Search Engine for Accessible Tourism |
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Access-Israel has launched a database that will serve the needs of the disabled visitor to Israel. http://search.aisrael.org/english/ |
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Ashdod: Monart Cultural Complex |
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A beautiful new museum has just opened in the southern Israeli port city of Ashdod. Located in the town’s impressive Monart Cultural Complex (where, among others, noted dancer and choreographer Valery Panov directs a ballet school), the museum is enclosed in an unusual blue glass pyramid and currently hosts what may become its permanent collection and theme: Persecuted Art, Persecuted Artists – artists whose art was prohibited under the dictatorships of Hitler, Stalin and Franco. |
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Caesarea: Caesarea amphitheater |
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The ancient Caesarea amphitheater is "dressed up"
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Central region: Monkey park |
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Lots of playful monkeys are on view at Monkey Park located at Kfar Daniel near the Ben Shemen Forest. Located about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, this is a beautifully landscaped park with small ponds, waterfalls and many different trees. Both children and children-at-heart can spend an enjoyable time here. And it is accessible for wheelchair travelers, with appropriate toilets on the premises. |
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Central region: Utopia Park in Kibbutz Bahan |
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Orchids are the specialty at Utopia Park – with about 10,000 on display! Located at Kibbutz Bahan in Emek Hefer, and spread over a large area, this special new park is filled with unusual flowers, birds and fish. Its paths and conveniences are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs and the park also harbors on its premises a coffee house and a plant nursery. Colorful birds and fish will please the entire family and a maze will appeal particularly to children. In addition, a variety of plants can be purchased for the home.
For more information, call: 09-878-2191 or fax:09-878-0249. |
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Dead Sea: Ein Gedi Botanical Garden |
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Ein Gedi is located 400 meters (1300 ft.) below sea-level, in an area of primeval, lunar-like beauty, surrounded by a desert of craggy slopes and deep canyons, rich in history and antiquities. Set on the shores of the Dead Sea in the Judean desert lies Kibbutz Ein Gedi, established in 1956. From the beginning, members of Ein Gedi understood that trees, grass and flowers would symbolize their victory over the isolated, barren wilderness in which they had settled. Thus, over the years, an unusual botanical garden was developed here, under conditions of plentiful water and a constant hot climate. The work of the kibbutz members enabled rare unique plants that were brought from afar to flourish, and turn the entire Kibbutz Ein Gedi into a special botanical garden, an oasis with more than 800 unique and rare species of trees, shrubs and flowers from all over the world. There is parking and a toilet for the disabled and the paths are accessible for wheelchairs. For more information, please call Becky at 972- 8- 6584444 |
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Eilat: Seabell Yacht |
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The sailing yacht “Seabell”, docked in the Eilat marina, is the only yacht in the world that caters to the disabled. The yacht is 33 meters in length and includes 3 decks at different levels, sailing cruises combined with water sports such as: scuba-diving, snorkeling, water-ski, deep sea fishing and breathtaking sites. It was designed with a lot of thought to make the disabled passenger as comfortable as possible. The yacht was built with no obstacles for wheelchairs and constantly supervised by the Israeli Shipping Federation. The inner section is coated with wood, toilet facilities for disabled people, warm showers, a lowered fancy bar and a lift that lowered into the sea for water sports.
For further information, call: 08-633-0950 or 057-880-9213
or email seabell@smile.net.il |
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Galilee: Agmon Hahula |
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This is a good time to visit Agmon Hahula, the recently prepared national park/nature reserve in the Hula Valley, which provides a wonderful vantage point for observing natural phenomena around the lake and surrounding green area. Every fall/winter thousands of birds fly here from cold Europe either to spend the milder months in Israel or on their way to Africa. According to Protection of Nature Society officials, some half a billion migratory birds find their way to Israel every year. In Agmon Hahula one can rent a four-wheel open vehicle with a guide or drive-it-yourself. There are rooms to let in nearby moshavim (villages.) This brand new site run by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) has been developed with special attention to people with accessibility needs. There are no stairs in the area, all passages can be negotiated with wheelchairs, there are lookout posts with low windows and accessible toilets. Private cars with a disabled sign are allowed to enter the parking area which is close to the entrance. Plans are being drawn up to accommodate visitors with visual and hearing disabilities. http://www.jnf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Birdwatching
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Galilee: Bet Gavriel Cultural Center |
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The Bet Gavriel Cultural Center, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, hosts performances, lectures, conferences and exhibitions in a beautiful rural setting. The impressive building is an outstanding example of the best of Israeli architecture. It was built for Mrs. Gita Sherover in memory of her son Gavriel and has served as the venue for peace talks with neighboring countries. A shop and cafe restaurant serve visitors. Appropriate facilities on the premises enable wheelchair travelers to be among the visitors.
