It took a team of over 100 Israelis to create "Mini Israel". Open for ten years now, the park has been very successful. In just the first nine months they had 350,000 visitors. Apparently, in the span of about three hours, the typical tourist can see the whole park. At some of the exhibits there is even some sound enhancements, so you witness miniaturized Jews praying at the Western Wall and Israeli soccer fans doing the "wave" at a stadium in Jerusalem.
While this may all sound rather hokey, the tourists and the locals seem to just love it. Visitors marvel at the detailed perfection on thousands of true to life models and figures. They say that no matter how many times you travel through through Mini Israel, there is always something you didn't notice before.
It's very interesting that for an attraction that is supposed to encompass all of Israel, the park is located in the Ayalon Valley, which is right in the middle of the country. It's in the same spot where many battles - Biblical and modern - were fought. The same valley where Joshua (Moses' successor) got the sun to stand still which led to victory over 5 armies. Where Judah Maccabee (the hero of Channukah) lured the Greeks into a trap. And, where intense fighting took place between Israelis and the Arabs during 1948 in the War of Independence. Obviously, this location has a lot of history.
When my family went to Legoland, many years ago, walking through the Miniland exhibits was my favorite part of visiting the park. I marvelled at each and every part - California, Florida, Las Vegas, New York, Washington D.C., and the Pirate's Shores. I loved the fine attention to detail and had to admire the patience it must have took to create each section.
So, while "Mini Israel" may sound kind of goofy, I think it would be fun to go see. So it's now - on the list.
