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

Unearth 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 on Saturdays and Sundays. 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

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

  • March 24 – Acorns & Oak Galls Dye Workshop
    Reveal beautiful browns and dark purple dyes from the plant life offered to us by the land in the Tovaangar (Los Angeles) with Meztli Projects. Guests will create their own hand-dyed bandana to take home.
     
  • April 21 – Plant Fiber Paintbrushes
    Lazaro Arvizu, a Gabrielino/Tongva teaching artist, will guide guests in creating their own fiber paintbrushes and then lead a landscape painting featuring a Yucca tree.
     
  • May 19 – Basketry
    Gabrielino/Tongva teaching artist Lazaro Arvizu will share the basket weaving tradition of the Gabrielino Tongva paired with a hands-on activity demonstrating open twined weaving technique.

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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