Plan Your Visit: Hours and Directions

Visitors are always welcome at our architecturally distinctive museum and Visitors Center, designed to recall a shtetl— a small Jewish town or village in 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 and Admission

The Yiddish Book Center is open Sunday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Closed Shabbos (Saturday)

Visitor Guidelines / COVID Safety 

To ensure the health and safety of all our visitors and staff, we have COVID protocols in place.  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.  

TOURS 

We offer guided public tours of the Center’s exhibits. Availability is on a first come, first served, basis and the maximum number of participants is 25 people. Tours leave from the docent desk (located in our main lobby) and last approximately 45 minutes. Below is the tour schedule:

Sunday 
11 a.m.–11:45 a.m. 
1 p.m.–1:45 p.m. 

Tuesday 
2 p.m.–2:45 p.m.  

Interested in scheduling a group or private tour? Email [email protected] or call 413-256-4900 to learn more. 

Holiday Closings 2023:

In addition to Shabbos, the Center is closed on the following holidays:

 

New Year's Day -January 1 

New Year's Day Observed - January 2

Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 16 

Pesach - close at noon April 5 

Pesach - April 6 & 7

Pesach - April 12 & 13

Shavuot - May 26 & May 27

Memorial Day - May 29 

Independence Day - July 4 

Labor Day - September 4

Rosh Hashanah - September 16 & 17

Yom Kippur - close at noon September 24

Yom Kippur - September 25

Sukkot - September 30 & October 1 

Shemini Atzeret - October 7

Simchat Torah - October 8

Thanksgiving - close at noon November 22

Thanksgiving - November 23 & 24

Christmas Eve - close at Noon December 24

Christmas Day - December 25 

 

Suggested donation:

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

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.