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Galilee: Dvorat Hatavor |
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Dvorat Hatavor, a unique rural tourist spot run by the Ben Zeev family, within Moshav Shadmot Dvora, is located very close to the Sea of Galilee and to Mt. Tabor, which was on the Israeli part of the ancient Silk Road. Visitors receive a guided tour with a demonstration of honey bread, a close look at bee hives (behind a well fenced-in area, to ensure that they won’t be stung by the bees), as well as a detailed explanation about silk making and the related mulberry trees. Asked whether the area is accessible to visitors in wheelchairs, Boaz Ben Zeev replied, “We take great pride in enabling EVERYONE to experience our visitors center. Not only are all of our facilities accessible to people in wheelchairs but we also have modified tours for the blind, deaf and other challenged groups. A reservation in advance is recommended to ensure a “personal touch". Courtesy of “Gems in Israel”, a monthly e-zine by Yael Zisling Visiting Hours: Friday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Saturday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, weekdays by prior arrangement only. Please check the hours. TEL 972-4-676-9598 Mobile 972-50-326-160 FAX 972-4-676-7459
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Galilee: Ghetto Fighters House |
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The Ghetto Fighters House located at Kibbutz Lohamei Haghetaot, north of Acre on the Nahariya Road, is a museum dedicated to presenting the life and culture of Jewish communities before their destruction, to the suffering and fate of Jewish men, women and children in the ghettoes and Nazi camps, and to the spiritual resistance, armed revolt and Jewish partisan and underground activity in every country of German occupation. Most of the exhibits are accessible to wheelchairs, as are the conveniences. |
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Galilee: Photography Museum |
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Located at the Tel Hai Industrial Park, the museum features changing exhibitions of top-notch photographers, a permanent exhibit on the development of photography and a collection of rare cameras. In a separate building nearby, a display of car models from the early 20th century can be viewed. http://www.ilmuseums.com/museum_eng.asp?id=91
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Galilee: Tefen Industrial Park |
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The Tefen Industrial Park in the Galilee, wheelchair accessible and with roomy restrooms, contains a sculpture area, Israeli art exhibits, antique cars and a small gallery highlighting the contribution of German Jewry to Israel. Tefen was conceived and designed by Israeli industrialist and entrepreneur Steff Wertheimer, who firmly believes that Israel can eventually stand on its own economic feet. To this end he created a hothouse for fledgling businesses where entrepreneurs with new exciting ideas and a flair for hard work can develop a wide variety of products for export. Combining technology and ecology, Tefen is an aesthetic, user-friendly park. (From Aviva Bar Am's book "Easy Walks in Israel", kindly donated to Yad Sarah)
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Haifa: Museum of Art |
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At 26 Shabtai Levi Street in Haifa, the Haifa Museum of Art is located in an historic building built in the 1930's in Hadar HaCarmel. The Museum of Art focuses on Israeli and international contemporary art, and includes a collection of 7,000 items, mostly contemporary Israeli art, but also a large collection of international graphic art. The museum's auditorium hosts a variety of cultural activities: theater; dance; music and lectures. Guided tours are available. There are accessible amenities: elevator, cafeteria and rest rooms. For more information please call: 972-4-8523255/204 FAX 972-4-8522714 http://hms.org.il/home.asp?M=2 (Hebrew only) |
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Jerusalem: Botanical Gardens |
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One can enjoy an oasis of nature in the heart of Jerusalem when visiting the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Arranged in geographical order, the garden's paths are accessible for wheelchairs and there is special parking and large bathroom facilities. There is even a mini-train which takes its passengers on a tour of the garden.
