You can still get face-to-face with Ice Age Los Angeles in the middle of Miracle Mile, you just have to know what is and is not for sale right now. The museum building at La Brea Tar Pits is closed for a two-year renovation, but Hancock Park and the active excavation areas are open, and there is one legit paid experience running on site. If a third-party site tries to sell you a general admission ticket for today, walk away. There is no general admission while the museum is closed, and the outdoor grounds are free.
Think of your choices in three lanes. First, a free self-guided walk around Hancock Park to see the bubbling asphalt, the mammoth family at the Lake Pit, and the fenced excavations. Second, the premium La Brea Tar Pits Insider Tour, which is the only current ticketed experience operated by the museum and includes behind-the-scenes access with scientists. Third, pairing the outdoor tar pits with a neighboring museum that is open, like LACMA a short walk away, or heading to the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park if you want indoor fossil halls that same day.
Start with this: the La Brea Tar Pits campus sits at 5801 Wilshire Blvd in the Miracle Mile stretch of Los Angeles. Hancock Park, the green space around the pits, is open daily 6 am–10 pm. If your goal is to see asphalt bubble and watch summer digs at Pit 91 without spending a dime, you can do that today. If you want an expert to take you behind the fence and put real microfossils in your hands, that is what the Insider Tour is for.
The museum building is closed for construction, but the outdoor campus is still doing the thing that makes this place unique: ongoing, public-facing science in the middle of the city. Hancock Park’s walkways thread past the Lake Pit and multiple fenced excavation zones, including the summer field site at Pit 91 where you can watch crews working when the program is active. There is no ticket gate to walk the park, read the interpretive signs, and watch the asphalt simmer. If anyone tries to charge you an “outdoor access” fee, that is not coming from the museum.
Plan your timing around daylight and the park’s gates. The grounds run 6 am–10 pm, but some side gates near Fairfax and 6th follow their own schedules that shorten after sunset. If you are arriving just before evening, use the main approaches off Wilshire or 6th to avoid chasing a locked pedestrian gate. Daylight also makes the tar seeps and signage easier to spot for first-time visitors.
One more localism the internet glosses over: Wilshire Boulevard is a rush-hour tow route. The block-fronts next to the campus are posted no-stopping 7–9 am and 4–7 pm, Monday–Friday. If you are used to curling into a meter until 4:01 and gambling, this is not that part of town. Towing here is brisk and expensive. If you are driving, keep reading for better parking choices that do not end with a ticket stub.
Because there is no general admission while the museum is under renovation, the Insider Tour is the only official paid way to get guided, behind-the-scenes access on site. It currently runs Fridays at 11 am and Sundays at 11 am and 2:30 pm (the schedule can shift, so check dates when you book). Tickets are $125 for adults and $105 for children, with a member discount. This is a small-group, premium experience, so spots are limited and do sell out.
The tour takes place entirely outdoors and goes beyond the public fences. Expect an up-close briefing at the Lake Pit and mammoth sculptures, a guided stop where you will be right next to the bubbling asphalt, and a hands-on microfossil activity with staff. Closed-toed shoes are required, and this is not the day for your white jeans. Asphalt seeps can and do transfer to clothing. The minimum age is 7+, and all adults and guardians sign a liability waiver.
Parking for Insider Tour guests is reserved and included at 725 S Curson Ave, a short walk from the meeting point. Show your tour confirmation at the lot booth. If you do not have Insider Tour tickets, do not plan on using this car park; the site’s general parking is closed to the public during the renovation. If a reseller claims they can bundle “VIP parking” with a generic park visit, that is not an official offer and will not get you through the gate.
Bottom line from a box-office brain: buy the Insider Tour only from the museum’s own ticketing channel, keep your confirmation handy for the parking booth, and wear shoes you do not baby. If you prefer free and unstructured, skip tickets entirely and stick to the park paths.
Transit got a lot friendlier here. The Metro D Line now stops at Wilshire/Fairfax, right across from the Tar Pits and LACMA, which keeps you out of both traffic and tow-away zones. If you ride Metro, keep your TAP card in your wallet; if you decide to visit LACMA the same day, the museum offers a small discount on general admission for Metro riders who show a TAP card at the ticket office.
If you need to drive, skip the curb on Wilshire and use a garage. The LACMA Pritzker Parking Garage on 6th Street is open daily and is the most straightforward option for this campus. The Academy Museum also validates for the Pritzker Garage, offering $10 with validation or $25 without validation, which can be handy if you are pairing the Tar Pits walk with a film screening or gallery visit. Hours run into the evening; if you are catching a late program, check whether the garage closes by 10 pm or a bit later on select days so your exit does not turn into a call to security.
For non–Insider Tour visitors, the Tar Pits’ own car park is currently closed to the public. That is the easiest wrong turn we watch out-of-towners make. If a weekend visit lines up with a big event next door, the Pritzker Garage can fill; give yourself a buffer to circle to the Petersen Automotive Museum garage on Fairfax or use the new D Line instead of guessing which lot has spaces left.
Miracle Mile lets you build a good two- or three-stop day entirely on foot. After your free walk through Hancock Park, consider buying timed entry for LACMA across the lawn. General admission is $25 for LA County adults and $21 for seniors and students with valid ID, with a higher tier for visitors from outside the county. Kids and teens who live in LA County get in free, and LA County residents are free after 3 pm on weekdays with ID. LACMA’s standard hours run Monday and Tuesday 11 am–6 pm, Thursday the same, Friday 11 am–8 pm, and weekends 10 am–7 pm, with Wednesday closed. Advance timed entry is strongly recommended because popular times do sell out.
