The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) has closed a $236-million revenue bond for the revamp of the La Brea Tar Pits and George C. Page Museum, Governor Newsom announced earlier this month.

The museum complex, which closed for two years on July 6, is being retooled through a Weiss/Manfredi-designed master plan for the complex. The initial phase of the project involves an expansion of the Page Museum, the removal and expansion of berms to accommodate new outdoor gathering areas and access points to the museum, and the addition or replacement of signage replacing signage, lighting, landscaping, and furniture across the 13-acre site. The expanded museum will also add the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, which will study how ancient ecosystems responded to climate change and extinction events.

View of Ramp Gallery & Rooftop TerraceWeiss/Manfredi

“Exploration will continue on at the La Brea Tar Pits with new financing secured from IBank," said Newsom in a statement. "With renovations currently underway and the creation of the new Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, Los Angeles will transform into an unparalleled portal to the Ice Age for millions of visitors to witness."

Completion of phase one is expected in mid-2028.

View of CourtyardWeiss/Manfredi

The master plan also calls the construction of new entrance pavilions, walkways, a parking lot, and a research building, which would all be delivered in later phases.

The full master plan, which is proposed to be built over a roughly seven-year period, ensures that construction will continue on Museum Row for the foreseeable future. LACMA's David Geffen Galleries, a Peter Zumthor-designed structure which spans across Wilshire Boulevard, recently opened next door.

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