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Jerusalem: Herzl Museum |
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The new Herzl Museum complex includes a state-of-the-art museum with the most modern audio-visual effects, and a Zionist learning center. Among the artifacts on display are the desk on which Theodor Herzl wrote “The Jewish State” which was published in 1896 and documents from the First Zionist Congress held in Basel, Switzerland between August 29th and 31st 1897. The inauguration of the Museum coincided with the Hebrew date of Theodor Herzl’s birth in Budapest on the 10th of Iyar in 1860, which was designated last year by the State of Israel as the official day for commemorating Theodor Herzl, the visionary of an independent and sovereign Jewish National Home. The new Herzl Center, located on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, is a project of the World Zionist Organization and is supported by the Jerusalem Foundation. |
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Jerusalem: Israel Museum |
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The Israel Museum in Jerusalem is a Mecca for art lovers. Contemporary and classical paintings, a sculpture garden and a photography section, and a youth wing are among the museum’s features. Regular lectures and special programs – films, concerts, children’s activities are also part of the agenda. Elevators, railings and adequate toilets make the museum accessible to wheelchair visitors.
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Jerusalem: Jerusalem Mall |
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The Jerusalem Mall - convenient shopping for the wheelchair bound. Built in 1992 at a cost of $85 million, the Jerusalem Mall is located in the Manhat (Malcha) Quarter. Three stories high, with elevators and moving staircases, and spread over 100,000 square meters, the mall, conceived by David Azrieli of Canada and planned by architect Avraham Yasky of Tel Aviv, houses 260 businesses, of which 180 are shops and 80 are offices and stands such as fast food stands. For wheelchair visitors there are special separate parking areas, roomy toilets, wide doors and passages and an easy access to the cinema on the premises. Best time to visit are morning hours - opening is at 9:30 - before the crowds set in. |
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Jerusalem: Museum for Islamic Art |
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The Museum for Islamic Art on Palmach Street in Jerusalem specializes in exhibitions of cultural objects covering peoples from southeastern Europe to India and from Baghdad to Samarkand, as well as from the entire Middle East and and ranging in time from the 7th to the 19th century. One of the 9 galleries also exhibits a watch collection. The museum is accessible for people in wheelchairs through the entrance from the parking lot; suitable lifts and toilets are also on the premises, as well as a cafeteria. Opening hours: Sun, Mon.,Wed. and Thurs. 10-3pm.; Tues. 10-6p.m., Fri., Sat. For more information, call 972-2-5661291.
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Jerusalem: Old City’s Jewish Quarter |
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A recently-opened Jerusalem Tourism Center located in the Old City’s Jewish Quarter, specializes in tours for disabled people. The Center, funded by the Association of Community Centers, caters to people in wheelchairs along a 2km route in the Jewish Quarter, enabling disabled tourists to visit 18 attractions, including the Cardo, the Western Wall, and the Hurva Synagogue. Two toilets in the Quarter have been adapted for use by people in > wheelchairs. Guided tours on tape for blind people and sound amplifiers > for the hard-of-hearing as well as tours for children with mental > disabilities are also part of the Center’s program. |
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Jerusalem: Park of Olives at Ramat Rachel |
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Located about a 15-minute drive from the heart of Jerusalem at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel is an artistic environmental project. It consists of 200 olive trees planted in concentric rows leading to an amazing site - the Olive Columns Monument: from tree-like stone columns in this historical mountain landscape facing the desert, grow 3 living olive trees – symbols of fertility, strength and peace. Mitzpe Rachel, which takes its name from the Tomb of Rachel located nearby, and is adjacent to the 164-room Ramat Rachel Hotel grounds, is an archaeological site with artifacts and remnants going back to the First Temple Period, where visitors can see the ruins of a Byzantine church, a Roman camp, cisterns and a ritual bath, as well as get a breathtaking view of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The entire area, including a restaurant and conveniences, is wheelchair-accessible. Parking is some 30 meters from the premises, there are ramps, three special toilets in the public areas, and conveniently placed telephones and elevator buttons. For more information, please call 972-2-6702555 |
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Jerusalem: Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum |
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Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, was established in 1953 by an act of the Israeli Knesset. Since its inception, Yad Vashem has been entrusted with documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period, preserving the memory and story of each of the six million victims, and imparting the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come through its archives, library, school, museums and recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations. Located on the Mount of Remembrance, in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem is a vast, sprawling complex of tree-studded walkways leading to museums, exhibits, archives, monuments, sculptures, and memorials. The Archive Collection is the largest and most comprehensive repository of material on the Holocaust in the world, comprising 62 million pages of documents, nearly 267,500 photographs along with thousands of films and videotaped testimonies of survivors. These may be accessed by the public and read and viewed in the appropriate rooms. Yad Vashem is equipped to welcome visitors confined to wheelchairs (wheelchairs can also be loaned on the premises.) Special parking is available, and exhibits and conveniences are roomy.
