memory before the makeover / La Brea Tar Pits Museum closes for renovations July 7. / GET TICKETS" with the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum logo.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 23/06/2026
This Saturday, June 27, is your last chance for a Last Dance at La Brea Tar Pits!
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Keith Chan @keithcchan.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
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
A herd of low-poly-style camels in a field.A low-poly style Columbian mammoth in front of a futuristic time tunnel.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 21/06/2026
🦣 To those who inspire and uplift even in the stickiest of situations. Happy Father's Day!
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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 18/06/2026
oh no! go see while you can! I like the giant wall of dire wolf skulls. 🐺💀
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Passing Strange At Present @chimaera.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
If you've never been, put it on your list. A surreal experience. Giant pit of tar, full of fossils. A step back in time. A Ray Harryhausen movie waiting to be made. In the middle of goddamned Los Angeles.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 17/06/2026
In further support and celebration of Juneteenth, we're happy to share we're expanding our free hours to provide complimentary access to both museums 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙖𝙮 this Friday, June 19! 🎟️ Free tickets will be available at any on-site museum ticketing desk.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 16/06/2026
🦥 Compared to larger sloths, the Shasta ground sloth was a smaller species with a tubular-shaped snout and fewer teeth. Their fossils are typically found in now-desert regions of the American southwest, and may have been present in L.A. during drier periods of the late Ice Age.
Fossil of the Shasta ground sloth on Display at La Brea Tar Pits. 
Skeletal Structure of the Shasta ground sloth (above), Image of the Shasta ground sloth (below).
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 12/06/2026
Encounter the Ice Age as we dig into the past to uncover the mysteries of some of the extinct creatures who roamed Ice Age Los Angeles over 10,000 years ago! Don’t miss two live performances of Ice Age Encounters today, Friday, June 12, at 11:30am and 1:30pm. tarpits.org/calendar/ice...
tarpits.org
Ice Age Encounters
Dig into the past as we uncover the mysteries of extinct creatures who roamed Ice Age Los Angeles over 10,000 years ago. This dynamic, 15-minute show features a life-size adult saber-toothed cat puppe...
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 11/06/2026
🤳 Look closer—spot any of your favorite Paleolithic Animals? Step back into Ice Age L.A. through the eyes of legendary American Wildlife and Paleoartist Charles R. Knight!
A portion of Charles R. Knight's painting of the interpretation of the La Brea Tar Seeps.A portion of Charles R. Knight's painting of the interpretation of the La Brea Tar Seeps.Charles R. Knight's interpretation of the La Brea Tar Seeps on display at La Brea Tar Pits.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 08/06/2026
This Friday, June 12, step into the Ice Age—and onto the dance floor—at a free, all-ages Summer Nights party! Enjoy the museum after hours, groove along to sets from @kcrw.com DJs, grab a bite from local food trucks, and more. Save your spot: go.nhm.org/kcrw-summer-...
A DJ takes to the turntables at a public after-hours event at La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park.DJ Novena Carmel.DJ Francesca Harding.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 06/06/2026
⏳ Just one month to go... There’s still time to make some memories before the makeover! La Brea Tar Pits closes for its two-year renovation beginning July 7, 2026. Make sure to create some #TarPits memories—tag us and share your memories before we say 𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘳 for now!
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 06/06/2026
Encounter the Ice Age as we dig into the past to uncover the mysteries of some of the extinct creatures who roamed Ice Age Los Angeles over 10,000 years ago! Don't miss two live performances of Ice Age Encounters today, Saturday, June 6, at 1pm and 2pm. go.nhm.org/ice-age-enco...
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 04/06/2026
🌳 Ancient trees with a big story! A fossil juniper from the #TarPits reveals how Ice Age forests helped shape Earth’s climate through photorespiration—releasing CO₂ to keep things from getting to cold during the last ice age.
Image of the Pit 3 Tree from the original Hancock excavations at La Brea Tar Pits.
The Pit 3 Tree currently on display as part of Mark Dion's Pacific Standard Time exhibit Excavations, as part of an 'uncovered diorama'. 
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 04/06/2026
🪩 June 27, we’re gonna party like it’s 1977! Ahead of our 2-year transformation, join us for 𝘵𝘩𝘦 disco party of the decade before saying 𝙩𝙖𝙧-𝙩𝙖𝙧 to the Tar Pits… for now.  Celebrate nearly 50 years of mammoth memories with us: go.nhm.org/last-dance Capacity limited. 70s-theme strongly encouraged!
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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 03/06/2026
Another season of Adventures in Nature Day Camp is nearly here! With just 3 weeks to go, don’t miss your chance to register your child for the remaining open sessions: 🐚 July 13 - 17 | Pod Patrol 🦇 July 20 - 24 | Nocturnal Neighbors go.nhm.org/adventures
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Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County @nhm.org · 02/06/2026
Two weeks left, Educators! There’s still time to save your spot for this year's Educator Summer Conference, “The Healing Power of Nature”, on Tuesday, June 16! go.nhm.org/educator-con...
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Educator Summer Conference: The Healing Power of Nature
Join us for a professional development conference where educators can learn healing pathways for themselves and their students using Southern California’s remarkable natural and cultural landscapes.
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La Brea Tar Pits & Museum @tarpits.org · 01/06/2026
From towering mammoths and giant ground sloths to millions of tiny microfossils, most of our daily discoveries are cared for inside the Museum. But after nearly 50 years since the Museum opened, we’re running out of room! www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzV...
youtube.com
We Packed 14,873 Saber-Tooth Cat Bones in ONE Week!
YouTube video by La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
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