Ben Gurion Boulevard, Tel Aviv

Plan Your Visit

• Location: Ben Gurion Boulevard, Tel Aviv.
• Open Times: 24/7. Ben Gurion House Sun, Tues, Wed 09:00-16:00, Mon 09:00-19:00, Fri 09:00-13:00, Sat 11:00-15:00. Gordon Pool: Sun 13:30-21:00, Mon -Thurs 06:00-21:00, Fri 06:00-19:00, Sat 07:00-18:00.
• Prices: Free.
• Average Visit Duration: 1 hour.
• Tours: Ben Gurion Blvd. (and the rest of Tel Aviv) is packed with hidden gems that can only be discovered on a personalized private tour.

Ben Gurion Boulevard or Sderot Ben Gurion in Hebrew, is a beautiful tree-lined boulevard in Tel Aviv that is far enough from the tourist center to make it a hidden gem, yet close enough to reach on a short walk through the city. It connects two sites worth visiting - Rabin Square and the beachfront. The boulevard was named after Israel’s first prime minister and is also the site of his former home. 

Where is Ben Gurion Boulevard?

Ben Gurion Blvd. runs west from between City Garden shopping mall and Rabin Square on Ebn Girol Street to HaYarkon Street on the beachfront. It brings you to Kikar Atarim, a plaza overlooking the marina and the Gordon Pool. Ben Gurion Blvd. runs parallel to Gordon Street and Arlozorov Street and intersects several streets including Ben Yehuda Street and Dizengoff Street.

What to See on a Walk Down Ben Gurion Blvd.

Most of the houses along Ben Gurion Blvd. were built in the 1930s to house Jews fleeing war-torn Europe. They were designed in the Bauhaus or International style. This functional architectural style with clean lines, and rounded balconies, earned Tel Aviv UNESCO status as the White City for its high concentration of Bauhaus buildings. 

A walk down Ben Gurion Blvd. will give you a great overview of Bauhaus as well as other classic architectural styles. The shady boulevard is surprisingly green with an eclectic mix of ficus, olive, sycamore, and tamarisk trees as well as a few palm trees.

Pro Tip: Israel’s most prominent street artist, Rami Meir has painted graffiti art at two places on Ben Gurion - on the corner of Ben Yehuda Street and Ben Gurion Street on the wall of Kiyosk Eli, a kiosk in the middle of the street, and at the junction with Dizengoff Street. 

Square of the Righteous Among the Nations 

As you leave Rabin Square and start walking west on Ben Gurion Street, you’ll see a park on your right. This memorial park is dedicated to gentiles who risked their own lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. 

Pro Tip: The park was home to Tel Aviv’s first zoo but was eventually moved because the residents complained about the noise and the smell. Today the best zoo in Israel is the Safari Park in Ramat Gan.

Beit Hannah

Just before the intersection with Reiness Street at #75 Ben Gurion is a one-story house named in honor of Hannah Chisik who lived here in the 1920s. In 1926, she established training farms for young women to help them become self-sufficient. The farm produce was then sold from a store in this house. The building itself was designed in 1935 by Jacob Pinkerfeld in the Bauhaus style. Today Beit Hanna (which has another branch in Florentin) offers a space for women to come together and enjoy sport, spirit, and personal growth in classes and activities.

Ben Gurion House

Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion lived in a modest house at the western end of the boulevard for about 40 years. #17 Ben Gurion Blvd. was perfectly located for Ben Gurion to walk down to the beach where he would stand on his head for a few minutes as part of his exercise routine. The house has been restored and furnished as it would have been when Ben Gurion and his wife Paula lived here and is now a house museum open to the public. 

Kiosks

As in the past, several kiosks line the boulevard selling food and drinks. The boulevard also has several cafes, many with outdoor seating.

Pro Tip: Along Ben Gurion Street there are Tel-O-Fun bike stations where you can rent a bike, explore the city’s many bike paths, and return the bike to any other bike station throughout Tel Aviv.

Gordon Pool

Created in 1956, this iconic Tel Aviv pool is filled with salt water from underground springs. It is a large complex with a gym and exercise studio. 

Pro Tip: Enjoy a meal at Stolero in the Gordon Pool lobby overlooking the Tel Aviv Marina.