Plan Your Visit: Hours and Directions
Visitors are Always Welcome at Our Shtetl
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
Through May 31, 2022 we are open as follows:
- Thursday 10AM-4PM
- Friday 10AM-4PM
- Sunday 10AM-4PM
- Monday 10AM-4PM
As of June 1, 2022 we will be open Sunday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m
Closed Shabbos (Saturday) and Jewish and legal holidays.
Visitor Guidelines / COVID Safety
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.
Visitors over the age of 12 will be required to show their vaccination card (issued either by the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization) with proof that they are fully vaccinated with any of the US-approved vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson), and that they have received a booster shot. Vaccines will be required for children who are eligible. Children under five will be permitted in the building unvaccinated.
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 15 after 12:00 PM & all day 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 17
Simchas 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.