Rancho La Brea Lecture at the County Museum

Join Curator of Paleontology Eric Scott for a lecture, “Rancho La Brea – Treasures of the Tar Pits,” at the San Bernardino County Museum on Sunday, July 22 at 2:00 p.m. This presentation is free with museum admission.

The world famous Rancho La Brea “tar pits” are the single richest concentration of land-based animals with backbones from the Pleistocene Epoch – the “Ice Ages” – anywhere on Earth. Over three million fossils representing more than six hundred species of animals and plants have been recovered from the site. For tens of thousands of years, seeps of sticky asphalt – not tar, despite the common “tar pits” moniker – pooled at the surface at Rancho La Brea, trapping thousands of unlucky animals. 

“Rancho La Brea has fossils from all across the spectrum – large and small, young and old, sick and healthy,” says Scott.  “These fossils enable amazingly complete and detailed snapshots of ancient life during the final peak of the last Ice Age. And the ‘tar pits’ are practically in our own backyard, in downtown Los Angeles.”

Eric Scott is a former Chief Excavator for Rancho La Brea’s famous Pit 91 dig and an active researcher at the “tar pits” for nearly three decades. His background ensures a unique insiders view of the famous site. Scott’s presentation will also serve as an overview for his upcoming field trip to the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries and the Pit 91 excavation on Saturday, July 28. For more information on the trip, call (909) 307-2669 ext. 225.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays and holiday Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 (adult), $5 (student or senior), and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.