Not many know this, but Israel's vacation capital is also a developing venue for culture and the arts. In recent years, several new projects have sprung up to advance culture in the resort town, so that now people who care about culture and the human heritage can enjoy a range of tours focused on the history, arts, and culture Eilat offers. The interesting cultural attractions in the city can add another dimension to your stay in Eilat and you may want to consider them for your next visit to Israel's Red Sea resort.
We recommend the following venues for aficionados of culture, the arts, and history:
Eilat City Museum – If there is one museum visitors must tour, it is the Eilat City Museum, which chronicles the city's growth since 1939. A tour of the museum connects visitors to the city's roots by telling the fascinating stories of the water, electricity, and salt industrial plants, the port, the Underwater Observatory, and the development of Eilat's tourist and hotel industry, as well as imparting information about the desert environment located right at the city gate.
The Eilat Artists Gallery – across the way from the Eilat City Museum, is the showcase for more than 80 artists who live in or near Eilat and produce brilliant works of art in sculpture, painting, photography, and other objects d'art. The gallery is a window to their world and makes their work available for purchase.
The Philip Murray House is Eilat's cultural center that serves as host for performances of every kind (plays, concerts, standup shows, and more). Located in the city center near the Eilat City Library, it has operated since 1957 and exhibits work by local artists. On the ground floor, you'll find an exhibition featuring the work of Nevo Afek, the internationally renowned Eilat-based artist. The young artist, who has high-functioning autism as well as a visual impairment, is considered an artist of international caliber whose works have been shown at important exhibitions all over the world. Nevo's works are exhibited on the ground floor, and the artist is usually there and happy to provide tours to visitors, tell his own story, and show them his works.
The home museum of Amir Elkayam is a gallery and workshop space that the local and well-established artist has been running for over 40 years. Elkayam is also in charge of many arts and culture events in the city, and he leads visitors on art tours through the city while explaining the many works of street art and sculpture studding Eilat.
The Stone Center is a digital museum and precious stone center where it's possible to see stones from all over the world and learn about minerals, crystals, fossils, and more. During the tour, visitors learn about mining stones, the manufacturing of diamonds, and – for the grand finale – the special Eilat stone. In addition, the center's showroom displays gold, silver, and diamond jewelry, Dead Sea products, and other souvenir that are all for sale.
Focus is an exclusive art gallery located in the Herods Hotel lobby. Visitors can admire the objets d'art and pieces of jewelry by some of Israel's leading artists, such from Menashe Kadishman, Nir Hod, and Igael Tumarkin, to young artists at the beginning of their careers.
Museum of Erotica – The establishment of the Museum of Erotica, the only sex museum in Israel, was inspired by the famed sex museum in Amsterdam. Visitors can enjoy many artistic displays, including ancient sculptures depicting human sexual organs, famous photographs, pornographic movies from the 1920s, the human anatomy, and more. The museum is located in the city center on Hatemarim St.
