900 Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: (213) 763-DINO
When we first arrived, there was only 1 parking lot open. All the others were full. Not a good sign! But, we got to park directly across the street. Parking was 12 dollars. Ouch! We made our way to the front of the museum, and the line was out the door and around the corner. Ouch again!
We noticed a door, with no line. If you had tickets already, you use that line. Out the phone came, and we purchased our tickets online. Downfall was, they only seemed to take Mastercard on their website. Luckily we had one! $12.00 for each Adult. Not bad. We decided to do one of the special events. The Butterfly Pavilion. So, tickets for both the museum and the pavilion were $17.00 per person. There were just 2 of us. 2 adults. So, it cost us $34.00. Adults are $12.00 Seniors and Students are $9.00 and Children are $5.00.
When you first enter, you are greeted by the dueling dinosaurs in the Grand Foyer. The duel is between a T-Rex and a Triceratops. You just don't realize how massive these creatures were, until you are standing next to them. What an amazing sight! I have to say, these were my favorite. You can almost feel them fighting.
Everything is sectioned off, such as Age of Mammals, African mammals, Gems and Minerals, Insect Zoo, Shells, and many more. It makes visiting each, easier, and makes organizing, and seeing everything so much better.
The Gems and Minerals portion was so beautiful. Cases, and cases full of beautiful gems, rocks, and crystals! So many colors. These photos are of some of my favorite. You could easily spend 2 hours looking at all of them. Absolutely amazing. They have over 2000 specimens on display. There are several pieces out on display, that they encourage you to touch. It's an amazing experience.
A slab of gem-quality jadeite, weighing several hundred pounds, is one of the most valuable specimens in the entire exhibit and must be one of the most valuable mineral specimens available for public handling in the world. Tons of gold to see! Not fools goal. Real gold!
The African Mammal hall is full of different species. They are set up so life like, you would swear they were alive! They did an amazing job at recreating their environment. Many of the diorama backdrops were created by prominent artists such as Charles Abel Corwin, Hanson Duvall Puthuff, Duncan Alanson Spencer, Florence MacKenzie and Frank J. MacKenzie; and Robert Reid; the backdrops themselves are considered noteworthy pieces of fine art.
A few furry friends you can expect to see are, the spotted hyena, giraffes, elephants, okapis, and many more. Some of them dating back to the 1700s! How amazing is that!
The dinosaur hall is nothing less than spectacular. The stunning centerpiece of this gallery is the Tyrannosaurus rex growth series, featuring a baby, juvenile, and sub-adult T. Rex. It's the only series of its kind in the world. It's something you will want to see!
But wait, let me back up a bit. When you first enter, you are greeted by a 25 foot long triceratops at the start of gallery 2. It was assembled by fossils from 4 different places! Did you know that triceratops lived about 66 million years ago! That means, These bones are that old. And you get to be right there, and witness these, in all their glory!
There is a small garden on the property, with flowers surrounding, and a beautiful little pond, with dozens of dragonflies fluttering around. There is a cork tree, sunflowers, and so many interesting plants to see.
There are so many exhibits! We spent about 4 hours here, and could have easily spent more time. Even though it was a busy day for the Museum, we didn't feel rushed, or over crowded. It's a big place, and there are so many exhibits, that there is enough for everyone to have a place.
One thing I was amazed by is the Oarfish. Most people have never heard of an oarfish, (I hadn't). They are very odd looking! They seem to be a deep sea fish, and legend believes this is where the term "sea serpent" came from.
In October 2013, an 18-foot Oarfish was found washed up on a beach on Catalina Island, off the California coast. It was given to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, where it is now on display.
It was a great day at the Natural History Museum. Very happy with our experience. We had a lot of fun. Very educational. There is a gift shop, and a cafeteria with many food options. This is not something you want to pass up. Definitely worthy of your day. Great for the whole family.
We spent $19.00 dollars in the gift shop on a bottle of water, a candy bar, post card, and a shot glass. And we spend about $8.00 on 2 drinks and a bag of chips in the cafeteria. So parking, the Museum, Butterfly Pavilion, a bit of food, and some souvenirs, our day cost just under $75.00. Not super cheap. But worth every penny. Of course, you can save by avoiding the shops, and bringing bottled water, and lunch.
I am not going to add the Butterfly Pavilion, since it is a temporary event, and will be gone soon. But if you get the chance to make it that way soon, definitely do the Butterfly Pavilion.
