Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Closed Mondays: George C. Page Museum
Los Angeles is home to some of the most magnificent museums in the country. Amongst the excitement of LACMA and the glamour of the Getty, some of the smaller museums go unnoticed. Let's visit the overlooked, the obscure, and even the unusual. If we're lucky, they won't even be closed Mondays.
When people think of the La Brea Tar Pits, they usually think of the outdoors -- the replicas dramatically "trapped" in tar, and Pit 91, where scientists continue to unearth fossils under tourists' watchful eyes. But the George C. Page Museum is where the real action is.
George C. Page was a philanthropist with a keen interest in the "tar pits." According to the museum's website, he came to Rancho La Brea in 1917 and was disappointed to find that "the skeletons of Ice Age animals he sought were not on-site, but seven miles away at the Natural History Museum." After making his fortune, he offered to finance an on-site facility in 1973. "Construction began in 1975 and the museum opened to the public in 1977."
More than one million bones have been recovered at Rancho La Brea, the oldest of which is a wood fragment dated at around 40,000 years old. "Nearly all of the skeletons on display are real fossil bones found at the tar pits...Missing bones or parts originally composed of cartilage have been reconstructed with resin or plaster."
Support for LAist comes from
There are two films shown repeatedly throughout the day. Although they are educational, they might be upsetting for children or the very empathetic. It is a common belief that animals sunk into the tar like quicksand, but they usually became mired in only inches of tar, where they slowly died due to exposure and predators. In a bit of instant karma, predators also found themselves trapped more often than not. The films graphically recreate the animals' struggles, which can be poignant for some viewers, and disturbing for others.
The museum, which is located in Hancock Park, is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. excluding major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, and free on the first Tuesday of each month.
Insects, birds, and even large mammals continue to become stuck in the tar even today, so if you tour the grounds, watch your step!
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist