Date: May 6, 2014
Historical Site Number: 170
Historical Site Name: Hancock Park La Brea
Location: Hancock Park, 5801 Wilshire Blvd between Ogden and Curson Sts, Los Angeles
County: Los Angeles
Site History:
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 Gasper de Portola 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. Allen Hancock to be developed as a scientific monument.
My Thoughts:
The La Brea Tar Pits most people have heard, or know of, although it was interesting to learn 2 important facts: 1) It is a man made pit. 2) That all of the land was donated by George Allen Hancock when he found bones on his property and realized that educating people was most important.
The tar pits are not actually tar, they are actually asphalt. They do smell do to the fact that it is methane gas that is bubbling up.
I recommend to come see both the La Brea Tar Pits along with the George C. Page Museum, which houses all the bones and history of the La Brea Tar Pits. The museum is free the first Tuesday of every month.
"Hancock Park
La Brea Tar Pits
presented to
the citizens of Los Angeles County
in December 1916 by
Captain Allan Hancock
with a request that the scientific
features be preserved
first historic reference to the tar pools
recorded in the diary of Gasper DePortola
in August 3, 1769
originally a portion of the Rancho LaBrea
granted by Governor Alvarado 1840
Marked by Californiana parlor 247
native daughters of the golden west
April 28, 1940"
"Rancho La Brea
has been designated a
National
Natural Landmark
This site possesses exceptional value
as an illustration of the nations natural
heritage and contributed to a better
understanding of man's environment
1965
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior"
The La Brea Tar Pits are always bubbling from the methane gas coming up.
The George C. Page Museum is an amazing museum which houses all the discoveries of Ice Age fossils in the Hancock Park. There is a fishbowl that you can watch real paleontologist working. The first Tuesday of every month the museum is free.
