Hancock Park La Brea

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.