Skirball Cultural Center and the Ark that People Visit For

If you were to ask a random ten families from this area why they traveled up to the Sepulveda Pass, nine out of those ten would give you the same answer. Noah’s Ark. Skirball Cultural Center has a permanent children’s exhibition which is so impressive that it has become one of the defining childhood experiences for Westside residents – a hand-made wooden ark packed with hundreds of animals created using recycled and repurposed materials and filled with activities such as climbing, rope-pulling, making rain and loading animals in pairs.

But there is a part of Skirball Cultural Center which remains unknown to visitors. The truth is that the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles is much more than a fantastic exhibition for children. This is the place where adults accompanying their little ones usually spend several more hours than initially planned. And this is the guide for both – the ark that people come for and the institution under it.

What the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles Is Really All About

The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles is a Jewish cultural center which is based on the idea of connecting Jewish heritage with the American democratic values and the story of immigration to this country. This mission sounds abstract until one sees how it is realized on its premises.

Opened in 1996 on a hillside campus in the Sepulveda Pass designed by Moshe Safdie, it is actually large – from galleries and theaters to courtyards, gardens, a café, and other facilities. Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles hosts exhibitions, concerts, film screenings, family programs, lectures, and various festivals, which is why the word in its name is “cultural center” rather than “museum”. It behaves like both.

Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles CA and How to Get There

The address is 2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard – this is where the Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles CA is located, just off the 405, north of the Getty, and in the pass between the Westside and the Valley. This is the most useful information about the location.

If you are coming from either side, the freeway exit puts you right at the doors of the institution, which is rare even for cultural venues in this city. Map services provide correct information about the location of Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles CA and the campus is clearly signposted from Sepulveda. Give yourself a few minutes when arriving – this is a part of the experience.

Skirball Cultural Center Parking and Its Importance

There is a true blessing in the Skirball Cultural Center – free parking. The Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles parking is free of charge for all visitors.

It may not seem important, but in fact it is. A family visit at most LA cultural institutions is accompanied by paid parking on top of admission, and its absence changes the plan significantly. Skirball Cultural Center parking gets very busy on the weekend mornings and during the big events, so arriving early in the day helps to find a spot, but there are enough lots and the walk from the parking area to the entrance is quite short and shaded.

Skirball Cultural Center Tickets and Admission

Skirball Cultural Center tickets for general admission are priced in the range of $18 for adults, with the reduced rates for seniors, students and children, and free entrance for the youngest visitors. The information which is important to keep in mind while planning the visit is the free day – the admission to the Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles is always free to all on Thursdays, and it turns the visit into an excellent opportunity.

The caveat here is Noah’s Ark. The access to the Skirball Cultural Center children’s exhibition requires reservation of timed entry tickets, and these slots are reserved in advance and sold out, especially on the weekends and during school holidays. That is why it is necessary to order Skirball Cultural Center tickets for the ark in advance to make sure you could enter.

Skirball Cultural Center Hours and the Right Time to Go

The Skirball Cultural Center hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to five PM, with earlier opening on Saturday and Sunday from 10AM. The evening programming extends the hours on the days of concerts and events.

For the families the weekend morning opening is the option to consider – the children’s exhibit is the calmest at 10AM and gets busier as the day goes on. For adult visitors without children a weekday afternoon is quiet and relaxed. A family visit including the ark should be budgeted for two to three hours, and a visit to the galleries alone for ninety minutes.

Skirball Cultural Center Inside – Galleries Beside Noah’s Ark

The Skirball Cultural Center inside is the part which remains unknown to most visitors. It features a permanent exhibition called “Visions and Values”, presenting four thousand years of Jewish history and the story of immigration to America – objects, documents, ritual artifacts, oral histories and a particularly touching part about the arrival to Ellis Island.

There are rotating exhibitions filling the rest of the Skirball Cultural Center galleries – ranging from photography to design, popular culture, history and contemporary art, with the social justice theme going through them all. In addition, Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles offers outdoor areas as pleasant as the galleries – courtyards, gardens and a terrace café which is a nice place to have lunch.

Skirball Cultural Center Events and the Night-Time Version

The Skirball Cultural Center events list is where its potential appears at its best. There are concerts, theatre, comedy, film screenings, talks with authors, family programs, holiday and community events throughout the year.

The most famous of them is the summer outdoor concert series which brings international and local artists to the hillside on warm evenings and which has numerous fans. In addition, Skirball Cultural Center events offer a strong program for families – puppet shows, storytelling and workshops – which goes well with the ark. Checking the Skirball Cultural Center upcoming events before choosing the date to visit is definitely worth doing – it will make a difference whether you land at a festival or at the concert night. The Skirball Cultural Center upcoming events page is always updated, and tickets for the biggest names sell fast.

Skirball Cultural Center Reviews – The Feedback of Visitors

The Skirball Cultural Center reviews are very positive and highly consistent about what the Skirball Cultural Center visitors appreciate the most. The most famous of them – Noah’s Ark – is described by the parents as the best children’s exhibition in Los Angeles and the reason for return. Free parking, the location, the calm and cleanliness also get repeated in the reviews.

The honest feedback in Skirball Cultural Center reviews is important too – the ark needs to be booked in advance, it is a long way to the facility for anyone except Valley and Westside residents. Some visitors expect to see a large museum, but instead they see a campus which requires a different kind of visit. If read properly, it is not a weakness but an advantage.

The Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles Day and What Comes Next

Practically speaking, a Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles visit can be conveniently combined with the other parts of the day. The Getty is right down the road on the same freeway. Westwood and Brentwood are nearby. The Valley is over the hill.

But this is the pattern which we see all the time. A family finishes the visit at the ark around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Children are busy playing and are not sleepy at all. Adults have learned something about the history and want to spend some more time. And a Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles visit leaves a significant gap exactly then – the visit is finished, but the day is not.

From Hand-Built Ark to a Room You Must Escape

This is the gap that we fill. At Maze Rooms we offer escape rooms in Los Angeles – six locations with more than twenty rooms altogether – and our locations in West LA and Robertson are a simple drive down from the Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles.

But the connection turns out to be surprisingly close. Noah’s Ark becomes fascinating because children are inside the built environment, touching everything, being a part of the action. This is exactly what an escape room does for everyone, including the adults – an Egyptian tomb, an underwater research station, a Victorian mystery. An hour on the clock, your own group, every hand is needed. The ark gives the imagination to the kids. The room gives it to everybody.

Why Groups and Families Spend the End of the Day with Us

Because the format suits everyone who visited the Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles. Families – the Temple of Lost Gold at our Robertson location is perfectly set to let a nine-year-old child solve everything on his or her own. Birthday – we place a gift in the room for a birthday child to find during the game and our reception area allows bringing your own cake. Date night – a private room for two is one of the best value evenings in this city. Corporate and community groups – half-day and full-day events which beat any meeting room.

Each booking is a private one – you have your own group in the room with no one else. Prices start at $37 per person. We are open seven days a week from 10AM to 11PM, which is much longer than the hours of any cultural venue. Years of creating interesting sets and stories explain our five-star reviews on Google, Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Our Locations & Rooms

Highland Ave
Robertson Blvd
Santa Monica Blvd
Playa Del Rey
Vermont Ave
Sepulveda Blvd
Ventura Blvd