LOS ANGELES — The La Brea Tar Pits, home to one of the world’s richest collections of Ice Age fossils, is undergoing a $240 million renovation designed to transform the institution into a world-class research and public education center. After nearly 50 years since the museum opened in 1977, the project aims to better showcase the vast trove of fossils and deepen public understanding of the region’s prehistoric environment and its links to modern climate challenges.
The centerpiece of the project is Zed, a nearly complete Columbian mammoth skeleton discovered in 2006 during construction near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The 9,000-pound specimen, which dates back roughly 40,000 years, will be fully mounted and displayed in a new hall dedicated to the Ice Age history of Los Angeles. Zed, along with millions of other fossils excavated from the tar pits and surrounding sediments—including remains of approximately 650 species—have largely remained out of public view due to space constraints and the museum's previous layout.
Since excavation halted when Zed was found—its skull partly damaged by construction equipment—the museum’s staff has been meticulously cataloging and storing fossils in its basement. The renovation, funded through $150 million raised so far with an expected completion in 2028, will include relocating some 3.5 million fossils weighing nearly 200,000 pounds. New facilities will allow visitors to observe scientists at work through expanded viewing windows, replacing the single existing observation area.
The redesign, led by architects Michael Manfredi and Marion Weiss, aims to update the museum’s mid-century Brutalist style while maintaining the site’s unique character and public appeal. The surrounding 13-acre park, known not only for its fossil sites but also for iconic fiberglass mammoth sculptures, will remain a vital part of the visitor experience. Museum leadership acknowledges the challenge of modernizing without alienating longtime patrons.
Beyond exhibits, the project emphasizes scientific research. The Tar Pits’ research center will expand studies of prehistoric plants, animals, and ecosystems, highlighting how the fossil record can provide insights into extinction events and climate patterns relevant today. Paleobotanist Regan Dunn, the museum’s associate curator, noted that the end of the last Ice Age exhibited parallels with current environmental issues such as heat, drought, and wildfires.
Recent findings show that ancient human-set fires and natural climate shifts played roles in shaping local ecosystems and possibly drove species extinctions thousands of years ago. These discoveries underscore the museum’s mission to use its extensive archives to illuminate past climate changes and inform present-day understanding of resilience and environmental adaptation.
Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County president Lori Bettison-Varga affirmed that the museum’s approach remains rooted firmly in science. “Our agenda is science and we’re going to tell that story,” she said. The renovated Tar Pits intends to invite visitors to engage with challenging questions about extinction and survival in a changing world, offering what she described as “aha” moments that connect history with contemporary realities.
The transformation of the La Brea Tar Pits comes after decades of incremental work paused by events such as recent wildfires in the region. Once complete, the museum expects to serve as both a premier destination for public education and a hub for cutting-edge paleontological research, reinforcing Los Angeles’s role as a center for understanding the ancient past and its implications for the future.