89. Free Day at La Brea Tar Pits

Fossils, dinosaurs, tar pits, oh my!
If you enjoy all of that, head over to the Page Museum (AKA La Brea Tar Pits) in LA. Go for free on the first Tuesday of every month (save $7 pp!). If you cannot make it that day, the museum is open daily 9:30 AM - 5 PM, but be forewarned that this place can be like a zoo with kids on weekends. According to some Yelp reviewers, an hour is more than enough time to stroll through the museum. If speed walking is your thing, admission is free for the last 30 minutes to closing.. The tar pits on the outside is free for the public to roam, so you might want to check that out beforehand while there's daylight, especially around sunset (see photo on right).

La Brea Tar Pits
Originally uploaded by Menetnashté

Metered street parking is available on 6th Street but read the signs carefully for no parking during week day rush hours, 7-9 AM and 4-7 PM. Otherwise, the convenient parking lot is $7 with museum validation during weekdays or flat on weekends.

Don't end your date at the tar pits! After 5 PM, walk on over to the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) for discounted museum admission (Cheap Date Idea #80). Or go to the LACMA on the second Tuesday of the month for free and then the tar pits. Either way, double the fun in culture and history! This is something different to do at least once in your life, at least a step up from watching The History Channel for a date night...

UPDATE 05/26/10: While you're in the area, stop by the sister museum, Natural History Museum, which is ALSO free on First Tuesdays (see Cheap Date Idea #186).

Approximate cost of creative date idea = FREE + $7 Parking.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = $14 Total.