United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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America’s only national memorial to the Holocaust, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was created by a unanimous act of congress. Not recommended for children under 12.

Visiting the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is one of the most moving experiences imaginable. It is not unusual for visitors to be emotionally overcome by the poignancy of the exhibits. Each visitor is given an "identity card" that gives the real biographical information of a victim of the Holocaust. This lends a sense of immediacy and gives perspective to the staggering statistics of Nazi genocide. The result is that it is not unusual for visitors to become emotionally overwhelmed.

Interspersed with video documentaries, photographs, and oral histories, the numerous exhibits include a freight car used by the Nazi’s to transport Jews to the Treblinka death camp and a Danish fisherman's boat that carried 900 Jews to safety in Sweden.

The permanent exhibits start on the fourth floor where visitors learn about Jewish culture in Europe during the 1930's. The museum then details the rise of the Nazi party and the Holocaust through exhibits like a  mountain of shoes that were taken from 4,000 people who were gassed,  and re-creations of  crematoriums like those used at Auschwitz. The second floor is "The Aftermath", featuring the video testimonials of survivors. Next door, The Hall of Remembrance is provided as a place of contemplation.

Due to the graphic nature of some photographs and videos, the museum is not recommended for children under 12.