The La Brea Tar Pits, a treasure trove of late Pleistocene fossils, is set to undergo a massive two-year renovation, closing its doors on July 6. This closure marks a pivotal moment in the preservation of our natural history, as the museum prepares to unveil a transformed space dedicated to the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research. With 3.5 million fossils, each fragile and irreplaceable, the move is akin to a house move out of a nightmare. The museum's collection, spanning 60,000 years, offers a near-complete record of life in what is now Los Angeles during the late Pleistocene epoch. This unique trove provides a striking parallel to our current era, marked by climate change, extinction, devastating fires, and a delicate balance between humans and nature. The renovation aims to enhance the museum's ability to showcase this collection and convey the significance of the ecosystem preserved in the pits for understanding our current world. The current museum, formally known as the George C. Page Museum, opened in 1977 with a smaller collection and understanding of the fossils. Some early misconceptions, like the tar working as quicksand, persist in the exhibits. The new design will address these issues, with community input shaping the final layout. The renovation will also introduce more space for exhibits, storage, research, and educational programs, reflecting the evolving understanding of the Ice Age ecosystem. The outdoor features, such as the grassy hills and tar pulls, will remain, but with scientific accuracy in mind. The iconic mammoth family sculptures will also be preserved, with landscape alterations to enhance their scientific representation. The new layout will feature plants more closely related to those of the late Pleistocene, such as cypress and toyon, and the return of mounted Ice Age mammal skeletons, including Zed, the most complete Columbian mammoth ever found. The renovation will also expand the Fish Bowl, a glass-walled lab where preparators clean fossils, providing a more interactive and educational experience for visitors. Despite the challenges of packing and moving the fossils, the renovation promises to offer a more comprehensive and scientifically accurate representation of the Ice Age, shedding light on the parallels between then and now.
