Ayalon Institute Museum, Central District, Israel
5.0 (478 reviews) Spent Ranking #1 in Rehovot Speciality Museums
Unexpected gem
Ayalon Institute's fascinating story is about a top secret operation which occurred between the end of the Second World War and Israel's independence (1945-1948). On Kibbutzim Hill, north of the city of Rehovot, under the vigilant eyes of the British who ruled the area, a clandestine bullet factory was built underground. The plant was code named " The Ayalon Institute" by members of the Haganah. The building and operation of the "Institute" was a co-operative effort by members of "Hatzofim Aleph" (a pioneer group) and people from the local Jewish clandestine military, who moved to Kibbutzim Hill.. Two shafts leading to the underground plant were disguised under a laundry room and a bakery. After the establishment of the State of Israel, the bullet making machines were moved to a centralized factory. Members of Hatzofim Aleph left Kibbutzim Hill and founded Kibbutz Ma'agan Micha'el in 1949.
Address
Rehov David Pikes 1 Kibbutz Hill, Science Park, Rehovot 76320 Israel
Mobile
Website
http://shimur.org/sites/ayalon-institute-bullet-factory-rehovot/?lang=en
Current local date and time now
Monday, May 13, 2024, 16:31
User Ratings
5.0 based on (478 reviews)
Reviews
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5Joli G 5:00 PM Dec 31, 2019
Great tour for the young and old!
This was a well organized thoughtful experience. Our teen/tween boys learned about the war and the courageous efforts of the pioneering Israelis. The tour ran an hour total and our guide was terrific. We decided to keep our rental car for an extra day in Jerusalem and used it for transport to the museum and then to Tel Aviv. It was a good decision. The story of the bullet factory is compelling and will be one that we will long remember.
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4Dick F 5:00 PM Jul 15, 2022
Worth a visit as an interesting piece of Israel’s history
You need to call or email ahead to make a reservation for a tour. We managed to book an English tour after emailing a few times and finally getting a response. The history behind this kibbutz is extremely interesting and the Ayalon Institute has done a nice job of preserving this site that is an important part of Israel’s modern history. It looks like the Institute used part of the time during the pandemic to modernize some of the exhibit spaces, including a main building that is still under construction. We visited on a Friday afternoon right before Shabbat. The tour guide was very good, but tours are done in large groups and some of the other people distracted from the experience. Because they were closing immediately after the tour we didn’t get an opportunity to wander around the grounds which we would have like to do.
