The Israel Museum is among the country’s most acclaimed cultural institutions. Discover exhibits ranging from ancient Holy Land artifacts to contemporary art collections and displays detailing important chapters from Israeli history.
Founded in 1965, the museum has a collection of more than 500,000 objects. In 2010, the museum underwent extensive redevelopment. Explore the state-of-the-art facilities at the renovated museum site, which extends across 20 acres (8 hectares).
The museum complex is divided into several main wings, devoted to archaeology, Jewish art and life, and fine arts. Pick up an audio guide at the visitor center to help you find your way around.
Don’t miss the museum’s most famous exhibit, the Dead Sea Scrolls. Believed to date from before the 2nd century, these biblical and non-biblical scrolls, over 900 in total, are housed in the purpose-built Shrine of the Book. The building’s shape is supposed to reflect the pots in which the scrolls were once stored.
Wander in the Archaeology Wing which displays objects dating from prehistory through to the Ottoman Empire. The Jewish Art and Life Wing hosts four synagogues, from India, Suriname, Germany and Italy. Each was transported and carefully reconstructed here.
Continue to the Fine Arts wing to view the impressive collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works. Artists represented include Renoir, Monet and Cezanne. Works from modern artists, including Rothko and Bacon, as well as Israeli painters, such as Reuven Rubin, are also displayed.
For fresh air, tour the Art Garden. This open-air space hosts sculptures and installations from Rodin, Picasso, LeWitt and others.
Families will enjoy the Youth Wing. Let the children get involved with the interactive exhibits and have fun in the outdoor play space. When you’re hungry, have a meal or snacks at the on-site restaurant or either of the two on-site cafés.
Find the Israeli Museum in the Givat Ram district of central Jerusalem, not far from the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. Several bus lines run near the museum. The site is open Tuesday evenings and daily the rest of the week. There is an admission fee, with reductions for students, children and seniors.
