United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Washington, DC

Address:100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW
Washington, District of Columbia
Tel: (202) 488-0400

Deep thoughts and meaningful introspection will be with you as you enter the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The building itself, designed by architect James Ingo Freed, is rich in historical metaphors to the Holocaust. Four floors of the Museum are dedicated to education and remembrance and serve as a remarkable memorial to the victims. The Museum's permanent exhibit covers three floors and presents over 900 artifacts, 70 video monitors, and four theatres showing historic footage and eyewitness testimonies. The exhibit is divided into three sections: "Nazi Assault", "Final Solution" and "Last Chapter" and begins with images of Nazi concentration camps when they were liberated by the Americans in 1945. Expect up to three hours for this exhibit alone.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents an exhibition for young visitors entitled "Remember the Children: Daniel's Story", designed to educate children on the Holocaust. On the lower floor, the Children's Tile Wall, or Wall of Remembrance memorializes the children who perished in the Holocaust and features over 3,000 tiles drawn by children. Many of these drawings call for peace, hope, remembrance, and freedom.

The Hall of Remembrance is the national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The hall is a hexagonal structure overlooking Eisenhower plaza. With epitaphs set onto limestone walls encircling an eternal flame, the Hall of Remembrance is a place for individual reflection. Visitors can light memorial candles on the niches of the outer walls of the Hall.

The Museum Café offers soups, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and some kosher options are available. Public transportation is strongly advised as parking is limited. Visitors should take the orange/blue lines and stop at the Smithsonian. Follow the subway directions to the Museum at Independence Ave. and 14th St.

On entry, all visitors must pass through metal detectors and have their belongings scanned. A limited number of visitors are allowed into the Museum at one time, Free timed passes are necessary for visiting the Permanent Exhibition and can be obtained at the Museum on the day of your visit or in advance. Each day, the Museum distributes on a first–come first–served basis a limited number of timed entry passes, so arrive early or make a reservation in advance. Children under 11 are advised against seeing the main exhibit.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America's national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country's memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust.