2 LA County Museums Plan Year-Long And 2-Year Closures For Pre-Olympics Renovations

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two of Los Angeles' most popular museums announced plans to close their doors to visitors as part of major renovations ahead of the 2028 Olympics, the institutions announced on Thursday.

The museum at the La Brea Tar Pits will close to the public for about two years beginning July 6, with plans to reopen some time in 2028.

And the Getty Center will close to the public beginning March 15, 2027, and will not reopen until spring 2028.

Leaders at both institutions, which are not directly affiliated, say they've planned major renovations in advance of the 2028 Olympics, when the Southland will welcome an expected 15 million visitors from around the world.

Planned for the La Brea Tar Pits is a comprehensive overhaul of the 13-acre campus and modernization of the George C. Page Museum Museum, which first opened in 1977, according to the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County.

“This is the largest capital investment in NHM’s history,” said Lori Bettison-Varga, president and director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County.

• Read a full rundown of the plans for the La Brea Tar Pits

At the Getty Center, officials plan to renovate gallery spaces, upgrade the facility's tram system, renovate the Welcome Hall and complete a range of improvements across the hilltop campus.

"Getty is embarking on an exciting new chapter," Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said in a statement. "Our mission has always been to make art accessible to our Los Angeles community and visitors from around the world. In the coming years, guided by our commitment to All for Art, we will enhance the visitor experience across the Getty Center campus through reimagined spaces and new offerings, while prioritizing sustainability.

• Read more about plans for the Getty Center's renovation

City News Service contributed to this report.