Discoveries | La Brea Tar Pits Browse by Topic Discoveries Exhibitions Follow the Fossil: Unearthing Ice Age Mysteries Fossil Lab What happens after the fossils at La Brea Tar Pits are excavated? This is where you find out. 3D Theater Travel back in time with Titans of the Ice Age Events See all events LBTP Tours & Activities Kids & Family Adults Excavator Tour The Excavator Tour explores the Fossil Lab where real paleontologists work, our historic excavation sites, and Project 23, where live excavations can be seen. daily through 07/06/26 2:00 pm LBTP Tours & Activities Discoveries From the Tar Pits Join a Museum Educator to hear about exciting discoveries from the Tar Pits! These 20-minute presentations highlight what we can learn at the Tar Pits, followed by a Q&A opportunity. Topics are always changing. daily through 07/06/26 4:00 pm LBTP Tours & Activities Kids & Family Adults Excavator Tour The Excavator Tour explores the Fossil Lab where real paleontologists work, our historic excavation sites, and Project 23, where live excavations can be seen. daily through 07/06/26 2:00 pm LBTP Tours & Activities Discoveries From the Tar Pits Join a Museum Educator to hear about exciting discoveries from the Tar Pits! These 20-minute presentations highlight what we can learn at the Tar Pits, followed by a Q&A opportunity. Topics are always changing. daily through 07/06/26 4:00 pm LBTP Tours & Activities Kids & Family Adults Excavator Tour The Excavator Tour explores the Fossil Lab where real paleontologists work, our historic excavation sites, and Project 23, where live excavations can be seen. daily through 07/06/26 2:00 pm Stories View More Scientists and Engineers Measure How Birds Send Heat into Space for the First Time A new study from scientists at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, UCLA, Indiana University, and Cal State University, Dominguez Hills reveals the hidden reflectance of bird feathers through the prism of light, heat, and color Meet Masripithecus: Newly Described Ancient Ape Fills a Gap in Evolutionary History of Primates An international team of researchers add a new chapter in the story of apes—including us humans—starting around 18 million years ago in North Africa Uncovering L.A.'s Ice Age Past Take a dip into the science of the tar pits in this video, a rare look under the surface at the fossilized bones of Ice Age predators, from dire wolves to mighty mammoths. One Tropical Bird's History Through the Lens of Lice NHM's new Ornithology Collections Manager, Juliana Soto-Patiño, discovers the evolutionary origins of the mysterious Sapayoa aenigma through its parasitic louse The SNERCH for True Love: A Sinistral Snail Tale This Snail Search season, be on the lookout for snails with counter-clockwise shells 2025 Excavated: A Look Back at Some of the Biggest NHM Discoveries From prehistoric giant lizards and ancient raccoons to newly discovered spiders and heroic extinct dugongs, NHMLAC researchers had a busy year describing new species. Meet some of the coolest creatures our researchers described this year, along with other inspiring discoveries. Discover more Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research A New Scientific Research Hub STEAM Programs Join us for Girls in STEM Programming at the Natural History Museum! Our Girls in STEM Programming has opportunities for girls ages 8-18 to participate in hands-on STEM activities, meet real scientists, and explore future career paths in a fun and engaging way.