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Jerusalem: Yitzhak Rabin Youth Hostel and Guest House |
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One of Jerusalem's most-recently constructed buildings, the Yitzhak Rabin Youth Hostel and Guest House is a neighbor of the Israel Museum, the Bible Museum, the Knesset, the Science Museum, the Botanical Garden and the Hebrew university Givat Ram campus. An accessible parking lot, a roomy lobby and toilets and 3 specially equipped guest rooms (there are altogether 77 guest rooms) permit wheelchair guests to enjoy this airy building. A restaurant serving lunch and dinner is on the premises; and who knows, you might get to rub shoulders with one of the members of parliament or one of the university professors who often stay at the guest house.
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Latrun: Mini-Israel |
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In Mini-Israel, Israel's new miniature city, visitors from around the world can have a close look at an exact replica (on a scale of 1:25) of hundreds of the most famous historical, religious, biblical and archaeological.sites of the Land of the Bible. In Mini-Israel, guests will be able to see the following miniature models: 350 buildings (some of them dynamic), 30,000 figures and 15,000 miniature plants and trees. In the 14-acre park area there are multimedia stands, kiosks, shops, a cafeteria, remote control car and boat games. Mini-Israel is wheelchair accessible, there are appropriate conveniences and self-driven vehicles can be rented. Mini-Israel is located near Latrun in the Ayalon Valley, only a short ride from Ben Gurion international airport. Opening hours: every day 10am-6pm. Friday 10am-2 p.m. Please check the hours. For more information please call 972-8-9222444.
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Masada |
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Renovation on Masada, the historic fortress in the Judean Desert, now makes it possible for wheelchair visitors to enjoy the many interesting sites in this national park. A cable car operates throughout the year from sunrise to one hour before sunset. There are elevators to different levels where various antiquities are on view, including the Northern Palace, one of the most magnificent of Herod's buildings. On the premises are four special toilets for disabled and two wheelchairs - at no cost - are available for people who find it difficult to walk. A unique sound and light show in a specially built open-air theater depicts the life, struggle and heroism of the people of Masada some 1900 years ago. For further information, please contact Eitan or Dina at 972-8-6584207,8. |
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Negev: Omer Open Museum |
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The Open Museum near Beersheba was established in 1995 by industrialist Stef Wertheimer. It is located within the Omer Industrial Park which accommodates some 30 companies in various fields of industry, hi-tech and services. Wertheimer's idea was to eliminate the separation between the world of art and the world of industry. The museum has an art gallery which shows changing exhibitions of Israeli art. In addition, a sculpture garden, a film and a cafeteria are available to the visitor. The museum is accessible to wheelchair visitors and has appropriate facilities. For more information, please call 972 (0)8-6492-692 or 6492-696. |
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Rehovot: Clore Garden of Science |
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The Clore Garden of Science is an outdoor museum-without-walls at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. Along wheelchair-accessible paths, visitors can become a part of large and small exhibits. Toilets here are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs. The carefully built displays have been designed by Weizmann Institute scientists to demonstrate the laws of physics, solar energy, water power and other natural phenomena that are taken for granted every day. People of all ages are invited to "please touch" the durable hands-on exhibits – twisting, pushing, bouncing and piecing them together. Among the fascinating exhibits at the Clore Garden of Science are a solar furnace that can instantly set wood on fire, water sprinklers that surround you with a full-circle rainbow, a chance to feel what it's like to walk on the moon and a water channel that shows the physics of wave action while allowing young hands to reach in and feel.
