Mini Israel is a manmade park with miniature models of significant biblical and modern sites in the land of Israel. It is the perfect place to visit if you are traveling to Israel with children, elderly people, or handicapped people. It is engaging to children and the walkway throughout the park is smooth and wheelchair accessible. Also, if you are coming to Israel for a short time and don’t have time to see everything you’d like to, Mini Israel is the place where you can “see it all—small.” The park highlights sites that are of historical, archeological, cultural, and religious importance to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
History
Mini Israel opened in 2002. Eiran Gazit had the original idea to create the park, and he did so with the help of about 100 other team members from all around Israel. Mini Israel was made possible by two large companies who invested in the project, and through the Israel Tourism Office’s contribution. When the park initially opened, it had 350,000 visitors in the first nine months! Today, 95% of the park visitors are Israeli locals.
The Models
Mini Israel is not shaped like the state of Israel; rather, from a bird’s eye view, the park looks roughly like a star of David. Each section of the star represents a different area or city in Israel.
The miniature models throughout the park consist of 350 buildings/landmarks, 30,000 people, 4,700 cars, 100 motorcycles, 14 trains, 32 aircraft, 175 ships, and 230 trucks. In addition, there are roughly 17,000 live bonsai trees throughout the park!
The models are made and painted with materials that can withstand rain and other weather. The majority were constructed on a 1:25 scale, with a handful of exceptions.
What to See?
If you are in Israel on a biblical tour, you don’t want to miss the modern Israeli models at Mini Israel. They include the Knesset building, the city skyscrapers, the football stadium, Mt. Hermon ski resort, Nahalal, the Tank Museum, and the Hebrew University.
If you are in Israel for pleasure, don’t miss the biblical sites represented at Mini Israel; examples include Capernaum, Church of the Beatitudes, the Temple Mount, the Church of all Nations, and Masada.
If you have been in Israel before and have toured numerous locations, a fun sight-seeing activity is to find all the miniature models of places you have been. This activity provides a sense of accomplishment and inspires you to see more.
Originally posted at Sar-El Tours.