Plan Your Visit

Sholem-aleykhem! Welcome to the Yiddish Book Center!

We look forward to welcoming you to our museum and Visitors Center. Below you will find all the information you need to plan your visit, including directions and hours. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 413-256-4900.

During your visit, be sure to:

  • Explore Yiddish: A Global Culture, our groundbreaking exhibition that places Yiddish at the heart of intellectual and creative life in Europe and the Americas.
  • View other exhibits featuring Jewish artists and themes.
  • Stroll through our Yiddish Writers Garden and picnic in the apple orchard.
  • Browse our bookstore for one-of-a-kind gifts, books in Yiddish and English, toys, and more!

Click on the sections linked below to plan your visit:

Directions
Hours and Tours
Suggested Donation
Visitor Guidelines / COVID Safety
Two people in the background interacting with part of the museum's exhibit while in the foreground there are two displays, each discussing different aspects of Yiddish publication.

Visitors exploring the “Women’s Voices” section in Yiddish: A Global Culture. 

1 of 12
Two signs hung in front of a shelf of old typewriters illuminated by bright lights inside the case.

Colorful banners of Yiddish book covers from around the world hang in the exhibition space.

2 of 12
Two friends enjoying an exhibit's brochure.

I. L. Peretz’s Salon, recreated in Yiddish: A Global Culture. 

3 of 12
Two people enjoying listening to Klezmer, the activity being part of an interactive exhibit.

Enjoy listening to Yiddish music playlists while exploring the exhibition. 

4 of 12
Onlookers looking at mural depicting history of Yiddish culture

The Yiddishland mural, designed by illustrator Martin Haake, and Bridge of Books. 

5 of 12
Large sign stating" Yiddish Theater" as there is an image of an old three-story tall Yiddish theater packed with people.

Entrance to the “Yiddish Theater” section, one of seventeen featured sections in Yiddish: A Global Culture. 

6 of 12
Visitors interacting with the exhibit

Visitors engaging with the exhibition. 

7 of 12
An exhibit with a circular table that has visual elements to look at, additionally there are three tablets with headphones in the room.

The Discovery Gallery features stories from our Wexler Oral History Project.

8 of 12
A book shop with a colorful array of books encompassing a desk with smaller gift items. Hanging to the left is a red and white shirt.

Our onsite museum store features a curated collection of English translations of Yiddish writers, Jewish literature, Yiddish-related gifts, and more. 

9 of 12
The Yiddish Book Center building, made of light brown wood and a darker brown tiled roof, underneath a beautiful sunny sky filled with puffy clouds.

Our building, designed to recall a shtetl, a traditional Jewish town or village in Eastern Europe.

10 of 12
The Yiddish Book Center sign in front of a lush green lawn, trees, mountain, and people enjoying lunch on benches.

Sholem-aleykhem! Welcome to the Yiddish Book Center!

11 of 12
Garden path carving through bushes that carry signs with names of donators written on them

The Writers Garden.

12 of 12

Directions

We are located at:
1021 West Street
Amherst, MA

To get here, turn into the Hampshire College campus and follow the signs to the Yiddish Book Center. We are next to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. View on Google Maps.

We located 15 minutes from Northampton, one hour from the Berkshires, two hours from Boston, and three hours from New York City. Western Massachusetts boasts arts and culture, scenic beauty, outdoor recreation like biking and hiking, and a vibrant food and craft beverage scene. Visit Hampshire County for more information including lodging.

Hours and Tours

Open Sunday–Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed Shabes (Saturday)
View additional holiday closures.

Join us for guided tours of Yiddish: A Global Culture. Guided Sunday and Tuesday tours are free and open to the public, no reservation is required. Tours begin at the docent desk in our main lobby and last about 45 minutes.

Tour Schedule:
Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m., 1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m.
Tuesday: 1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m.

Please note: There will be no public tours on Sunday, October 6.

Interested in arranging a group or private tour? Email [email protected] or call 413-256-4900 for more information.

Suggested Donation

Adults: $8
Seniors: $6
Free for Yiddish Book Center members, students, and children

Visitor Guidelines / COVID Safety 

The Yiddish Book Center follows the CDC guidelines for all respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Masking is optional. Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the building.

If you or anyone in your party is experiencing COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms, please visit us another time.

Service dogs are welcome if they are trained to assist a person with a disability. 

Pets and emotional support animals are not permitted.

Holiday Closures

The Center is closed on Shabes and the following holidays (2024 calendar):
• New Year’s Day—January 1
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day—January 15
• Pesach—close at noon April 22
• Pesach—April 23 & 24, April 29 & 30
• Memorial Day—May 27
• Shavuot—June 12 & 13
• Independence Day—July 4
• Labor Day—September 2
• Rosh Hashanah—close at noon October 2, October 3 & 4
• Yom Kippur—close at noon October 11, October 12
• Sukkot—October 17 & 18
• Shemini Atzeret—October 24
• Simchat Torah—October 25
• Thanksgiving—close at noon November 27, November 28 & 29
• Christmas Eve—close at noon December 24
• Christmas Day—December 25

We look forward to your visit!