Anoha

It looks like a bagel, no, like a spaceship: the wooden ark at the new ANOHA children's museum captures the imagination and inspires not only the little guests, but every architecture lover. With the museum’s wooden centrepiece, which measures 28 metres in diameter and seven metres in height, Olson Kundig Architects, the American architectural firm, has created a veritable play paradise.

Mammoth, polar bear, orangutan – all on board

What would Noah's Ark be without animals? 150 animal sculptures, lovingly made by artists from everyday items and found objects, climb and fly around the circular building. They want to be fed and cared for and, like the heavy polar bear, need the children's help to get up on the ark.

The gathering includes giant snakes, predators, and cuddly animals as well as mammoths, unicorns, owls, and cockroaches: large and small creatures, pretty and not so pretty, modern day animals as well as Stone Age animals or mythological creatures. The first message: they are all present and want to be respected and noticed. And the second: we are looking back at the past and ahead to the future.

What does ANOHA in Berlin want to achieve? To make our world a little bit better

The opportunity to play, have lots of fun, learn and wonder – that is what the new ANOHA is offering its young guests. Inspired by the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, the focus here is on the respectful coexistence of people, animals and nature.
In the story of Noah's Ark from the Torah, children are the protagonists here in that they decide what to do. And there are no limits to their creativity: teachers provide support at various stations and motivate the children to let their imagination run wild and get active. For example, the little ones can build an ark themselves and try it out on a flume.

The history of the museum: Children were involved right from the start

The Children's World of the Jewish Museum Berlin was created in cooperation with the architecture and exhibition firm Olson Kundig in Seattle. The new museum building was erected on 2,700 square metres opposite the Jewish Museum on the premises of an old wholesale flower market.

The perspective and ideas of the target group (children between the ages of three and ten) have been included right from the start: 20 children from six Berlin primary schools form a Children's Advisory Council and have been co-curators of the exhibition areas since 2017. The Children's Advisory Council meets once a month at the Jewish Museum Berlin. There are also all-day workshops in which requests and ideas are formulated and newly planned installations are tested.

What are the highlights of the ANOHA children's world?

• Huge wooden ark to climb on
• 150 unique animal sculptures to play with
• Educational stations for handicrafts, constructing and trying things out
• Work benches, slides and climbing frames
• Workshops and guided tours

More information

• Admission is free for children, but a reservation is required.
• Children are admitted to ANOHA only when accompanied by adults. Adults come to ANOHA only when accompanied by children. Adults without children can visit the museum as part of a guided tour (Saturday and Sunday 2:45 pm).
• You can only get on board ANOHA if you are wearing stopper socks. Please bring non-slip socks with you.
• The easiest way to get to ANOHA is with the U-Bahn. Take the U6 line to Kochstraße. It is then roughly a ten-minute walk. Buses M29, M41 and 248 also stop nearby.

Places of interest in Berlin around ANOHA:

• The Jewish Museum Berlin, directly opposite
• The Berlinische Galerie on Alte Jakobstraße
• Checkpoint Charlie, the former Allied border crossing on Friedrichstraße

Opening hours