Los Angeles has more than Hollywood and beaches — it’s also home to hand-fed lorikeets, rescued gibbons that sing in the morning, and an Ice Age excavation site that is still active in the middle of the city. These wildlife encounters near LA give animal-loving kids real interaction, not just a view through glass.
Visit the Ice Age Dig Site at La Brea Tar Pits
The La Brea Tar Pits at 5801 Wilshire Blvd in the Miracle Mile is the world’s only active urban Ice Age fossil excavation site. The Page Museum closed to visitors after July 6, 2026, for a renovation expected to last about two years, with a reopening anticipated in 2028. The surrounding park and outdoor excavation sites remain open, so kids can still see the Lake Pit bubbling with natural gas and the life-sized mammoth sculptures that show how animals got trapped.
Scientific work continues during the closure, and the museum’s Mobile Museum visits schools and public sites around LA County. Some La Brea fossil mounts are also on view at the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park. The indoor highlights — the Fossil Lab, the Wall of Dire Wolves, the Excavator Tour, and the Ice Age Encounters puppet show — won’t be available until the museum reopens. Construction on the campus is expected to begin in late 2026, so check the website for what’s open before you go.
Despite the name, the bubbling pits are actually asphalt seeps, not tar — a form of crude oil that has been trapping Ice Age animals for tens of thousands of years.
Touch a Shark, Feed a Lorikeet at the Aquarium of the Pacific
At the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, the Animal Encounter: Sharks and Rays gives kids a private session with an educator and animal care staff. Participants feed bamboo sharks before the aquarium opens, then step into the touch pool to feed and interact with rays. For a drier option, kids can feed moon jellies or walk into Lorikeet Forest, where birds land on arms, shoulders, and hands to drink nectar from cups.
Closer to central LA, the Heal the Bay Aquarium on the Santa Monica Pier offers touch tanks with sea stars, hermit crabs, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. Kids 12 and under get in free with an adult ticket purchase. Check the current schedule before you go, as the aquarium is closed on some weekdays.
Hold a Boa, Feed a Porcupine at the Wildlife Learning Center
In Sylmar, the Wildlife Learning and Conservation Center houses over 100 displaced, rescued, and zoo-born wild animals. The Individual Animal Experiences let kids get close to a sloth, meet an owl, feed a porcupine, help hold an 8-foot Red-tailed Boa, or touch an armadillo. Interactive Tours led by biologists offer up-close animal meetings. Hours and tour availability change, so confirm and reserve in advance, especially for private tours.
Hug a Cow, Cuddle a Turkey at the Gentle Barn
The Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita runs on a simple mission: teaching kindness and compassion toward animals. On Sundays, the public can hug cows, give pigs tummy rubs, and cuddle turkeys. Private options include a Family Tour, Cow Hug Therapy, Horse Therapy, and Barnyard Therapy for visitors 14 and older. Reservations are required.
Hear Gibbons Sing in the Morning in Santa Clarita
The Gibbon Conservation Center in Santa Clarita rescues gibbons from the pet trade and improper domestication. These apes — not monkeys — are tree-dwelling and tropical. Staff pair solitary gibbons with mates because gibbons can become depressed and refuse to eat if alone too long. Visit in the morning to hear their characteristic song, a loud, complex call that carries across the property. Check the center’s site for visiting hours and tour reservations.
- Check age requirements before booking — the Gentle Barn’s therapy sessions, for example, are for visitors 14 and older.
- Reserve in advance for the Wildlife Learning Center’s private tours and the Gentle Barn’s Sunday sessions — walk-ins aren’t guaranteed.
- At the Aquarium of the Pacific, book the Sharks and Rays encounter ahead, since it runs before the aquarium opens.
- For La Brea Tar Pits, check the website before you go to see which outdoor areas are open during construction.
For families with animal-loving kids, the most memorable outings pair hands-on interaction with a clear purpose — feeding a rescued porcupine at the Wildlife Learning Center or watching the Ice Age dig site bubble at the tar pits. Pick the one that matches your kid’s comfort level, book ahead where reservations are needed, and let the animals do the rest.
Sources
La Brea Tar Pits. Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County.
The famous La Brea Tar Pits will officially close for two full years. Time Out Los Angeles.
La Brea Tar Pits museum will close July 7th for mammoth two-year renovation. Spectrum News.
Gibbon Conservation Center. Gibbon Conservation Center.