For more information, please contact: Phone: 08-9344401 Fax: 08-9344402 E-mail: youngweb@weizmann.ac.il
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Tel Aviv: Dance Library in Beit Ariella |
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The Dance Library in Beit Ariella Tel Aviv, (left on the Tel Aviv Museum Plaza) is wheelchair accessible. Three thousands videos of dance can be viewed while listening with earphones so that the sound is personally adjustable. And there is a mass of literature - some 5,000 books and magazines - about dance, most of it in English. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday : 14.00-18.00 Beit Ariela Municipal Library |
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Tel Aviv: Eretz Israel Museum |
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The Eretz Israel (formerly Haaretz) Museum in Tel Aviv has wide paths, no stairs and accessible toilets. A reconstructed old market, mirroring conditions as they were in the times of the Romans through the Byzantine period, features workshops with demonstrations of glassblowing, pottery and weaving. Other current exhibits depict sculptures made of animal bones and modern glass design. The museum is open Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 9-3, For further details call 972-3-6425820 and ask for Miri. |
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Tel Aviv Museum of Arts |
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The Tel Aviv Museum of Art offers a great variety of activities for the whole family. Painting, music, lectures, films or workshops can all be found in the spacious museum on Shlomo Hamelech Blvd. You can go to “Stepping Out of the Frame” - a journey around the museum’s paintings and sculptures, or to one of the concentrated summer workshops; in short, a great place for the grandchildren. For adults, there are encounters with chamber music – composers, conductors, critics and instrumentalists; concerts and lectures on Beethoven concerti and symphonies, classical music programs with well-known guest soloists; programs of contemporary music, in addition to the rich programs in the field of the plastic arts. “Art as an Autobiography “ is the title of an exhibition of paintings by Meir Pichhadze who immigrated to Israel in 1973 and revisited his native Georgia to paint figures from his native landscape. The museum is equipped, to handle visitors in wheelchairs, including wide conveniences. For more details, please call the museum at 03-695-7361. |
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Tel Aviv: Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora |
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Located on the Tel Aviv University campus in Ramat Aviv (entrance via Gate 2), the Diaspora Museum (Bet Hatfutzot) graphically depicts Jewish history from the time of the expulsion after the destruction of the Second Temple up to the present, via audiovisual displays, documentary films and interactive multi-media presentations. All parts of the building are accessible to wheelchair visitors; that includes special parking, conveniences and elevators. In addition to the Chronosphere, the permanent exhibit which brings to life the history, heritage and Jewish contribution to world culture, two current temporary exhibitions are on view: "By the Shores of the Black Sea: Jewish Farmers in USSR 1922-4" and "Faces, Places, Identity 1972-95" – portraits of Jews in various parts of the world.
For information please call 972 3-6408000. |
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Tel Aviv: Park Ha'Yarkon |
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Most Tel Avivians refer to it simply as Park Ha'Yarkon, but its official name is Ganei Yehoshua, named in honor of the late mayor Yehoshua Rabinowitz. Consider it Tel Aviv's version of Central Park, except instead of being in the heart of the city - it is almost at its edge - as you head out in a northerly direction. The park offers kids of all ages a variety of outlets to exert their energies. However, the real Gem here is a place called the Zapari. An obvious play on the word tzipor (bird) and safari, it is a wonderful green oasis with a large topiary full of birds. This site is specifically geared for wheelchair accessibility and all the paths are paved. Courtesy of Gems in Israel, a monthly e-zine by Yael Zisling |
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Tel Aviv: Shalom Tower |
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The Shalom Tower, Tel Aviv’s first skyscraper, has held numerous exhibitions about Tel Aviv and its development. Currently two exhibitions can be viewed inside the building: a photography show of some 40 works by Tel Aviv photographers called “Tel Aviv, the City that Never Stops,” and an exhibition of works by students of architecture. Both of these can be seen during morning hours every day except Friday and Saturday. The major attraction in the building is an 80 square meter large wall mosaic on the ground floor – a mosaic composed of one million colored stones graphically illustrating the beginnings of the city. Appropriate conveniences for wheelchair travelers are on the first floor. Free guidance for groups can be had on request. For more details, please call Chana at tel.972 (0)3-517-3111. telavivinf.com/prat/built/mig/shalom/page.html
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Tel Aviv: Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre |
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The Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre, located in the Neve Tsedek section of Tel Aviv, in the heart of the first Jewish neighborhood built outside of Jaffa, is a 3-building complex always alive with music, dance and stage performances. Equipped to welcome wheelchair visitors, it has nearby parking, wide sidewalks, spacious toilets and an elevator to the theatre hall. Inaugurated in August '89, the Centre was founded by the Dellal family of London.
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Zichron Yaakov: First Aliyah Museum |
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The First Aliyah Museum commemorates the pioneer founders who came to the Land of Israel between the years 1882-1904. Located at 2 Hanadiv Street in Zichron Yaakov, and opened to the public in 1999, it was established in memory of Moshe and Sara Aronson, among the first settlers of Zichron. Convenient parking, a large elevator and roomy conveniences make it easy for physically challenged visitors. Among the many attractions is one of the oldest films depicting the Tel Aviv of days gone by. Visiting hours: Sun.,Mon.,Wed. and Thurs.9a.m.-4-p.m., Tues. 9a.m.-7p.m., Fri.9a.m.-1p.m., Sat.10a.m.-2p.m. Please check the hours. For more information please call 972-4-629-4777 or FAX 972-4-629-4224. |
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