Photo by Mercie Ghimire
After eighteen years, Noah’s Ark at the Skirball reopens this December, welcoming families and schools back to a beloved, hands-on destination. Inside, the refreshed galleries feature immersive lighting and new interactives—a giant olive tree, slides to help little ones disembark from the Ark, a planting area, and a watering hole where handcrafted animal puppets roam. Outside, the new Bloom Garden invites nature-based play with picnic areas, sensory paths, a splash stream, and a beached rowboat for imaginative journeys.
“Noah’s Ark has always been a place where kids come to play, imagine, and make friends. With Replenish, we’re adding new ways to move and play inside the gallery under the rainbow, plus a garden where families can plant, explore with all their senses, and enjoy nature together. It feels like the Ark’s next chapter, starting fresh after the flood and caring for the earth, a core Jewish value.” — Nina Silver, Director of Noah’s Ark and Family Programs