La Brea Tar Pits officially closes for 2-year renovation project

Those looking to catch a glimpse of prehistoric bones, fossils and natural tar deposits in Los Angeles are going to have to look elsewhere for the next couple of years.

The La Brea Tar Pits officially closed the doors to the George C. Page Museum on Monday as it endures an expansive renovation project. Officials say the hope is to reopen in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which is expected to bring an influx of tourists to Los Angeles.

The transformation is the first major renovation for the museum in its about 50 years of existence, according to the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County.

Among the future additions are "new research spaces, updated exhibition areas, and expanded environments across the site, designed to help visitors better engage with the scientific process."

There are also plans to "modernize and improve access to the building, including visible research laboratories, new collections storage and displays, an immersive theater, and a roof terrace with views of the park and the museum's historic atrium and frieze," officials said. 

Some outdoor areas and excavation sites will still be open for the public to see during the renovation, the organization says. 

Updates on the renovation will be posted to the museum's social media accounts as construction continues.