The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles may not seem like the first spot in that dazzling town to settled in for a few hours of serious vacation time with the kids, but if you start with this crowd pleaser you will get the kids fired up enough to visit some places you want before ending up at Disneyland when the kids get bored on day three.

You may have heard many pop culture references to the La Brea Tar Pits in movies and TV shows, but do you know exactly what the attraction of big pits of tar really is? The location of the pits is the first thing that will strike the kids with amazement. These homes to ancient animal fossils are not located off in the distant hills of Southern California but rather smack dab in the heart of L.A. But it is those creatures that were found within the tar that will astonish and amaze the kids.

Just about every skeleton that is displayed at the La Brea Tar Pits is an authentic fossil from thousands and even millions of years ago. The one thing you won't find at the pits that many people probably think is the centerpiece is dinosaur fossils. The animals that got sucked into the pits were either mammals or birds. So while your little ones won't get the pleasure of enjoying an actual stegosaurus, there are plenty of wolves, eagles, sloths, mammoths and even a saber-tooth tiger or two.

If you kids have enjoyed the Ice Age series of movies, they will enjoy the La Brea Tar Pits. This endlessly fascinating little glimpse into ancient history surrounded by the concrete jungle of Los Angeles is like stepping back in time to the real Ice Age and bringing those creatures from the animated movies to life. And the work of the tar is not yet done. Even today, smaller critters continue to find their way into the pits and never come out. Just make sure your little ones are not put on display for future visitors.