Tel Aviv Museum of Art, located on Shaul HaMelech Boulevard, is one of the leading art museums in Israel. The museum houses a significant collection of modern and contemporary art, Israeli art, photography, architecture, and design, with works by Picasso, Monet, Chagall, Klimt, Rothko, and Pollock alongside leading Israeli artists.
History
The museum was originally located at 16 Rothschild Boulevard, in the former home of Tel Aviv’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff. It was in that building’s main hall that David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. The museum later moved to its current location on Shaul HaMelech Boulevard, and the building on Rothschild became Independence Hall (Beit HaAtzmaut), a separate historic site now closed for extensive renovation.
Amir Building
In 2011, the museum opened the Herta and Paul Amir Building, designed by the American architect Preston Scott Cohen. The building’s dramatic geometric form, with sharp angles and an atrium flooded with natural light, won international architectural awards and became a landmark in its own right.
Hostages Square
Since October 7, 2023, the plaza in front of the museum has been transformed into Hostages Square (Kikar HaHatufim), a public gathering place for families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters. Every evening, thousands of Israelis gathered in the square to demand the return of the hostages, with displays of photos, empty chairs, and a large clock counting the days of captivity. The square became one of the most powerful symbols of Israeli solidarity during the war, and its location in front of the museum gave the crisis a permanent, visible presence in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Tel Aviv Museum of Art is on Shaul HaMelech Boulevard, a short walk from the Sarona complex. Hoshen Tours includes it for visitors interested in Israeli and international art.