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Museums & Galleries in Jerusalem
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and Israel's largest, set in the Judean Hills. Beyond its ancient walled Old City, Jerusalem holds a dense concentration of world-class museums, from the encyclopedic Israel Museum with the Dead Sea Scrolls to the citadel museum of the city's own long history.
Why here
Jerusalem rewards a museum day as richly as almost any city, because its collections hold objects that anchor the whole story of the region. The Israel Museum, founded in 1965 and the country's national museum, is the essential stop: its Shrine of the Book displays the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest known biblical manuscripts, and beside it a vast open-air model reconstructs Jerusalem as it stood in the Second Temple period, while inside run encyclopedic wings of archaeology, Jewish art and life, and fine art from Old Masters to the contemporary. For the city's own four thousand years, the Tower of David Museum sits inside the medieval citadel by the Jaffa Gate, using the ramparts, courtyards and archaeological layers themselves to tell how Jerusalem grew across successive civilisations, with sweeping views from the walls over the Old City. Together they give the long arc of the place, its manuscripts and its stones, in a compact and walkable pairing. Both are indoor, year-round destinations that reward a slow half-day each.
Best months
Both museums are indoor and open year-round, so this works in any season, though Jerusalem's hilltop spring and autumn are the most comfortable for combining a museum with time outdoors. Opening days vary and can shift around Jewish holidays and the Friday-to-Saturday weekend, when hours are shorter, so check current times before a special visit. The Israel Museum is large; allow at least half a day. The Tower of David includes open ramparts and stairs, best in daylight or at its evening sound-and-light show.
Getting there & around
The Israel Museum sits in the Givat Ram museum quarter near the Knesset, reachable by bus or a short taxi from the centre, and neighbours the Bible Lands Museum for anyone wanting a second stop. The Tower of David Museum stands at the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City, walkable from the centre and the light-rail. Tickets are sold at the door and online; the Israel Museum closes some weekdays and the citadel runs separate daytime and evening tickets, so confirm hours, which change around holidays.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (2)
The Israel Museum
OrganizerThe Israel Museum in Jerusalem, founded in 1965, is the country's national museum and its largest cultural institution, holding encyclopedic collections from prehistory to contemporary art. Its Shrine of the Book houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest biblical manuscripts, beside a large outdoor model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple period. The museum marked its 60th anniversary in 2025 by unrolling the Great Isaiah Scroll to its full length.
Tower of David Museum
OrganizerThe Tower of David Museum tells the history of Jerusalem inside the medieval citadel beside the Jaffa Gate, at the edge of the Old City. Set among ramparts, towers and courtyards with archaeological layers spanning more than two thousand years, its galleries trace how the city grew through successive civilisations. A major renewal and expansion completed in the early 2020s added new galleries, and the citadel hosts an evening sound-and-light show.