Plan Your Visit: Hours and Directions

We are once again welcoming visitors at our architecturally distinctive museum and Visitors Center, designed to recall a shtetl—the iconic Jewish town of Eastern Europe—and set on a ten-acre apple orchard at the edge of the campus of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. We’re a two-hour drive from Boston, three hours from New York, and one hour from the Berkshires. 

The world's first Yiddish museum, the Yiddish Book Center is home to permanent and visiting exhibits on Yiddish and Jewish culture. We also offer a full schedule of virtual and some live public programs.

Hours

The Center is currently open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   

Closed Shabbos (Saturday) and Jewish and legal holidays.

Visitor Guidelines

To ensure the health and safety of all our visitors and staff, we have COVID protocols in place. Visitors must follow the most current Massachusetts travel guidelines. All visitors will be required to wear facemasks while in the Center and to adhere to social distancing requirements to protect the safety of themselves and others.  

As of November 8, all visitors over the age of 12 will also be required to show their vaccination card (issued either by the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization) or other proof of vaccination in order to gain entry. All individuals will be asked to present proof of vaccination indicating that they have had at least one dose of any of the US-approved vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson), administered at least two weeks prior to arrival.  

Suggested donation: $8 for adults; $6 for seniors. Free for members, students, and children.  

Holiday Closings 2021-2022

Thanksgiving close at noon on November 24, and closed all day November 25 & 26

Close at noon December 23

Christmas Day observed - December 24

New Year's Day observed - December 31

New Year's Day - January 1

Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 17

Pesach - April 16 &17

Pesach - April 22 & 23

Memorial Day - May 30

Shevous - June 5 & 6

Independence Day - July 4

Labor Day - September 5

Rosh Hashanah - September 26 & 27

Yom Kippur - close at noon October 4

Yom Kippur - October 5

Sukkos - October 10 & 11

Shemini Atzereth - October 17Simchas Torah - October 18

Directions

GPS: Set destination as “Hampshire College, Amherst, MA.” Once you arrive on campus, follow signs to the Yiddish Book Center.

Click here for directions and a map of the area. 

Accommodations

We're located in Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley, home to renowned museums and colleges, a lively restaurant scene, eclectic shops, and a wide range of hotels and inns. 

To learn more about places to stay, eat, shop, and explore, go to Visit Hampshire County.