top of page

7 Israeli Museums You Must Visit


A bright red Israeli Post car inside the Eretz Yisroel Museum
An Israeli model of an Israeli Post car / Yonina F

Eretz Israel Museum

Spread over 20 acres and comprised of 15 buildings and carious installations is the Eretz Israel Museum. Not only will you enjoy 10 permanent exhibitions and 20 temporary exhibitions, at the center of the museum campus stands Tell Qasile - an ancient archeological mound that dates to the 12th century BCE. You will find ancient mosaics, oil presses, an ancient wine press, flour mills, and not to mention the beautiful gardens that surround the site.




The Cartoon Museum

The first of its kind in Israel, and one of a few around the world, the Cartoon Museum is non-profit cooperation between the city of Holon and the Israeli Cartoonist Association (AKI). More than just a vehicle for laughter, cartoons have been and continue to be an integral part of our political landscape. Learn about the history of cartoons in Israel!







The front entrance of the Holon Design Museum
The Design Museum in Holon / ד"ר אבישי טייכר, / CC BY 2.5

Design Museum - Holon

Designed by Israeli architect Ron Arad, the Design Museum is the first museum of contemporary design in Israel, and one of only a handful of design museums in the world. After opening in March 2010, The Design Museum in Holon has quickly become recognized as one of the world’s leading museums of design and contemporary culture.


The Museum for Islamic Art - Jerusalem

Home to many different cultures, Israeli art spans centuries. Jerusalem’s Museum for Islamic Art boasts one of the most important collections of Islamic art in the world in nine inspiring and comprehensive galleries that explore the beliefs and art of Islamic culture in the Middle East and Northern Africa.


Did you know the museum also hosts the historic watch and clock collection of Sir David Salomons? It includes ornate timepieces made by master watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet.

A tall sculpture featuring Stars of David displayed at the Yaacov Agam Museum
One of Yaacov Agam's sculptures displayed in the Agam Museum / Shifrah Friedman

The Agam Museum

The Agam Museum in Rishon LeZion is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to Kinetic Art. The museum is a joint initiative between Yaacov Agam and the Rishon LeZion municipality - the entire museum showcases six decades of Yaacov Agam's artistic research, temporary exhibitions, permanent displays of his most important works.


Immerse yourself and interact with the transformable sculptures and paintings, polymorphic relief paintings, interactive digital art, and installations. At 90 years old, Yaacov Agam has devoted himself to his art and the museum, so keep an eye out during your visit, you just may meet the artist himself!

Ayalon Institute Museum

Disguised as a kibbutz to fool the British while Jews were fighting for their independence from British rule in the 1940s, the Ayalon Institute was a secret ammunition factory run by the Haganah. The factory produced more than two million, 9mm bullets between 1945 and 1948. Experience the history of Israel’s establishment in this unique museum.


Museum of Underground Prisoners

When the British captured Palestine from the Ottomans in 1917, the Russian Compound in downtown Jerusalem was converted into administrative headquarters and a central prison. During the years of the British Mandate, hundreds of prisoners were kept in this facility. During the 1948 War of Independence, Jewish fighters captured the prison in a military campaign known as Operation Pitchfork.

bottom of page