Museum of the History of Tel Aviv – Yafo

The Museum of the History of Tel Aviv-Yafo opened in 2009  in what was the old Tel Aviv Municipality building in Bialik Square, one of the most iconic public spaces in Tel Aviv. Chronicling the development of Tel Aviv from a suburb of Jaffa (Yafo), the main entrance point into the land, just one hundred years ago, to a bustling world-class metropolis and center of culture, commerce, and coolness, the museum uses visual and multimedia displays to show life in the city through the decades.

Museum of the History of Tel Aviv-Yafo by flickr user Alex Jilitsky

Being the old Municipality Building, the Museum of the History of Tel Aviv includes the old mayors office, originally of Meir Dizengoff, Tel Aviv’s first mayor, which  has been restored to its former glory, offering a breathtaking view across Bialik Square and down Bialik Street. This street has some of the best examples of the Bauhaus and Modernist buildings which make Tel Aviv the White City. These are one by one being painstakingly restored. The architecture itself, makes this museum interesting.

Nearby, also on Bialik Street are the Bauhaus Museum and Reuben Reuven (artist) museums as well as the Bialik Museum (dedicated to the former national poet of Israel) so combine a visit to a couple of these and you can easily spend half a day in the area.