Hours
Tue–Fri, 12:00–5:00 pm
Sat–Sun, 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Closed Mondays

Free on-site parking

Skirball Cultural Center

Archaeology Dig

Kids and Families

Two girl in a sandbox sifting through the sand with screen to find artifact replicas of ancient pottery

Uncover replicas of ancient artifacts and analyze clues to discover connections to people of the past.

Dates and Times

Saturday–Sunday until 4:15 pm

Pricing and Details

Included with general admission
Walk-ups welcome

Children must be accompanied by an adult 18 and up; minimum adult/child ratio is 1:4.

Activities are subject to change or cancellation.

About the Program

Imagine you are an archaeologist at the Archaeology Dig! Sift and sort to find replicas of ancient artifacts buried beneath the sand, weigh and examine your findings, and analyze clues to discover what we have in common with people who lived three thousand years ago.

The Archaeology Dig is open until 4:15 pm. If you reserve 3:00–4:00 pm tickets to Noah’s Ark at the Skirball, please plan to visit the Dig beforehand.

Unearth and Explore Sundays

Archaeologists, Indigenous teaching artists, and historians lead special projects and hands-on activities every third Sunday at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.

  • January 19—Chachaanke': A Traditional Tongva Game
    Join teaching artist Virginia Carmelo* in celebrating the culture and language of the Gabrielino/Tongva people. Decorate game pieces and learn how to play the traditional game of Chachaanke', while listening to a song in the Tongva language.

*While you’re here, see Virginia’s portrait and Tongva language representation in the current exhibition On the National Language: The Poetry of America’s Endangered Tongues. This exhibition features poetic, visual, and linguistic selections of speakers and students of endangered languages who are living in the US today.

  • February 16—Cyanotypes
    Experiment with solar exposures in a cyanotype activity led by Meztli Projects, an Indigenous based arts & culture collaborative. 

Hands on History

  • Track down the Hands on History touch cart to get a real feel for the ancient world and learn about the many things that connect us to the past. You can also explore more about people of the past and how they lived in our Discovery Center. Note: The Hands on History cart is wheeled out every Thursday.  
Mother and two daughters holding hands and dancing in a circle to a live band in the outdoor amphitheater.

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