Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard
The best of the La Brea Tar Pits
The tar pits, the Ice Age fossils, LACMA and its Urban Light, and the Petersen and Academy museums next door: here is how to plan Museum Row, with honest advice on what is closed right now, what tickets really cost, and where to park.
See our 4 picks
Short answer The La Brea Tar Pits are natural asphalt pits on Wilshire Boulevard, full of Ice Age fossils. Right now the museum building is closed for a two-year rebuild, but many outdoor areas of Hancock Park stay open. LACMA, the art museum next door, is open and costs $30 for adults from outside LA County ($25 for county residents).
Plan about half a day for Museum Row. Walk the park and the pits for free, then pick one paid museum: LACMA, the Petersen or the Academy Museum. Only a handful of tours on GetYourGuide cover this area, and most have few reviews. We say so plainly below.
Our 4 picks for La Brea and LACMA
These are the only four GetYourGuide products we found for this part of Wilshire. None of them sells entry to the tar pits museum, because that museum is closed for now.
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from €39 per person Our top pick 1.5 hours 5.0 (6) reviews on GetYourGuide
Museum Row walking tour: La Brea, LACMA, the Petersen and the Academy
A 1.5-hour guided walk past four museums. You see the outdoor tar pits, LACMA's Urban Light, the Petersen lobby and the outside of the Academy Museum. Museum tickets are an option, not included.
Best for First-timers who want the stories of all four museums in one short walk
Check availability: Museum Row walking tour: La Brea, LACMA, the Petersen and the Academy on GetYourGuide -
from €56 per person 3 hours 5.0 (1) reviews on GetYourGuide
LACMA entry ticket with an app audio tour
Your entry ticket to LACMA plus an audio tour in the WeGoTrip app, with maps and stories about selected works. Bring your own phone and headphones.
Best for Independent visitors who want a guide in their ear, not a group
Check availability: LACMA entry ticket with an app audio tour on GetYourGuide -
from €31 per person 2 hours 4.0 (10) reviews on GetYourGuide
Holiday lights bus tour with a stop at Urban Light
A 2-hour festive drive through Hollywood, the Sunset Strip and Beverly Hills, with a 30-minute stop on Rodeo Drive and a 15-minute photo stop at LACMA's Urban Light.
Best for Families and couples in town for the December holidays
Check availability: Holiday lights bus tour with a stop at Urban Light on GetYourGuide -
from €312 per person 4 hours 0
Small-group LACMA art tour with an art specialist, then Griffith sunset
A 4-hour small-group tour of up to 4 people with an art adviser at LACMA, then sunset at Griffith Observatory. Museum tickets, food and transport are not included.
Best for Art lovers who want an expert and can afford a premium price
Check availability: Small-group LACMA art tour with an art specialist, then Griffith sunset on GetYourGuide
La Brea and LACMA tours compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Group size | Pickup | Free cancellation | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museum Row walking tour: La Brea, LACMA, the Petersen and the Academy | €39 per person | 1.5 hours | Standard group: Up to 12 people | Meet on site | Yes, up to 24 hours in advance | First-timers who want the stories of all four museums in one short walk | The only tour built around Museum Row itself, with a group of up to 12 and a 5.0 rating, though from just 6 reviews. |
| LACMA entry ticket with an app audio tour | €56 per person | 3 hours | Private group | Meet on site | Yes, up to 24 hours in advance | Independent visitors who want a guide in their ear, not a group | The one way to book LACMA entry on GetYourGuide, with an audio guide in seven languages; it has only 1 review so far. |
| Holiday lights bus tour with a stop at Urban Light | €31 per person | 2 hours | Not stated | Meet on site | Yes, up to 24 hours in advance | Families and couples in town for the December holidays | The easiest way to see Urban Light at night as part of a bigger outing; rated 4.0 from 10 reviews. |
| Small-group LACMA art tour with an art specialist, then Griffith sunset 0 | €312 per person | 4 hours | Small group: Up to 4 people | Meet on site | Yes, up to 24 hours in advance | Art lovers who want an expert and can afford a premium price | The only expert-led art tour here, but it is new with no reviews yet and costs far more than the others. |
Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA and Museum Row at a glance
Museum Row is a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard with four big museums side by side. The La Brea Tar Pits sit in Hancock Park at 5801 Wilshire. LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is right next to them at 5905 Wilshire.
