LA’s iconic La Brea Tar Pits Museum to host disco bash ahead of 2-year closure

One of Los Angeles’ most recognizable museums is about to shut its doors for years — not before inviting guests in for one last party.

The George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits is hosting a 1970s-themed “Last Dance at La Brea Tar Pits” farewell party on Saturday night featuring music, dancing, food, drinks and a costume contest before closing to the public next month.

The museum will close its doors on July 7, before the kicking off what officials describe as the most extensive renovation in its nearly 50-year history.

The ambitious $240 million project will transform the museum with new exhibition galleries, visible research laboratories, expanded collections storage, a theater and a rooftop terrace overlooking the world-famous tar pits and surrounding park.

The overhaul will preserve the museum’s historic atrium and iconic exterior while improving accessibility throughout the building.

A major addition to the campus will be the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, where visitors will eventually be able to watch fossil preparation and scientific research take place in public view.

Despite the museum building closing, the surrounding park, including the active excavation sites and lake pit, will remain open during the approximately two-year construction project.

Paleontologists and researchers will continue excavating fossils, caring for the museum’s collection of 3.5 million Ice Age fossils, and conducting scientific research throughout the renovation.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Educational programming will also continue during the closure through behind-the-scenes tours, presentations and visits by the La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum to schools and community events across Los Angeles County.

The renovation is backed by public and private funding, including a $40 million gift from the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation, with Los Angeles County partnering to help finance improvements to the county-owned landmark.

Officials expect the reimagined campus, including the new Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, to reopen in 2028, ahead of the Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.