La Brea Tar Pits Segway Tour

The La Brea Tar Pits are one of Los Angeles’s strangest attractions: real Ice Age animals became trapped in asphalt that still bubbles up from the ground. This Segway tour gives you a lively way to reach the site while your guide ties the pits to Los Angeles history, film culture, and nearby Museum Row.

I like the 30-minute riding lesson, which gives beginners time to get comfortable, and I like seeing actual bone material from mammoths, dire wolves, giant ground sloths, and saber-toothed cats rather than only viewing ordinary fossil displays. The main tradeoff is the $169 price, since admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is not included.

Key things to know before booking

• Actual Ice Age bones: See remains from mammoths, mastodons, dire wolves, giant ground sloths, North American lions, and other Pleistocene animals.
• A generous Segway lesson: The tour includes about 30 minutes of instruction, helmets, and use of the Segway.
• A route through central Los Angeles: The outing begins at 1080 S La Cienega Boulevard and can include views of LACMA, Petersen Automotive Museum, and Urban Light.
• A guide-led history lesson: Guides explain the tar pits, early uses of asphalt, and the wider story of Los Angeles.
• Good for curious families and first-time riders: Children must be at least 8, and riders ages 8 to 15 need a parent to ride with them.
• Plan for extra admission costs: Entry to La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is not included in the tour price.

Why the La Brea Tar Pits are worth seeing

Los Angeles is usually sold through beaches, movie studios, palm trees, and traffic. The La Brea Tar Pits offer something far older and stranger. Natural asphalt has pushed up through the ground for thousands of years, trapping animals that came too close. Their remains survived in remarkable condition, including actual bone matter rather than only the worn fragments many museums label as fossils.

The site covers the Pleistocene Era, a huge span from about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago. Mammoths and mastodons are the obvious stars, but the smaller and less familiar animals make the story more interesting. You may hear about dire wolves, American camels, giant ground sloths, the short-faced bear, and the North American lion.

I like this attraction because the evidence is still being studied and excavated. You are not looking at a perfectly finished archaeological site that belongs only to the past. The pits connect the ground beneath modern Los Angeles with a much earlier world, and ongoing work keeps the story active.

The tour also explains how people used the tar. Early settlers valued the asphalt as a building material and fuel. That practical detail helps you see the pits as more than a collection of animal bones. They were part of the area’s human story long before the museums and art institutions arrived on Wilshire Boulevard.

Starting at 1080 S La Cienega Boulevard

You meet at Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours, at 1080 S La Cienega Boulevard, Suite 108. The tour returns here at the end, so you do not need to arrange a second pickup point.

The company does not provide hotel pickup or drop-off. I would allow extra time to reach the meeting point, especially if you are staying elsewhere in Los Angeles. The tour is near public transportation, but the information provided does not specify a particular route or station.

At the start, your guide explains how to operate the Segway and covers basic safety. The orientation lasts about 30 minutes, which is a meaningful part of the experience rather than a rushed briefing. You get time to learn the controls before setting off.

A Segway may feel unusual for the first few minutes. The supplied feedback specifically praises how easy and enjoyable it is to ride once the basics are clear. That makes this tour a reasonable choice for a first-time rider, provided you can climb stairs without help and have a decent level of fitness.

A helmet is provided. Small snacks and bottled water are also included, a useful touch during a two-hour outing.

Riding toward Museum Row

Once you are comfortable, you head out with your guide through central Los Angeles. The route includes sights near the Miracle Mile area and Museum Row. The purpose is not simply to move from the starting point to the tar pits. Your guide uses the ride to add context about Los Angeles, its museums, and its film industry.

LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, sits beside the La Brea Tar Pits. It occupies a large stretch of Wilshire Boulevard and was founded in 1961 after separating from the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art.

You may also pass the Petersen Automotive Museum, one of the world’s largest museums devoted to automobile history and related educational programs. Its presence helps explain why this stretch of Wilshire works well as a museum district, with art, science, natural history, and car culture within the same general area.

One of the most recognizable sights on the route is Urban Light at LACMA. The installation uses 202 historic streetlamps from the 1920s and 1930s, many of which originally stood along Southern California streets. It has become one of Los Angeles’s best-known public artworks and a natural place for photographs.

The route may also include Beverly Hills sights, depending on the exact tour flow. One guide named Jose received particular praise for pointing out less obvious parts of Beverly Hills and explaining aspects of the film industry from an insider’s point of view. That kind of local commentary can add value to a Segway ride, since you are covering city streets rather than moving directly between two gates.

Still, keep your expectations in check. The La Brea Tar Pits are the focus, and this is not a full Beverly Hills or film-industry tour. Treat those city views as an added layer, not the main reason to book.

Exploring the La Brea Tar Pits

At the tar pits, the guide turns from city streets to prehistoric Los Angeles. The site is famous because asphalt rising from the earth trapped animals over a very long period. The tar preserved bones that might otherwise have disappeared.

You will look at remains from animals such as:

• Mammoths and mastodons
• Saber-toothed cats
• Dire wolves
• American camels
• Giant ground sloths
• Short-faced bears
• North American lions

The short-faced bear is especially striking to picture. It was immense and carnivorous, a reminder that Ice Age Los Angeles was not a gentle place for animals or people. The giant ground sloth also helps broaden the story beyond the familiar mammoth and saber-toothed cat pairing.

