History, science, art & more – The city of Haifa offers so many kinds of museums, you can be sure that you’ll have a great cultural experience surrounded by a magnificent view
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Haifa hosts some of Israel’s most central and loved museums, serving as a hub of cultural activities for both local and international tourists. The city’s historical sites and varied cultural influences lend themselves to some of the city’s unique museum sites and cultural centers, making them a worthwhile visit for any tourist exploring Haifa.
Mada-Tech
Perhaps the most well known, and the largest one, is Haifa’s National Museum of Science, Technology and space, known as Mada-Tech. The largest of its kind in Israel, the museum offers intelligent, explorative and interactive activities for the whole family, and is one of Israel’s top favorite tourist destinations.
The museum includes a Disney Junior complex, where toddlers can enjoy a range of tailored activities while older kids can enjoy the permanent and visiting exhibitions, all dedicated to the exploration of science, new technologies and space. A highly recommended museum, not just for children!
Louis Promenade – Wilhelm II of Germany Obelisk memorial moument in Haifa
The Haifa Museum of Art
Israel’s third largest art museum is The Haifa Museum of Art, a home to both Israeli and international contemporary art. The museum’s collection is considered one of Israel’s best collections, boasting over 7,000 artifacts from the fields of drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and video. Located on 26 Shabtai Street, this museum is a must for any art lovers visiting Haifa.
Haifa City Museum
In the beautiful German Colony, inside a Templar building is Haifa City Museum. Set in a unique exhibition space, the museum is dedicated to the presentation of Haifa’s city life and local history over the years. Alongside the permanent exhibitions, the museums offers an array of events, lectures, conventions and tours in the area, as well as activities suited for the whole family.
Haifa Museum
Beit Hagefen
This is a Jewish and Arab Cultural Center that promotes cross-cultural projects between Arabs and Jews. They have a gallery, a theatre, a library and an educational Visitors Center. The exhibitions in the gallery promote socio-political dialogue and collaboration between people of different communities and social backgrounds.
Hecht Museum – University of Haifa
This is an archaeology and art museum located at the University of Haifa. It houses a fascinating collection of artifacts and modern art. Among the artists you will find are Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Modigliani, and other famous artists as well as work by Jewish artists who perished in the Holocaust.
Mané Katz House
This museum is a center for art history located in the former residence of Mané Katz, a Litvak painter who left his estate to the city of Haifa. The collection concentrates on the Ecolé de Paris movement. Katz painted Eastern European shtetl scenes in the impressionist style. The museum also exhibits modern art exhibitions and European Jewish art of varying schools and styles.
Tikotin Museum
Founded in 1959 and one of its kind in the middle east, is Haifa’s Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art (89 Hanasie Blvd.), dedicated to the preservation of Japanese art, and its introduction to visitors.
Due to the many exhibitions and cultural activities the center holds, it has become a center for spreading of the Japanese culture, and a hub for social relations between Japan and Israel. In 2000, the museum received the prestigious Japanese Foundation Award, given annually to institutions who promote cultural relations with Japan.
National Maritime Museum
For some maritime exploration, head down to Haifa’s National Maritime Museum, dedicated to the documentation of maritime activity in the area, and connection between the sea and the surrounding Israeli culture. Apart from permanent exhibitions, the museum also hosts exhibitions by artists whose work has a strong connection with the sea, visually and conceptually.
Herman Struck Museum
Another interesting museum to visit is the Herman Struck Museum, dedicated to one of Germany’s most venerable print artists of the 20th century, who had later made Alyiah and arrived in Israel. A true Zionist, Struck combined his passion for art with his love for Israel, and after moving to Israel was involved in the inauguration of what later became the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. He was also involved in the revival of the much renowned Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem. The museum is a permanent home to a huge collection of Struck’s print works.