A short walk west, the Petersen Automotive Museum stands at 6060 Wilshire. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is at 6067 Wilshire. You can walk between all four in a few minutes.
- La Brea Tar Pits: museum closed for rebuilding; many outdoor areas open.
- LACMA: open every day except Wednesday; Urban Light is outside by the street.
- Petersen: cars and motorcycles on three floors, open daily.
- Academy Museum: film history, closed on Tuesdays.
Tours and tickets on GetYourGuide
The best tour here is the 1.5-hour Museum Row walk, because it is the only one that covers the whole street. It starts at 5802 Wilshire and stays outdoors at the tar pits.
For LACMA itself, the ticket with an app audio tour is the only bookable option. You can also buy LACMA tickets from the museum directly. The holiday lights tour only makes sense in the festive season. The art specialist tour is a premium extra with no reviews yet.
Most picks show free cancellation on their booking page. Check the exact cut-off there before you pay.
La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum: what to see
Right now you can see the outdoor pits and the park, but not the museum inside. The tar pits website says the museum is "temporarily closed for construction." It calls the work a two-year transformation. Public museum admission and ticketed museum visits are paused.
The museum building is the George C. Page Museum, which opened in 1977. While it is closed, the museum offers "Insider Tours" during construction. Its site does not list a price, so check there for dates.
The site is still an active dig. Scientists keep digging in Pit 91 and in Project 23. That project began when 16 fossil deposits were found while LACMA built an underground garage. One of them held a nearly complete mammoth nicknamed Zed.
What types of animals can be found in the La Brea Tar Pits?
The pits hold Ice Age mammals, not dinosaurs. Animals walked into the sticky asphalt and got stuck. Hunters that came to eat them often got stuck too.
Most of the animal fossils are about 10,000 to 20,000 years old. The oldest material from the seeps is about 38,000 years old.
- Columbian mammoths, larger than today's elephants.
- Saber-toothed cats (Smilodon fatalis), the state fossil of California.
- Dire wolves, bigger cousins of the gray wolf.
- Short-faced bears, American lions and ground sloths.
- La Brea Woman, the only human found here, about 10,000 years old.
Hancock Park and the outdoor sights
Yes, there is still real tar at La Brea, and you can see it outdoors for free. Natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground here for tens of thousands of years. It still bubbles up in the pits of Hancock Park.
The tar pits site says many outdoor areas of the park remain open during the rebuild. Some paths may be fenced off, so expect detours. The site was named a National Natural Landmark in 1964.
LACMA tickets: prices and how to buy them
An adult LACMA ticket costs $30, or $25 if you live in LA County. Seniors 65+ and students 18+ pay $26, or $21 for county residents. Kids and teens up to 17 pay $15 from outside the county and get in free if they live in it.
LACMA is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 11 am to 6 pm, Friday 11 am to 8 pm, and weekends 10 am to 7 pm. It is closed on Wednesdays.
Buy LACMA tickets online, at the door or by phone
You can buy tickets to LACMA online, at the ticket office or by phone at 323 857-6010. Walk-up tickets exist, but time slots do sell out. LACMA itself says advance timed-entry tickets are "highly recommended."
LACMA tickets free, discount and EBT tickets
LACMA tickets are free for everyone on the second Tuesday of each month. LA County residents get in free on weekdays after 3 pm. With an EBT card, two adults and all their kids 17 and under get in free. Show the card and a photo ID at the ticket office; this does not work online.
LACMA David Geffen Galleries tickets
The new David Geffen Galleries opened in April 2026 and hold LACMA's main collection. LACMA lists no separate ticket for them, and its store now sits inside them. Check the ticket page for any special show surcharge.
LACMA jazz night tickets
Jazz at LACMA runs on Fridays from April through October. The visit page does not say whether it needs a ticket, so check the event listing before you go.
Other museums on Museum Row
Two more big museums sit at the west end of the row. The Petersen Automotive Museum shows cars and motorcycles on three floors, plus a vault of rare cars. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures tells the story of film, from early cinema to the Oscars.
If you only have one paid stop, choose by interest. Art fans pick LACMA, car fans pick the Petersen, and film fans pick the Academy Museum. Our guides below compare their tickets.
Plan your visit: getting there, parking and what is open
The easiest way here without a car is the Metro D Line to Wilshire/Fairfax station. LACMA says the line brings you right to its door.
By car, the area has several paid garages. The Academy Museum lists the LACMA Pritzker garage, the Onyx Tower garage and the Petersen garage, at $10 to $40 depending on time and place. The Petersen garage charges $18 for the first 2 hours.
Before you go, check the tar pits site for the latest on the closure. Outdoor areas can change as the building work moves on.
Is it worth it? Who it suits
Yes, Museum Row is worth half a day, even with the tar pits museum closed. The outdoor pits are free and still bubble with real asphalt. Urban Light is free to see from the street, and LACMA is open.
It suits families with kids who love fossils, art lovers and anyone with a rainy afternoon. If you want more ideas like this, read our guide to indoor activities los angeles visitors enjoy.
It suits you less if you only wanted the fossil halls inside. Those stay shut until the rebuild ends, so plan a return trip for later.
Tips for Museum Row
Check what is open first
The tar pits museum is closed for a two-year rebuild. Look at tarpits.org on the day of your visit, since outdoor areas can change.
Go on the second Tuesday
LACMA is free for everyone on the second Tuesday of each month. Book a time slot early, because free days fill up.
Book LACMA time slots ahead
Walk-up tickets exist, but slots sell out. A timed ticket bought online saves a wasted trip.
Take the D Line
Wilshire/Fairfax station puts you at LACMA. That skips garage fees of up to $40.
Know what the tour includes
The Museum Row walk stays outside the tar pits and LACMA. Museum tickets are an extra option, so add them if you want to go in.
Avoid Wednesdays for LACMA
LACMA is closed on Wednesdays. The Academy Museum is closed on Tuesdays, so plan the days around both.
La Brea Tar Pits and LACMA FAQ
Can you buy lacma tickets at the door?
Yes. LACMA sells walk-up tickets at its ticket office. But time slots can sell out, so LACMA recommends buying timed tickets in advance.
How much are lacma tickets?
Adults pay $30, or $25 if they live in LA County. Seniors 65+ and students pay $26 ($21 for county residents). Ages 3 to 17 pay $15 from outside the county and get in free if they live in it. Kids 2 and under are free.
How much is lacma tickets?
An adult ticket is $30 for visitors from outside LA County. It drops to $25 for county residents with ID. It is free for all on the second Tuesday of the month.
How much are tickets at lacma?
General admission runs from free (kids, members, free days) to $30 for an adult from outside LA County. The LACMA ticket with an app audio tour on GetYourGuide starts from €56.
How do you get tickets for lacma?
Book a timed ticket on LACMA's website, buy at the ticket office, or call 323 857-6010 on weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm. You can also book the LACMA ticket with an audio tour in our picks above.
What types of animals can be found in the La Brea Tar Pits?
Ice Age mammals: Columbian mammoths, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, short-faced bears, American lions and ground sloths. There are no dinosaurs. One human, La Brea Woman, was also found.
Is there tar at the La Brea Tar Pits?
Yes. Natural asphalt still seeps up from the ground in Hancock Park. You can see the outdoor pits for free, even while the museum building is closed.
More Los Angeles museum tours with live availability
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Facts checked on 22 October 2026 against: La Brea Tar Pits: home page and closure notice · La Brea Tar Pits: museum closure · LACMA: plan your visit · LACMA: tickets · LACMA Unframed: David Geffen Galleries opening · Wikipedia: La Brea Tar Pits · Petersen Automotive Museum: visit and parking · Academy Museum: visit and parking.
Written by the Things to Do in Los Angeles editorial team.