The tour includes narration by a professional guide, so you are not left to read display panels on your own. A good guide can explain what you are seeing, why the asphalt mattered, and how the bones fit into the Pleistocene story. The strongest feedback centers on guide knowledge of Los Angeles history and a kind, welcoming manner. Jose is specifically praised for combining local facts with an insider’s view of the film business.

The advertised stop at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum does not include admission. That matters when you compare the $169 price with a standard museum visit. You are paying for the Segway, instruction, equipment, a guide, snacks, water, and the added city ride. If you only want to stand among the pits and see the museum, buying admission separately may be the better value.

If you want transportation, orientation, and storytelling bundled together, the price becomes easier to justify. You are also paying for a small-scale experience that lets you cover more ground than you would on foot. The tour has a maximum of 100 participants, although the actual riding group may be smaller. Ask the operator if group size matters to you.

Photo stops and reconstructed Ice Age scenes

The La Brea site gives you plenty of opportunities for photographs. You can pose near reconstructed Ice Age scenes and use the pits as a backdrop for pictures that feel very different from the usual Los Angeles snapshots.

Urban Light is another strong photo stop if it is included on your route. Its rows of old streetlamps are especially recognizable, and the installation provides an easy visual contrast to the tar pits. One moment you are looking at public art made from salvaged city infrastructure, and the next you are considering animals that lived millions of years ago.

The tour does not promise a separate professional photography service. You will need to take your own pictures, and you should stay aware of the group and the guide’s timing. The photo opportunities are an enjoyable part of the route, but they do not replace time inside the museum.

What the two-hour schedule really gives you

The full experience lasts about two hours. Around 30 minutes is set aside for Segway instruction, leaving the rest for riding, sightseeing, and the La Brea visit.

That timing gives you an introduction rather than an exhaustive museum day. If you are fascinated by Ice Age science, you may want more time afterward to explore the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum on your own. Since admission is not included, you can decide if that extra visit fits your schedule and budget.

The morning or afternoon departure choice is useful for building the tour around other Los Angeles plans. An early outing can leave room for museums or other sights later. An afternoon departure may work better if you prefer a slower start.

The tour operates rain or shine. Los Angeles weather is often cooperative, but you should still dress for outdoor riding and be ready for changing conditions. The supplied information does not promise a weather-related cancellation, so the rain-or-shine policy is worth noting before you book.

Who will enjoy this ride most

This tour is a good fit if you want to combine a city outing with a science attraction. You do not need to be an expert on prehistoric animals. The guide supplies the background, and the range of species gives you plenty to think about even if you arrive knowing only the names mammoth and saber-toothed cat.

Families can consider it, but age rules matter. The minimum age is 8. Riders ages 8 to 15 need a parent present to sign the waiver and accompany them during the tour. Riders ages 16 and 17 need a parent present to sign the waiver, but they may ride without that parent accompanying them.

The tour is not physically demanding, but you must be able to climb stairs without assistance. Pregnant women cannot participate. The maximum rider weight is 250 pounds, or 113 kilograms. Service animals are allowed.

I would choose this for someone who enjoys learning while moving. It is less suitable if you dislike balancing equipment, want a quiet museum visit, or need a fully indoor activity. It may also frustrate anyone hoping for a long, detailed museum tour, since the overall outing is only about two hours and museum admission costs extra.

Price, cancellation, and practical planning

At $169 per person, this is a premium Los Angeles activity. The price includes the Segway, helmet, instruction, guide, bottled water, and small snacks. It does not include hotel transport or admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum.

The value depends on what you want from the day. For a simple visit to the pits, the cost is high. For a guided ride that combines city sights, local stories, equipment, and the prehistoric site, it offers more than a standard admission ticket.

You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund. Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability, and you should provide current email and phone details when booking.

Should you book the La Brea Segway Tour?

Book it if you want a playful way to reach one of Los Angeles’s most unusual attractions, especially if you are curious about local history and have never ridden a Segway. The 30-minute lesson, helmet, water, snacks, and guide narration make the experience easy to approach, while the bones and reconstructed scenes give the outing real substance.

I would skip it if your main goal is an extended museum visit or if $169 feels too steep before adding museum admission. In that case, visit the La Brea Tar Pits on your own and spend the savings inside the museum.

For the right person, this is a smart pairing of city sightseeing and science. You get actual Ice Age remains, a guide who can connect them to modern Los Angeles, and a fun ride between the two.

FAQ

How long is the La Brea Tar Pits Segway Tour?

The tour lasts approximately two hours. About 30 minutes is used for Segway instruction and orientation.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours, 1080 S La Cienega Boulevard, Suite 108, Los Angeles, California 90035.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends back at the original meeting point.

Is admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum included?

No. Admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is not included in the tour price.

What is included in the tour price?

The price includes professional guide narration, a 30-minute Segway orientation, use of the Segway, a helmet, bottled water, and small snacks.

What is the minimum age?

The minimum age is 8. Riders ages 8 to 15 must have a parent present to sign a waiver and accompany them. Riders ages 16 to 17 need a parent present to sign a waiver but may ride without parental accompaniment.

Is there a weight limit?

Yes. The maximum rider weight is 250 pounds, or 113 kilograms.

Can pregnant women participate?

No. Pregnant women are not allowed to participate in this tour.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.