The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) has closed a $236 million revenue bond enabling the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (LACMNH) Foundation to support its overhaul of the La Brea Tar Pits.
The La Brea Tar Pits Reimagine Project is an ongoing effort to refresh the site for the first time in nearly 50 years. The transformation will update the campus’ main engagement centers, including its park, exhibition spaces, educational environments, research hubs and collection facilities.
The most prominent feature expanding the site’s footprint will be the development of the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research. The scientific research hub will serve as the intellectual core of the campus, providing insight into how ancient ecosystems adapted to climate change and mass extinction. Its focuses will include research, excavation, scientific analysis, academic publishing and collections management.
The LACMNH will also renovate and expand the Page Museum, broadening its available collection to improve the holistic visitor experience. Once completed, the updated museum will more seamlessly integrate with Hancock Park while retaining iconic features. The space will feature improved research and preservation facilities, better community access and more sustainable infrastructure.
To amplify the campus’ outdoor experience, the project will introduce a large Central Lawn for community and culture events. The lawn will be interconnected with the rest of the campus through the La Brea Loops and Lenses – a 1-kilometer pedestrian path lacing the area’s core amenities and identities. Designed as a triple Möbius strip, the pathway will loop the excavation pits, Pleistocene Garden, museum, lawn, lake pit and mastodon exhibit.
Plans call for establishing an education grove, creating an outdoor classroom to engage visitors with the excavation process. The museum will renovate other gathering spaces, including a large courtyard to better support learning experiences in formal and informal settings. Additional core improvements to the campus will include:
- Building a new entry on Wilshire Boulevard, reinvigorating the site’s welcome mat.
- Establishing a large theater to increase capacity for programs and events.
- Installing visible labs and collections areas to demonstrate how fossils are prepared for exhibit and stored.
- Indoor and outdoor classrooms.
Photo by Polina from Pexels
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