Tar Pits Renovation
La Brea Tar Pits Museum Closes for Two Years for Major Renovation, Reopening in 2028
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After nearly 50 years without a major overhaul, the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles will close its doors on July 7, 2026, for a two-year renovation. The museum will reopen in summer 2028 as the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, timed to coincide with the Los Angeles Summer Olympics, according to Los Angeles Times.
The $240 million project is the largest capital investment in the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County's history. Museum president Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga said, "This museum, as beloved as it is, definitely needs that refresh," according to LAist.
3.5 Million Fossils Get Wrapped in Custom Foam
Before a single wall comes down, museum staff face a staggering task. Every one of the 3.5 to 4 million fossils must be wrapped in custom foam shells and moved to off-site warehouses. Los Angeles Times described the process as "moving out of a nightmare" — every bone must be cataloged so no scientific data gets lost.
The star of the collection is "Zed," a 36,000-year-old mammoth skeleton. Associate curator Dr. Emily Lindsey put it plainly: "Zed is, quite literally, a very big story," according to Wall Street Journal.
The Samuel Oschin Gift Unlocks a New Scientific Hub
The project was formally announced on January 22, 2026, following a landmark donation from the Samuel Oschin Family Foundation — the largest single gift in the museum's history. Lynda Oschin said, "It is fitting to honor my husband's legacy by supporting science and research in the heart of Los Angeles," per The Los Angeles Post.
As of early 2026, the campaign had raised $131 million of its $240 million goal. That includes $22 million from Los Angeles County. The redesign will add a 40,000-square-foot building and is projected to double annual attendance from 400,000 to 800,000 visitors, according to Urbanize LA.
Running Out of Room Forced the Museum's Hand
The need for more space became critical after 2008. That year, construction of a nearby underground parking lot for LACMA unearthed 23 massive boxes of fossils, nearly doubling the museum's collection overnight. The site has no adequate room to store or study them, according to Wall Street Journal.
The La Brea Tar Pits is the only active paleontological dig site inside a major city anywhere in the world. Researchers make new discoveries daily. The new design includes glass-walled "fish bowl" labs where visitors can watch scientists work on microfossils — tiny insects and plants that reveal more about past climate change than large bones alone, per LAist.
Neighbors Worry About Trees, History, and Lost Green Space
Not everyone is celebrating. The Los Angeles Conservancy and local outlet Larchmont Chronicle raised concerns about "significant and unavoidable" damage to the site's 1977 character. Critics point to the removal of grassy berms — the sloped hills children have rolled down for generations — and the loss of mature trees used by migratory birds.
The museum says the new design will add 132 new trees, 30,200 square feet of native meadow, and 31,100 square feet of streamside vegetation. While the building is closed, Hancock Park will stay partially open. The outdoor Lake Pit and active dig sites will remain visible from new public viewing points, according to FOX 11.
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