Israel is a travel destination. That means A LOT of museums. And there’s a lot to put in an exhibit in Israel, given the over 5,000 years of history. There are archeological museums and history museums and biblical museums. And many, many memorial museums. I admit to not being a huge museum fan. I like a good museum but in small doses. Sometimes going through a museum can be sensory overload and really tiring. But a great little museum that’s off the beaten track is a great find. Some of these places will only take you an hour or so to go through so they can be a cool add-on to a day trip.

The Tehillim Museum: This place is literally a hole in the wall off Yaffo Street in Jerusalem. I heard about it and when trying to find it, people who were on the block of this museum did not know where it was. Basically an artist read a story about a Christian group who claimed that Psalms was part of the New Testament. In his distress, he painted one painting for each chapter in the book of psalms - 150 paintings in all. Each painting has to do with the words of the particular psalm and you can purchase copies in the museum.

Hansen Hospital: Ok, so this is super creepy but kind of interesting. Hansen Hospital was built originally as leper colony. The building itself is really architecturally awesome. The Museum shows you the  history of the leper colony which is kind of weird. But it has also been newly transformed into an art and media center, so they frequently have art events here. Definitely a place to have on your radar if you are in Jerusalem

Beit Ben Gurion: This is a free stop if you’re in Tel Aviv for the day. It’s Ben Gurion’s house and contains his personal library, some 20,000 volumes. David Ben Gurion donated his house to the State and it now stands in Tel Aviv as a testimony to him and the founding of the state of Israel.

Nahum Gutman Museum: This museum is dedicated to the work of Israeli artist Nahum Gutman. Obviously. Gutman was one of the most well known Israeli artists. The cool thing about checking out his art, is that he worked in many mediums so you won’t be looking at just one style. Gutman is also symbolic of State of Israel in a way. He is one of the best examples of an artist who left behind the european way of understanding art and light. He helped to create a new Israeli style that reflects the land, the light and the passion of the Israeli people.

Tokotin museum: Where else would you find a japanese art museum but in Haifa? This is actually the only japanese art museum in the middle east and the biggest collection of japanese art outside of Japan. It’s a small museum with only  two changing exhibits but is well organized. A small entrance fee and about an hour or two of Japanese culture in the middle of Israel.

Friends of Zion Heritage Center: This is a new museum so not many people may know about it yet. It’s a state of the art museum dedicated to those who have helped the Jewish nation in some way. Some you probably heard about like Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg. Some not like Walter Clay Lowedermilk a US expert who developed the water plan used by Israel in the early days. Christians visiting Israel will especially find this museum interesting.

Museum of Underground Prisoners: This is exactly what it sounds like. An underground prison that is now a museum. It was used by the British during the British mandate, so a lot of history here that gives a different insight than some of the other museums. Because it was a small, local prison, it has that intimate vibe you don’t find in so many of the larger prisons. It also a place to hear stories about the famous Rabbi, Reb Aryeh Levin who used to visit the prison weekly.

There are so many more. So many. Post below if you know if an “off the beaten path” museum that you think should be in my travel itinerary next time I go to Israel.