Calling itself the first-night museum in the world, the Elsewhere night museum in Haifa is more like an interactive show but without a clear narrative.
The term “museum” is a misnomer. It’s a multi-floor array of thematically diverse exhibits, food, drinks and dance floors.
The Elsewhere night museum offers a three-and-a-half-hour adventure of entertainment on four different floors. The fact that there’s a lot to see and explore ensures that, if you take full advantage of everything, you can spend the whole time without a stale moment.
What are the exhibits like?
The exhibits are like sets, and although it may not be obvious what purpose each one serves, the sheer variety in themes does create a perpetual sense of curiosity about what may come next. They are beautifully designed and full of color. Even the dancefloor areas have interesting artistic features. Characters such as a carnie twirling light-up batons, a woman in a full-body suit made of mirrors, a hula-hoop performer and girls in ethereal white dresses all cohabit in the space. It adds to a strange hodge-podge of visual and auditory experiences.
Unlike how many clubs have very few spots you can easily slip away to in order to briefly escape the loud music and catch a breath, there is a terrace with an open ceiling right next to the dance floor that has plenty of seating.
The staff is friendly and the actors are committed to their performance. Their presence helps to act as a social lubricant to help you enjoy the things that the museum has to offer.
The exhibits themselves also make for excellent backdrops for photos. Not only does each one have the feeling of being its own little world but whether it’s the room full of Kraken tentacles, the room with Dr. Seuss’s truffula trees, or the underwater tropical forest, you’ll get some great pictures to post on your social media.
It’s important to understand what you’re going into. While the performers, food and exhibits are interesting, they are unlikely to blow you away. Rather, it seems they are intended to complement what Elsewhere is really about: The drinks and the dancing.
The shifts at the nighttime museum are from 7:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. and from 10:00 p.m.-2:30 a.m. which lean more into the party aspect, with alcohol and music.
The food that is offered is nice and there’s plenty available to drink, the problem is accessing it. Elsewhere has yet to figure out how to handle the volume of people all clamoring for a drink. It is often much easier to get the attention of a bartender in a packed Tel Aviv club on a weekend night.
Additionally, they do run out of food rather quickly. Again, it seemed as though they hadn’t quite gotten a handle on dealing with large crowds. There were strange delays even with little things, such as a popcorn stand that, very quickly, was unable to keep up with the demand.
Like any club or bar, it is much better to go with a group of friends. Go to drink and dance. Taking advantage of those opportunities will enhance everything else that’s there.
If you choose to forgo those things, you may find that you run out of exhibits to see long before your allotted time in the museum is over.
The museum and its exhibits are made possible through collaboration with REALITY Investment Funds.
The writer was a guest of the establishment.