If you would rather keep the day on a science track, make the jump to the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park. It has full indoor fossil halls and is part of the same museum family as La Brea Tar Pits. A savvy way to save is the NHM policy that LA County residents get free general admission from 3–5 pm, Monday–Friday by showing ID at the ticket windows. Special exhibitions and add-ons, like the seasonal Butterfly Pavilion or 3D films, are ticketed separately and not covered by general admission. If you are juggling kids’ attention spans and downtown traffic, that two-hour late afternoon window can be the difference between paying four admissions or none.
For film fans, the Academy Museum sits right on Wilshire at Fairfax and often runs evening screenings in its theaters. If you validate in the Pritzker Garage when you pick up or scan your ticket, your parking rate is $10 rather than the standard daily rate. That is one of the rare discounts in this area that still works as advertised. If you see a third-party pass bundle adding “skip-the-line” to LACMA or the Academy, ignore the upcharge and buy direct. Both museums already operate with timed entry that spreads arrivals; there is no magic lane a reseller can unlock.
On a typical visit to the outdoor pits, count on 45–75 minutes to walk the loop, linger at the Lake Pit, and look into the excavation enclosures. If you catch active work at Pit 91 in summer, you will spend longer. Strollers handle the main paths fine, but there are areas of sloped lawn and compacted dirt that require attention after rain. Warm days can kick up the asphalt smell, which is half the point and half the reason to bring water and sunscreen.
If you are booking the Insider Tour, build in at least 30 minutes before your call time to park at 725 S Curson Ave, find the meeting spot, and check in. Tour start times are firm, and late arrivals miss portions of the route without refunds. Wear closed-toed shoes and bring a hat; the entire experience stays outdoors. The staff will put real materials in front of you for the microfossil activity, and you will be close enough to the seeps that accidental contact is possible. That is why no one on the staff wears their nicest clothes on shift, and you should not either.
Because park entry is free, there is nothing to “sell out” outdoors. The only thing that books up is the Insider Tour. If that is your target, purchase the museum’s own tour tickets early for a Friday or Sunday slot and do not chase them on resale platforms. You will see unofficial listings float around on social media and travel forums. They either redirect to the real checkout or pocket a markup. Buy direct, bring the confirmation email for parking, and you are set.
| Option | What you get | Price | When | How to book | Local notes |
| Free walk at Hancock Park | Lake Pit, mammoth sculptures, fenced excavation views, interpretive signs | $0 | Daily, 6 am–10 pm | No ticket needed | Outdoor grounds only; museum building is closed; watch for rush-hour tow zones on Wilshire 7–9 am, 4–7 pm Mon–Fri |
| La Brea Tar Pits Insider Tour | Behind-the-fence access, scientist-led microfossil activity, up-close look at seeps | $125 adult, $105 child, member discount | Fridays 11 am; Sundays 11 am and 2:30 pm (schedule may vary) | Buy directly from the museum | Reserved parking at 725 S Curson Ave; minimum age 7+; closed-toed shoes required |
| LACMA add-on | Timed-entry galleries next to the Tar Pits | $25 LA County adult, $21 senior/student; LA County residents free after 3 pm on weekdays | Mon–Tue, Thu 11 am–6 pm; Fri 11 am–8 pm; Sat–Sun 10 am–7 pm; Wed closed | Advance timed entry recommended | Metro riders with a TAP card get a small discount; Pritzker Garage on 6th is the simplest parking |
| Natural History Museum backup for indoor fossils | Full fossil halls in Exposition Park | General admission varies; LA County residents are free 3–5 pm on weekdays with ID | Daily schedule varies by date; check before you go | Buy direct or use the weekday free window onsite | Special exhibitions and pavilions require separate tickets |
Skip “skip the line.” The only current line on the tar pits campus is for the Insider Tour check-in. Outdoor viewing is free and self-directed. If a reseller promises priority access to the park path, they are selling you nothing.
Use Metro when possible. The D Line Wilshire/Fairfax station is a half-block from the Lake Pit. You can step off the train, circle the pits, and then decide whether to walk into LACMA or the Academy Museum without dealing with parking validation at all.
If you drive, validate smart. If your day includes the Academy Museum, have them validate your Pritzker Garage ticket for the $10 rate. If not, be honest with yourself about how long you will stay and whether the unvalidated daily rate still makes sense compared to a rideshare.
Choose your splurge. If you want hands-on science at the Tar Pits during the closure, put your money into the Insider Tour. If you are content with the free outdoor walk, spend your museum budget on LACMA timed entry or an NHM visit later in the day. Paying a third party for something labeled “Tar Pits general admission” right now is lighting money on fire.
Yes. The outdoor campus remains open, and the summer program at Pit 91 lets you watch active excavation from outside the fence. You will also see multiple fenced pits and the Lake Pit year-round. There is no ticket required for the park walk.
Only if you want the Insider Tour. That premium, small-group experience runs Fridays and Sundays, costs $125 for adults and $105 for children, includes reserved parking at 725 S Curson Ave, and goes behind the public fences. The outdoor grounds otherwise are free.
Use the LACMA Pritzker Parking Garage on 6th Street or arrive by Metro D Line to Wilshire/Fairfax. Do not try to use the Tar Pits’ car park without an Insider Tour confirmation, and avoid Wilshire’s rush-hour tow-away windows of 7–9 am and 4–7 pm on weekdays.
Walk the tar pits for free in the morning, ride the D Line if you can, and book timed entry at LACMA. If you are an LA County resident, aim for the 3–5 pm weekday free window at the Natural History Museum to see indoor fossil galleries later in the day.
Here is the simple way to choose. If you want a hands-on, staff-led experience on the grounds during the closure, budget for the Insider Tour and book direct. If you just want to see Ice Age LA in the middle of the city, take the D Line to Wilshire/Fairfax, circle the Lake Pit and excavations for free, then put your ticket money into LACMA or the Natural History Museum.
Published: September 7, 2026