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)

For a list of holiday closures please scroll to the bottom of this page.

Please note: 

The Yiddish Book Center will be closed to visitors July 30, 2023 through October 14, 2023 to allow for the installation of the Yiddish Book Center’s new core exhibition  Yiddish: A Global Culture. This ambitious core exhibition opens Sunday, October 15, 2023. 

To learn more about Yiddish: A Global Culture and to receive updates, related content, and event information please sign up to receive our e-news. 

We look forward to welcoming you, your family, and friends to the Center in October when we open Yiddish: A Global Culture. If you have questions, please contact Visitor Services at [email protected] or via phone at 413-256-4900.

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.  

*Please note: There will be no public tours on Sunday, July 23 or Tuesday, July 25. We will resume public tours following our reopening.

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.  

Visitor Guidelines / COVID Safety 

Masking is optional for staff and visitors. Anyone is welcome to wear a mask while at the Center. Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the building. If you or someone in your party is experiencing COVID-19 or other flu-like symptoms, please join us when you are feeling better.

Service dogs are welcome at the Yiddish Book Center. The Center follows the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requirements for service dogs. The dog must be trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability. Service dogs must be under the control of the handler at all times and be house-trained. If a service dog shows disruptive behavior, the handler will be asked to remove the dog from the Center. Visitors are not allowed to bring pets or emotional support animals into the Yiddish Book Center.

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.