|
NATURAL HISTORY FAMILY OF MUSEUMS
 Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Only at the Natural History Museum can you find: one of the world's largest
collections of California and western North American mammals; a 70-foot-long
skeleton of a fin whale, one of nature's largest mammals; and fossils
as old as 400 million years. Founded in 1913, the Natural History Museum
of Los Angeles County is a national leader in research, exhibitions and
education. It is one of the preeminent natural and cultural history museums
in the United States, safeguarding more than 35 million specimens and
artifacts in its collections. The kid-friendly Discovery Center welcomes
children and families with hands-on natural history specimens. The accompanying
Insect Zoo, the largest in the Western United States, presents live insects
from around the world. Permanent exhibit halls include dramatic collections
of fossils and dinosaurs, exquisite gems and minerals, grand animal dioramas,
an ancient Latin American hall, the Times Mirror Hall of Native American
Cultures and a California history hall, along with ever-changing special
exhibits. The Natural History Museum is located at 900 Exposition Blvd.
and is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Admission prices are $9 for adults, $6.50 for students and seniors,
and $2 for children ages 5-12. Children under 5 and museum members are
free. Admission is free the first Tuesday of every month. For further
information, visit the museum's website at www.nhm.org
or call (213) 763-DINO.
 Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
Located in the heart of metropolitan Los Angeles, the world famous Page
Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits represents the only active paleontological
excavation site in the United States. This unique Southern California
attraction displays Ice Age fossils of animals from the sticky asphalt
deposits that are 10,000 to 40,000 years old, including saber-toothed
cats, mammoths, dire wolves and mastodons. Also on display are the fossilized
remains of microscopic plant remains, insects and reptiles. Daily, visitors
can watch scientists and volunteers clean, repair and identify fossil
remains inside the glass-enclosed Paleontology laboratory. During the
summer, visitors can watch the excavation of fossils from Pit 91. The
Page Museum is located at 5801 Wilshire Boulevard and is open weekdays
from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission
prices are $7 for adults (Adultos - 7.00), $4.50 for Seniors (62+) (Mayores de 62 años - 4.50), $4.50 for Students with ID (Estudiantes - 4.50), $2.00 for Children 5 through 12 (Niños de 5 -12 años - 2.00), and free for museum members and Children under 5 (Niños de 4 - 0 años - Gratis). Admission is free the first Tuesday of every month. For more information, call (323)
934-PAGE or visit the museum's website at www.tarpits.org.
 William S. Hart Museum and Ranch in Newhall
Silent film star William S. Hart purchased a ranch house and surrounding
property in Newhall, north of Los Angeles, in 1921. He built a 22-room
mansion and filled it with Western art, Native American artifacts and
early Hollywood memorabilia. Hart bequeathed the 265-acre estate to Los
Angeles County for the enjoyment of the public at no charge. Tours and
programs such as silent-movie screenings take place frequently at the
mansion. Among the ranch's permanent residents is an assortment of animals,
including a small herd of bison, a gift from the Walt Disney Studios in
1962. The William S. Hart Museum and Ranch is located at 24151 San Fernando
Road in Newhall. It is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with tours every half hour.
Admission is free. For more information, call (661) 254-4584 or visit
the museum's website at www.hartmuseum.org.
|
