A one-kilometer pedestrian loop will link the museum with a central green and active excavation sites in the park surrounding the renovated museum. (rendering by WEISS/MANFREDI, courtesy of NHMLAC)

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has announced that the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum will close in July to begin a comprehensive reimagining of the 13-acre campus.

The museum will close to the public on July 6 for approximately two years. However, the park surrounding the museum will remain open throughout construction.

The project marks the first major renovation of the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits since it opened in 1977. The renovation will modernize and improve access to the museum building, creating visible research laboratories, new collections displays and storage, a theater and roof terrace with views of the park and the museum’s historic atrium and facade.

“As we prepare the La Brea Tar Pits transformation, I encourage everyone to visit this cultural icon and experience firsthand what makes this site unlike any in the world,” said Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, president and director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County. “This is the largest capital investment in NHM’s history and it reflects an extraordinary commitment from our civic and philanthropic partners to the future of La Brea Tar Pits. Our responsibility is not only to preserve the fossils in our care, but to ensure that the knowledge they hold is accessible to all.”

NHM encourages visitors to experience the George C. Page Museum before the closure. On June 12, the museum is hosting KCRW Summer Nights with La Brea Tar Pits, a free public event featuring after-hours access and site-wide programming. Last Dance at La Brea Tar Pits, a disco-themed dance party, will be held on June 27.

The transformation is led by the New York-based firm WEISS/MANFREDI. The project will unify the campus and make it more accessible by better integrating the Page Museum with research facilities and active excavation sites in the surrounding park. The goal is to help the public better understand scientific work at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, which is an international destination for research, education and public engagement. The project includes the launch of the new Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research.

A new one-kilometer pedestrian loop will be constructed in the park surrounding the museum, connecting a central green with active excavation sites and research and exhibition spaces. Access to walking paths, green space and outdoor features will be phased in during construction.

Scientific work at the La Brea Tar Pits will continue during the museum closure. Researchers will excavate fossils, advance laboratory discoveries, care for existing collections and publish studies.

Educational programs will also continue. On-site excavation will remain in public view and the museum will host special behind-the-scenes tours and presentations. The La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum will visit schools and public sites throughout Los Angeles County. The Natural History Museum in Exposition Park will also present public programs and educator programs for teachers based on Ice Age research at the La Brea Tar Pits.

The announcement that the park surrounding the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum will stay open during construction was welcome news for many residents of the surrounding neighborhood.

“We were very relieved,” said Greg Goldin, president of the Miracle Mile Residential Association. “I’m in that park twice a day. Closing the museum to bring back a more modern facility is understandable, and bringing back a museum where people can better understand the flora and fauna of the area is great.”

Construction on the $240 million project is scheduled to begin in late 2026. The full campus, including the George C. Page Museum, is scheduled to reopen in 2028, before the Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For information, visit tarpits.org.