The Weizmann Institute
January 2nd 2015
If you’re fascinated by science, you’ll want to schedule a visit to the world-famous Weizmann Institute of Science the next time you’re touring Israel. Hundreds of scientists, laboratory technicians and students are hard at work here, unlocking the puzzles of nature every day. The research university is Israel’s only public institution of higher learning to specialize in science and to offer only graduate and post-grad degrees. Smart stuff indeed. Groundbreaking technological and medical advances are commonly created from the research conducted at Weizmann.
Visitors are encouraged to start their tour at the Levinson Visitors’ Center on the Weizmann campus in Rechovot. Each year, 30,000 people check out the Visitors’ Center, exploring its interactive displays of current research being conducted at the Institute. The multimedia exhibitions here also allow you to hear the personal stories of scientists who have seen their basic research applied to exciting medical and technological applications. The Visitors’ Center sells official Weizmann Institute clothes and merchandise, and staff is here to explain how to best enjoy the features of the rest of the campus. Two additional highlights of any visit include the Clore Garden of Science and the Weizmann House.
The Clore Garden of Science covers nearly 9,000 square feet of lush, green lawns and, rivaling the best science museums around the world, contains close to 90 different hands-on exhibits. Each exhibit is designed to demonstrate basic properties of physics, solar energy, water power and other scientific ideas that operate in the everyday world.
As a visitor, you’ll actually interact with the exhibits – not just passively observe them. So the Garden of Science is fun for both adults and children, fulfilling Weizmann scientists’ belief that the best way to understand science is to experience it directly. Depending on when you visit, you might also have the opportunity to participate in a workshop offered by the Clore Garden of Science. Guided tours of the gardens are available, or you might choose to just roam around and explore the exhibits independently.
The Weizmann House, the home of the first President of the State of Israel, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, offers visitors an insider’s view of the founder of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Weizmann founded the iconic institution that went on to bear his name in 1934. A visit to the Weizmann House includes a film about Dr. Weizmann, a tour of the home and Presidential car (which was a gift from Henry Ford II) and the grave site of Dr. Chaim Weizmann and his wife, Dr. Vera Weizmann.
Consider pairing your visit to the Weizmann Institute with visits to the nearby Ayalon Institute and The Citrus Growing Museum.
