DAY TRIP:

More than 3 million fossils reside at the Page Museum, also known as the La Brea Tar Pits. Fossils of saber-toothed tigers, ground sloths and mammoths have been excavated from the asphalt, which has oozed out of the ground for about 40,000 years. Millions of years ago, the area now known as Rancho La Brea was under the Pacific Ocean. When the water receded around 100,000 years ago, the Rancho La Brea area became land. New layers of earth settled on older layers rich in oil. The surfacing of oil through cracks in the Earth’s surface has created the tar pits, which have worked to preserve fossils that provide a window to history. Visitors to the La Brea Tar Pits, one of the most famous fossil sites in the world, can explore artifacts from the last Ice Age.

Getting there

Take the 405 Freeway north for about 20 miles until you reach the I-110 north. Merge onto the I-110 and continue for about 12 miles. Take the exit to the I-10 west. Continue on the I-10 west toward Santa Monica for four miles. Exit La Brea Avenue and keep right at the fork. Follow the signs to La Brea Avenue north. Turn right at La Brea Avenue south. Continue on La Brea Avenue south for two miles. Turn left at Wilshire Boulevard until you reach the Page Museum. If you choose street parking, make sure you follow all signs because there are heavy fines for parking violations.

Hours

The Page Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Admission

Adults visiting the Page Museum are required to pay a $7 admission fee. Students, youths 13 to 17, and seniors 62 or older can enter for a discounted price of $4.50. Children between the ages of 5 and 12 are admitted for a $2 fee. Members and children younger than 5 can enter for free. Admission is free on the first Tuesday of every month.

Museum Parking

An $8 parking fee applies to all vehicles without validation. If you bring your parking ticket to the museum, employees will validate it and the fee will be $6. The validation is for Page Museum parking only.

Self-Guided and Guided Tours

The museum offers a self-guided visiting program which allows groups to tour the museum at their own pace. Groups of 10 or more for individuals who would not ordinarily be admitted for free are admitted for a discounted fee, but must notify the museum 72 hours in advance of their visit. Guided tours are offered for groups of 10 to 25 people. Guests have the option of choosing a park tour, museum tour or both. Each tour lasts about one hour. For more information about guided tours, contact the Group Sales Office at (323) 857-6300, Ext. 107 or [email protected].

Exhibits

The museum features more than 30 exhibits. Visitors will see skeletons, a glass-walled working laboratory, photo murals on history, films, robotic sculptures, and paintings that illustrate past environments. It is common to see lab workers cleaning and repairing bones through the windows of the laboratory.

— Jacquelyn Rumfola