Visit the National Library!

You can select from a number of different tours on offer at the National Library

Discover our permanent and rotating exhibitions

Come enjoy musical and cultural events, festivals, gallery talks and more at the National Library

Join us for a fascinating 90-minute guided tour of the Library’s new and breathtaking building. 

Discover its unique architecture and learn about its fascinating history. Get a glimpse into the impressive Reading Halls through expansive panoramic windows, observe the cutting-edge Automated Stacks in action, and encounter inspiring works of art throughout the building’s spaces. 

At the heart of your visit lies the permanent exhibition, “A Treasury of Words” — an immersive journey through time and texts. Come face-to-face with centuries-old manuscripts, including a handwritten commentary by Maimonides, a Bible from the Middle Ages and a richly illustrated Haggadah, in addition to Muslim and Christian sacred texts.  

Draw inspiration from the handwriting of Nobel laureate S.Y. Agnon, the beloved Israeli songwriter Naomi Shemer, and other influential thinkers, writers, and cultural leaders. Gain a deeper understanding of the power of words and their influence on our history and culture. 

This exhibition will leave you with a sense of awe, discovery and inspiration that will stay with you long after you have left the Library. 

The tour also includes access to two new rotating exhibitions - "Flowers: Leafing Through the Collections of the National Library" and "Hadassa Goldvicht: To the Internal Libraries."

Independent entry to the exhibitions includes:

• Individual access to "A Treasury of Words" - a journey through space and time with our permanent exhibition
• Individual access to the National Library's special interactive video display
• Individual access to two new rotating exhibitions - "Flowers: Leafing Through the Collections of the National Library" and "Hadassa Goldvicht: To the Internal Libraries."

Please note that entry to the National Library itself is free of charge. Purchasing a ticket for independent entry grants access to the above exhibitions.

Visits to the exhitibitions are suitable for children, adults, and everyone in between, particularly from reading age (7) and up.

Visitors are welcome - and encouraged - to bring their own headphones for use during their independent visit.

You can now enhance your experience with a special activity kit for children!

This kit is designed for children aged 5 to 11, providing an opportunity to explore the wonders of the Library while enjoying quality family time together.

Each child receives "A Library Experience" activity kit, which will guide them on a journey of discovery through the Library's exhibitions. The kit is available in English, as well as Hebrew and Arabic. The tour includes fun puzzles, storytelling, and a chance to explore the Library's state-of-the-art design.  

To purchase a kit, simply approach the service desk on level 0 after purchasing your tickets for independent entry to the exhibitions.

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

“The value of Jerusalem cannot be measured, weighed, or quantified. For if the land has a soul, then Jerusalem is the soul of the Land of Israel,” declared David Ben-Gurion, capturing the essence of the city at the heart of Jewish history.

Imagine the pilgrims, merchants, scholars and adventurers who crossed continents and seas, enduring countless hardships to reach Jerusalem. Some encountered the city as it had been described in stories, maps, and paintings, while others saw an imagined, utopian Jerusalem, the place they had always longed for and dreamed of - their hope for redemption.  

At the National Library, located in the heart of Jerusalem, countless items tell the stories of these pilgrims and highlight the central role and sanctity of the Land of Israel and Jerusalem in their eyes. Personal diaries, ancient maps, manuscripts, and illustrations of the Holy City offer a window into their cultural and spiritual worlds. Discover the treasures that accompanied their journeys and explore the unique connection between the Library and Jerusalem.

9:00 - 9:30    Gathering and Registration 
9:30 - 10:45    Pilgrims in the Map Collection at the National Library – Ayelet Rubin, Cataloger, researcher, and reference librarian, specializing in maps and special collections
10:45- 11:00    Break
11:00 - 12:00    Pilgrims in Works From the Islam Collection at the National Library - Dr. Sam Thrope, Curator of the Islam and Middle East Collection at the National Library 
12:00 - 12:30    Break 
12:30 - 14:00    The Unique Role of the National Library in Jerusalem - David Ivgi, Researcher, Curator, and Art Lecturer
14:00- 14:15    Break
14:15 - 15:30    Journeys of European Rulers to the Holy Land - Dr. Stefan Litt, Curator of the Humanities Collection at the National Library

***