Haifa’s 9 most historically rich museums

From ‘privacy’ to ‘piracy,’ these one-of-a-kind museums in Haifa have it all

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Haifa's museums are as richly diverse as its inhabitants – from a fascinating museum that bridges the gap between eastern and western cultures to a Japanese art center at the crest of Mount Carmel. Get your art on at these top notch Israeli art establishments and their current exhibitions.

The best museums in Haifa

1. Haifa City Museum

Museums
The Lower City

The Haifa City Museum, located among the impressive Templar buildings of the city's German Quarter, primarily addresses history, urban life, identity, and multinationality. Exhibitions deal with issues of relevance to Haifa's diverse population, tracing its development from the Ottoman period until today.

Museums
Hadar-Carmel‏

Haifa Museum of Art © Talmoryair, Wikipedia

Haifa Museum is located in an historic 1930s building at the axis connecting Haifa’s Muslim, Christian, and Jewish neighborhoods. Three floors display works by artists from Israel and the world, including Daumier, Chagall, Chana Orloff, and Andre Masson as well as temporary exhibitions and video installations.

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3. Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

Museums
Hadar-Carmel‏

Tikotin © Stas Korolov

Nestled between tall bamboo, this museum is dedicated to art from the Land of the Rising Sun, showcasing a broad cross-section of both traditional and modern Japanese prints and paintings. Due to the delicate nature of Japanese craftsmanship, which is sensitive to light and weather, exhibits change frequently.

Museums
Hadar-Carmel‏

Dedicated to shipping on the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the banks of the Nile, the museum’s permanent exhibition showcases everything from maritime art to mythology of the sea. Sea lovers will fawn over the impressive collection of model ships, underwater archaeological discoveries like coins, seals, and clay vessels.

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5. Madatech, Israel’s National Museum of Science, Technology & Space

Museums
Hadar-Carmel‏

This is a great museum for curious kids and adults alike. Giant exhibitions invite visitors to a hands-on experience surrounding history's greatest scientists and inventors. 3D films in the ‘Cinematrix’ are enhanced by moving seats, wind, water, and bubbles.

Museums
Art and design
Hadar-Carmel‏

The Clandestine Immigration and Navy Museum is a naval museum covering maritime history of Israel. It covers history from clandestine immigration during the British Mandate for Palestine, through to the history of the navy from its creation to the present. The story is told with documents, models, artifacts, and audio-visual presentations. You can also find many hands-on exhibits, including two retired ships and a submarine on display for exploring. For those interested, a database of war and medal decoration recipients is available by request at the guard’s booth.

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7. Hecht Museum

Museums
Mount Carmel

Located in Haifa University's main building, the museum displays archaeological findings from the early history of the Land of Israel. Two principal collections showcase coins, seals, jewelry and oil lamps from the Bible period. The permanent exhibition emphasizes the Phoenician contribution to architecture and port construction.

Museums
Wadi Salib

The museum showcases the work of one of the last century’s foremost printmakers, Hermann Struck, while trying to recreate the spirit and atmosphere of where he worked and lived. The space itself fuses European and Oriental elements like painted floors and arched windows and features furniture painted by the artist.

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9. Mané-Katz Museum

Museums
Hadar-Carmel‏

Located in the home of Mané Katz, one of the most important artists of the Paris School in the early 20th century, the museum offers a grand view of the Haifa Bay. Its collection consists of hundreds of Katz’s oil paintings, gouache, pastels, sketches, and sculptures.

See more museums in Israel

Haifa’s 9 most historically rich museums

The best museums in Haifa

1. Haifa City Museum

2. Haifa Museum of Art

3. Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

4. National Maritime Museum

5. Madatech, Israel’s National Museum of Science, Technology & Space

6. Clandestine Immigration and Navy Museum

7. Hecht Museum

8. Hermann Struck Museum

9. Mané-Katz Museum