A view of the La Brea Tar Pits, a group of natural asphalt pools in Los Angeles, with prehistoric fossils on display.

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Did you know that Los Angeles is often called the "Entertainment Capital of the World"? The city is renowned for its thriving entertainment industry, including Hollywood, which is the center of the American film and television industry. Many iconic movies, TV shows, and music albums have originated in Los Angeles.

Did you know that Los Angeles is home to the largest county park system in the United States? The Los Angeles County Park system comprises over 400 parks, covering approximately 69,000 acres (28,000 hectares) of land. These parks offer a wide array of recreational activities, from hiking and picnicking to sports and cultural events.

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La Brea Tar Pits

A natural and very smelly attraction in Los Angeles is the La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire Boulevard. In this location, natural oily tar (asphalt) seeps upward through the ground’s surface. The odour is akin to a freshly paved road.

This site has been a tar pit (rather a series of tar pits of varying sizes) for many millennia; the gooey liquid has preserved elephants and mammoths that got stuck there. You can still see the black goo bubbling up as you tour the various displays that include recreations of the animals, relics of the last ice age.

Admission is free (maybe because of the stench!) and the La Brea Tar Pits will fascinate anyone interested in palaeontology. Watch where you step as you tour this site; smaller new tar pits can break through the lawn at any time, but don’t worry, it’s only the larger ones that pose a threat and they are set within fences.