Nearly 60 museums, tourist attractions, and heritage sites across Israel will open their doors free of charge to the general public during the intermediate days of Passover, as part of Bank Hapoalim’s 20th annual initiative for the holiday.
The initiative aims to make culture, history, and nature more accessible to families during the holiday, while supporting tourism institutions and small businesses across the country. This year, special emphasis is being placed on northern and southern Israel – regions heavily impacted during Israel’s multi-front wars.
As part of the initiative, several major northern sites that were closed during the war and have recently resumed activity will be included in the program. Among them are Mount Hermon, Hula Lake Park, the new Katzrin Park, Nahariya Zoological Garden, the Tower and Stockade Museum in Hanita, the Druze Heritage House in Julis, the aqueduct in Regba, and the Dubrovin Farm in Yesud Hama’ala.
These join longstanding participants such as the Museum of Art in Ein Harod, the Haifa Museums – including the Haifa Museum of Art, National Maritime Museum, and Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art – the Golan Antiquities Museum, the Yigal Allon Center, the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum, and the Treasures in the Wall Museum.
In the South, seven small tourism businesses in the Shikma-Besor region will also offer free activities and entry. Some of those include the Palm Farm, Ron Art Judaica’s glassblowing workshops in Ma’agalim, the Hut Museum in Kibbutz Hatzerim, the Tzon Barzel Heritage Museum in Kibbutz Tze’elim, and the popular “Salad Trail” in Moshav Talmei Yosef.
National treasures available to all
Prominent national institutions participating again this year include the Israel Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, the Lunada Children’s Museum, the Yaacov Agam Museum in Rishon Lezion, the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, the Ramat Gan Museum, the Janco Dada Museum, and more.
Other well-known sites include the Israeli Museum at the Rabin Center, Ben-Gurion’s Hut in Sde Boker, Timna Park, the Jerusalem Old City Ramparts Walk, the Planetanya Science and Space Center, and the Bible Lands Museum.
The sites will be open free of charge on all weekdays of the holiday, in accordance with the Home Front Command guidelines, between the dates April 14-18. Monday-Thursday, April 14-17, are full days of activity; Friday, April 18, is a half-day of activity.
For details, the full list of sites, and registration (which will open on April 9): poalimatarim.com.