Supervisor Kathryn Barger Spotlights First-Ever La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum Visit to Antelope Valley

State-of-the-art 50-foot Ice Age Discoveries trailer delivers STEM learning and fun to approximately 900 students at Quartz Hill Elementary School

Students line up outside the La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum’s 50-foot Ice Age Discoveries trailer at Quartz Hill Elementary School. (Photo credit: Melinda Mason/LA County)

Yesterday, the Los Angeles County La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum made its first-ever visit to the Antelope Valley, bringing immersive science exhibits, interactive displays, and Ice Age exploration directly to approximately 900 students at Quartz Hill Elementary School. This historic visit was made possible through advocacy from Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office and engaged Quartz Hill parents who worked to bring the unique educational experience to local students.

The state-of-the-art, 50-foot mobile museum traveled approximately 75 miles from Los Angeles to provide a portal to a prehistoric learning environment, giving kindergarten through sixth-grade students an opportunity to step back in time and discover what Los Angeles looked like 50,000 years ago when saber-toothed cats, mammoths, and other Ice Age animals roamed the region.

Students learn about paleontology and examine Ice Age fossils at a La BreaTar Pits Mobile Museum display table. (Photo credit: Melinda Mason/LA County)

The experience is designed to help young learners think like scientists while exploring real fossils and learning how discoveries at the La Brea Tar Pits help tell the story of Southern California’s past.

“I am an avid supporter and big fan of the La Brea Tar Pits Museum and am thrilled that we have a mobile experience that can reach rural communities,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “Every child deserves access to enriching educational opportunities, regardless of where they live. Learning and excitement are a powerful combination, and this mobile museum delivers both in a remarkable way.”

The La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum’s Ice Age Discoveries program recreates the work of paleontologists and transports students into an immersive Ice Age environment complete with sights, sounds, fossils, and hands-on activities. Children entered the massive mobile museum, stationed in the school’s playground, eager to celebrate the final week of school with a memorable, learning-focused activity.

Students at Quartz Hill Elementary School gather around a hands-on fossil demonstration during the Los Angeles County La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum’s first-ever visit to the Antelope Valley. (Photo credit: Melinda Mason/LA County)

The excitement in the air was palpable. James, a third-grade student at the school, commented on what he most enjoyed. “I like seeing the bones and the extinct animals. I’ve learned that sabertoothed tigers have a giant head. The funnest part is being able to see the fossils and animals—and all the skulls.”

The La Brea Tar Pits are recognized as one of the world’s richest Ice Age fossil sites, containing more than two million fossil specimens preserved in natural asphalt deposits.

Madison, another third-grader at Quartz Hill Elementary School, talked about her  experience. “I’m glad the museum came to our school. I love science, I like seeing how things were back then. All my friends were really surprised—there was a slide in there! I hope they come back and visit us again.”

Students examine an Ice Age fossil and learn about scientific discoveries at a La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum display table. (Photo credit: Melinda Mason/LA County)

Inside the La Brea Tar Pits Mobile Museum, students explore immersive exhibits that recreate Southern California’s Ice Age environment. (Photo credit: Melinda Mason/LA County)

“Quartz Hill Elementary is proud to be the historic first stop for the Natural History Museum’s mobile museum in the Antelope Valley,” said Quartz Hill Elementary School Principal Shine Khalifa. “This is an unforgettable opportunity for our students to engage with world-class educational programming. On behalf of the Westside Union School District, I want to thank Supervisor Barger for her dedication to bringing these vital cultural and educational resources to our community.”

The mobile museum visit was made possible through the Los Angeles County Natural History Museums’ outreach efforts, which bring museum-quality educational experiences directly to schools and communities throughout Los Angeles County.