Of course, asphalt pits existed long before the city, but I was interested in the ongoing excavation work in the heart of the Los Angeles metropolitan city, just a few blocks from Wilshere Avenue and a few miles from Rodeo Avenue. The thousands of fossils unearthed in the mine are shocking and the work continues to this day. A must see for natural historians and paleontology students of all ages. The La Brea asphalt pit is the top four attractions I saw in Los Angeles and I was not disappointed