Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv

Frommers Review of Eretz Israel Museum Shop

“Without a doubt the best museum shop in the country, with well-chosen Judaica, crafts, toys, and children’s books, jewelry, replicas, and gift ideas. It’s open Sunday to Thursday 10am to 6pm and Friday 10am to 2pm.”

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/telaviv/S33466.html#ixzz2VoHIvcoU

“Better 2 Ask” Review of the Eretz Israel Museum Shop:

The best museum shop in Israel!

http://www.better2ask.com/

My Review

• The Eretz Israel Museum is spread out in several buildings over a large area. Although all of the buildings are all “accessible”, they require a lot of effort if one needs to push a wheel chair up and down the hills. The brochure states that “a full tour of the museum takes about  three hours….start…visit…continue to…and from there to…stroll…climb the observatory…return to entrance. A lot of walking, – some under a covered path to provide shade and some in the sun –  with no place to rest or purchase a coffee.
• The website seems to be more interested in renting halls for business events and conferences than presenting museum exhibits.
• One motorizes cart is available. No shuttle service is available.
• Museum guides are available on Saturday only or by prior reservation.
• The entrance and ticket office area have only uncomfortable benches.
• The flyers about temporary exhibitions look cheap and shabby.
• Many of the temporary exhibitions are shown in inadequate hallways, rather than museum rooms which don’t seem to exist.
• The only cafe is not kosher. Have no worry. You can always drive to the Ramat Aviv Mall for an aircondition snack or meal.
• There Planitarium has shows in Hebrew only. (No Russian or Arabic. English by prior reservation only) Perhaps tourists don’t want to visit a museum, but what about Arab school children?
• The are no video clips of past exhibits on the website or YouTube. The is no “About the Eretz Israel Museum” video clip available on the website or YouTube. The website has a very boring, exspecially the “About” page. Why aren’t there any photos?
• Although the brochure states “accessible to hearing impaired”, this refers only to the Planetarium and third party events in the major halls.
• There are only three rest rooms. Many building have no rest rooms.

 Upcoming Exhibit: Fairytales in the Sand II

The highly popular exhibition on Ethiopia just closed. How lucky I was to catch it just in time. A new temporaryexhibition is also worth your while. Tens of large sand statues will be built this summer in the museum’s garden by the artists of the Dutch World Sand Sculpting Academy and their Israeli colleagues. This time the artists, who exhibited their work two years ago in the museum and intrigued visitors with their talent for creating wonders in the sand, will design huge statues that depict characters and stories taken from children’s literature and from the Bible; among the children’ books – The Little Prince, The Three musketeers, Peter and the Wolf, Tarzan, Alice in Wonderland. The biblical stories will include David and Goliath, the crossing of the Red Sea, King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Jonah and the whale.

The exhibit’s opening hours will be in the evenings, when the statues will be illuminated in extraordinary artistic lighting. The children will be able to try their hand and build statues in the sand under the guidance of the artists, take part in organized activities, and enjoy a wonderful and creative family experience.

 

Eretz Israel Museum Opening Hours

Sunday-Wednesday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Thursday:                     10 a.m.-8 p.m. (the ethnography and folklore display is open until 4 p.m.)

Friday and Saturday:  10 a.m-2 p.m.

Eretz Israel Museum Entrance Fees

Adult                                      42 NIS

Adult Tel Aviv Resident      38 NIS (upon presentation of ID)

Student/Soldier                   28 NIS (upon presentation of ID)

Child under 18                    free

Child under 13 must be accompanied by an adult

A Visit to the Planetarium, including a Visit to the Museum

Adult                                            74 NIS

Adult Tel Aviv Resident      70 NIS (upon presentation of ID)

Child                                            32 NIS

The Planetarium shows (in Hebrew):

Sunday-Thursday at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.,

Saturday at 11 a.m. and 12 noon.

The ticket office closes 10 minutes before the start of the show.

Entry to the Planetarium is restricted to children over age 6.

Eretz Israel Museum Address
2 Haim Levanon St., Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69975

Eretz Israel Museum Phone Numbers

Switchboard: (03) 641-5244

Education Department: (03) 641-3217

Shop: (03) 745-5716

Events: (03) 643-6172

Public Relations: (03) 641- 5820, email: mirit@eretzmuseum.org.il

Anina – Cafe  (Not Kosher)

Tel: (03) 641-2288

Sunday-Friday: 8 a.m.-midnight

Saturday: 9 a.m.-midnight

Public Transportation to Eretz Israel Museum 

Dan: 7, 13, 24, 25, 45, 127

Egged: 126, 171, 270, 271

Afikim: 121

Kavim: 94

Railways: University station

Eretz Israel Museum Parking

There is paid parking close to the museum.

Eretz Israel Museum Accessibility for the Disabled

All museum exhibit and displays are suitable for the handicapped.

For visitors with walking difficulties, a specially adapted vehicle that can easily reach everywhere in the museum is available.

Photography in the Museum is permitted for private, non-commercial use only.