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| Landmark #170 | Los Angeles County | Visited: Sept. 18, 2011 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The La Brea Tar Pits! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: The bones of thousands of prehistoric animals that had been entrapped during the Ice Age in pools of tar that bubbled from beneath the ground were exhumed from this site. First historic reference to the pools, part of the 1840 Rancho La Brea land grant, was recorded by Gaspar de Portolá in 1769; first scientific excavations were made by the University of California in 1906. The site was presented to the County of Los Angeles in 1916 by Captain G. Allan Hancock to be developed as a scientific monument.
OTHER TIDBITS: Fossil findings at the tar pits include over 2,000 saber-toothed cats and 4,000 dire wolves among numerous mastodons, ground slothes, camels, and horses (600 plant and animal species in total)! The fossils were first officially reported in 1875 by William Denton, who received the canine of a saber-toothed cat from the Hancock family, now the state fossil of California! Excavations commenced in 1913 and are still in process! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Hancock Park 5801 Wilshire Blvd between Ogden and Curson Sts Los Angeles, CA ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~7mi (12km) — 0.2hrs |
| When should I go? | The park and museum are open 9:30 – 5:00 every day of the year except major holidays! |
