One of the most prominent Jewish and cultural organizations in the world, the Skirball is a ganglion for art, music, dance and theater.

The latest permanent addition to walk two-by-two into the Skirball is "Noah's Ark." The family-friendly exhibit teaches lessons in eco-friendliness through a collection of handcrafted, movable animals fashioned from recycled materials: A hedgehog's spines are fashioned out of a pasta, an old saw is given new life as an iguana and old boxing gloves become kiwi birds. Visitors can recreate the sounds of thunder and rain in the pre-flood zone, and hop on the floor-to-ceiling ark to check out the 186 species of life-sized animals aboard. In addition to its other permanent display, "Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America," which follows the course of Jewish history from Moses to Olympic swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg, the Skirball hosts temporary exhibits on its expansive campus, which was designed by Israeli architect Moshe Safdie. Temporary exhibits range from photographs of what’s floating in the LA River to cartoons from The New Yorker to the life and work of Albert Einstein. The Skirball frequently welcomes well-known authors, filmmakers and comedians, as well as theater productions from L.A. Theatre Works. As part of the series "Cinema’s Legacy: How Great Filmmakers Inspire Great Filmmakers," co-presented with AFI, the Skirball has welcomed directors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Mira Nair, Rob Reiner and Wim Wenders to the podium. The museum is also a popular venue for multicultural music acts from all over the world—during the summer months many of the performances are free. —Elisa Jacobs