The La Brea Tar Pits will shut its doors on July 6 for a two‑year renovation that will see 3.5 million fragile Ice Age fossils carefully packed into custom‑foamed crates. The George C. Page Museum will reopen in summer 2028 as the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, a scientific hub that will highlight lessons on extinction, resilience, and climate change.

3 .5 Million Fossils Packaged for a 2028 Reopening

According to the museum’s announcement, staff will spend the next two years cataloguing and packing each specimen with meticulous care. Each fossil will be wrapped in custom foam sheathing to protect it during the move, a process that underscores the sheer scale of the project and the value of the collection.

New Exhibits Feature Battle‑Scarred Mammoth “Zed”

The revamped museum will re‑introduce beloved features such as grassy rolling hills and mammoth sculptures, while adding a new display of the battle‑scarred mammoth skeleton named Zed. The addition signals a shift toward more dynamic storytelling about Ice Age megafauna and their interactions with early humans.

From 1977 Page Museum to a Modern Scientific Hub

Built in 1977, the current George C. Page Museum now shows outdated interpretations—such as the Lake Pit’s half‑submerged mammoth that gives a misleading quicksand impression. The overhaul will update exhibits on insects and plants, now understood as crucial to Ice Age ecosystems, and will align the site with contemporary scientific understanding.

Community Input Shapes the New Center

Planning for the renovation included community input, ensuring that popular elements like the play hills will remain. This collaborative approach reflects a broader trend of museums engaging local stakeholders to balance scientific rigor with public appeal.

What’s Still Unknown About the Overhaul?

While the museum’s plans are detailed , several questions linger: How will the $30 million budget be allocated across the two‑year project? What specific research initiatives will the new center support once it opens? And how will the museum measure the impact of its updated climate‑change messaging on visitors?

According to the museum’s statement, the overhaul is not merely a physical renovation but a reimagining of how this geological treasure informs our future. The Tar Pits’ 60,000‑year‑old record of Los Angeles life offers parallels to contemporary climate change and biodiversity loss, a narrative the new center aims to amplify.