LACMA and La Brea Tar Pits

Yesterday we took a field trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. We had the opportunity to check out the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum The girls and I really enjoyed most of the pieces we saw at the BCAM. We had the opportunity to see works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jeffrey Koons and Damien Hirsch. I think the girls especially enjoyed the Koons "balloon sculptures". We found much of Hirsch's work rather disturbing, although his butterfly works are stunning. I think my favorite piece was probably Warhol's "Black and White Disaster." The girls also enjoyed Richard Serra's "Band" which we could actually walk through. We had docents and security hovering over us anxiously at every step. I think they were terrified that one of the girls was going to decide to climb or grab something. We did not really get a chance to go through the other complexes, because the girls were getting tired. BTW, if you have children under eighteen, they qualify for a free museum membership. Any child that is a member can take in one adult for free. So, we were all able to enter the museum for free instead of paying the usual $12.00 per adult entrance fee! Furthermore, Tuesdays are free.
After the Museum of Art, we went to the La Brea Tar Pits, which is in the same area. The Tar Pits were a favorite outing of mine as a child. I believe I was about seven years old the first time I went there. Even after almost 30 years, I can still remember the smell of the tar and feel the excitement of seeing the bones of creatures that roamed the earth 25,000 years ago. I still remember the first time I saw the volunteers in the Lab cleaning and cataloging bones, as I held on to my father's hand. I think perhaps that is when this fascination I have with history and the past started at that moment. I was thrilled to be able to share this experience with my own girls. I was not disappointed. My children seemed just as excited as they touched a real sloth bone and held my hand as we watched the volunteers in the lab working. Unfortunately, the excavation pit was closed and we were not able to experience that. We did get to view the tar pits and walk through the Page Museum.