A photo of a liberated concentration camp at the U.S. Holocaust Museum.
You will be forever changed by visiting the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Since the museum's dedication in 1993, its many exhibits have attracted more than 30 million visitors and provided powerful lessons about freedom, human dignity, unchecked hatred, war and genocide.
Instructions
5. Visit the Hall of Remembrance, the national memorial at the museum to victims of the Holocaust. Occupying the hexagonal structure that overlooks Eisenhower Plaza, the hall is a solemn space designed for individual reflection. Epitaphs are set onto the walls that surround an eternal flame.
2. Acquire timed passes in advance if you plan to visit the museum from March to August, the busy season. These passes are required if you want to see the Permanent Exhibition, The Holocaust. Timed passes can be obtained at the museum beginning at 10 a.m. on the day of your visit, or purchased in advance for $1 each through Extremetix Inc. The museum distributes them on a first-come, first-served basis. You do not need such timed passes if you're visiting in the off-season.
3. Use public transportation, since parking around the museum is limited. If you take the Metro, the nearest stop is Smithsonian (orange/blue lines), one block from the museum. Paid parking can be found on D Street, SW, between 13th and 14th streets. There is also hourly metered parking along Independence Avenue. Public lots, however, fill early in the day.
4. Spend most of your time seeing the Permanent Exhibition, The Holocaust, which spans three floors. This moving and graphic exhibition is a narrative history using more than 900 artifacts, 70 video monitors and four theaters that include historic film footage and eyewitness testimonies. The exhibition is divided into three parts: "Nazi Assault," "Final Solution" and "Last Chapter." Most first-time visitors spend two to three hours in this self-guided exhibition. It is recommended for visitors 11 years of age and older.
1. Plan your visit to the Holocaust Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW. Most hotels and tourism agencies can provide you with directions. Check the museum website, which encourages you to read or print out the Visitor's Guide and Permanent Exhibition Guide in advance to help plan your visit. Visitors can light memorial candles, symbolizing renewed life.
