La Brea Tar Pits Marks 100th Anniversary With Free Admission

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The La Brea Tar Pits is celebrating its 100th anniversary Monday by offering free admission to the public.

The museum complex located at 5801 Wilshire Boulevard along the Miracle Mile is recognized as the only actively excavated Ice Age site in an urban setting. Scientists have excavated over 5 million fossils at the site since 1913, spanning over 600 species of animals and plants.

Everything from fossils of saber-toothed cats, mammoths, and mastodons to Ice Age-era small rodents are on display at the bubbling Tar Pits and the nearby George C. Page Museum.

Dr. John Harris of the Page Museum told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO the discoveries provide an unparalleled glimpse into what the region looked like thousands of years ago.

"These are giving us clues as to how the environment changed through time," Harris said.

The La Brea Tar Pits centennial coincides with the prestigious gathering of 1,300 scientists from around the world for the annual International Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference — an event that hasn't been held in Los Angeles in 38 years, according to officials.

Click here to reserve free tickets for Monday's centennial.