Jerusalem Opens Secret Sites for Free Public Tours
Translated & summarized from Makor Rishon by baba
Jerusalem's "Houses from Within" festival will offer free public access to over 20 secret and normally inaccessible sites across the city on October 15-17 and October 22-24, 2026. Highlights include the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue, the historic YMCA pool, underground archaeological sites near Jaffa Gate, and private homes. Some tours require advance registration due to limited space.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Jerusalem's "Houses from Within" festival offers free access to secret sites on Oct. 15-17 and 22-24, 2026.
- The event includes private homes, historical buildings, underground sites, and the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue.
- Visitors can explore the historic YMCA pool before its conversion to a hydrotherapy facility.
- Underground tours will showcase archaeological projects near Jaffa Gate and the Tower of David.
- The Armenian Quarter and private residences, including the Bergman House, are also featured.
- Some tours require advance registration due to limited capacity.
The "Houses from Within - Jerusalem" festival returns for its 20th year, offering the public free access to private homes, historical structures, construction sites, underground spaces, and normally inaccessible locations across the city. The event will take place over two weekends, October 15-17 and October 22-24, 2026. While most events are free, some guided tours require advance registration due to limited capacity.
This year's festival highlights include a rare glimpse into the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue in the Old City's Jewish Quarter, just before its reconstructed interior is fully revealed. Visitors can explore the 19th-century structure, which was destroyed after Israel's War of Independence and has undergone recent restoration, with tours focusing on its wall paintings and intricate reconstruction work. Another unique opportunity is access to the historic YMCA pool, built in 1932 and currently not in public use. Before its conversion into a hydrotherapy pool, attendees can view its original bronze elements, mosaic floors, and natural lighting, and learn about preservation plans.
Underground Jerusalem will also be showcased. Near Jaffa Gate, the future archaeological garden project will be presented, featuring an ancient aqueduct, a bathhouse, Byzantine commercial streets, and a segment of an Ayyubid-era wall. This area is slated to become an archaeological park connecting the city center to the Tower of David via an underground passage. The Tower of David itself will host a tour of the Kishle excavations, revealing layers of Jerusalem's history and plans for a new archaeology and art wing.
The Armenian Quarter will also open its doors, with tours covering the Armenian cemetery, the seminary, the Armenian Genocide memorial, and the closed courtyards, including a visit to the cathedral. Private homes remain a popular category, with the Bergman House at the Israel Museum, formerly home to art collector Charlotte Bergman, opening its doors to display works by artists like Chagall and Picasso. A Templar house built in 1877 in the German Colony, preserved with its original stone facade, will also be accessible, alongside another 150-year-old home in the colony showcasing restored original features.
The festival also looks to the future, with tours of the new Hebrew University student dormitories in Givat Ram, a large complex featuring student housing and green spaces, and the adjacent Hebrew University's new high-tech and academic campus. Other sites include the renovated Israel Museum's art garden, the Knesset Museum, the Japanese Cultural Center, the old National Library building, the historical Alamot Farm, and the Jerusalem memorial for the "Swords of Iron War" fallen soldiers. A special tour, led by architect Moshe Shapira, will commemorate his son Anar Shapira, tracing locations in the city center that Anar loved.