- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
Smithsonian (Blue, Orange)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
119 reviews for United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Amazingly morose. Forlorn. Unforgettable. Devastating. Dolor. Remarkable. The US Holocaust Museum really is a paragon when it comes to museums of any ilk. The Holocaust Museum undertakes an inconceivable venture: to provide a 1st hand account and capture the profound quiddity of what baneful cataclysmic injustices and traumatic travails the Jewish people suffered during the holocaust.
Although I'm Jewish and was immensely grief-stricken and moved by my 1st visit to this outstanding apotheosis museum. Still I gave 4 stars, since I felt like many others that there wasn't much emphasis or even proper information on both the statistics nor the plight of the innumerable Non-Jews who also suffered in the holocaust.
I feel many other Yelpies raise this same paradigm. It would be exceptional if the USHMM foundation could maybe revise or revamp this objective infelicitous rue since its an inherent jeremiad amongst many of those Non-Jews whose families were also afflicted and callously exterminated.
Other than that oversight, this extraordinary museum shockingly touches anybody with a profound sense of the unfathomable subjugative tyranny and despotic injustice of the holocaust that no words could explicate or begin to limn. I especially found the area with the thousands of shoes belonging to men, women, and children recovered from the Auschwitz camp is so extremely dolorful.
That display will crush any individual with an overwhelming
impression and mental vision that will never ever be forgetten during their lifetime. The Holocaust museum is quitessential in manifesting an astute and lucid envision of the mass annihilation and hecatomb of the Jewish people.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
I made a trip to the Holocaust Museum with my girlfriend expecting both something informative and moving. I have to say that I was pretty let down with the museum on a whole. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't seem to have many historical artifacts that one expects from a museum. Many of the exhibits are good in that they get you thinking and learning about the horrific things that happened during WWII, but they do little in the way of really transporting you to that time and place, something that I think is fundamental to the museum experience.
Certain exhibits were done well for what they were, but it seemed as though most of them were merely pictures blown up on the wall with paragraphs of information next to them. I read some, but the amount of information could be a bit much for someone making a casual visit. I was also disappointed with how things were marked off or labeled in the museum. As I mentioned, I really value seeing artifacts in a historical museum, and the few places that seemed to have them did not do a good job of letting me know whether they were indeed from the period and involved in the Holocaust or not. There is a train and a collection of shoes which at least symbolize this moment in history, but they do not say, at least not clearly, whether they were recreations or the real objects.
All in all, it isn't a bad museum, but it wasn't what I expected. It seems a bit more like a memorial than a museum.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
One of the best museums I've been to in my whole life! Very informative, beautiful architecture, lots of thought obviously went into designing this museum and it certainly shows. Various learning exhibits from photos, videos, audio clips, and plenty of other visuals to help you really understand and learn about the holocaust. Be sure to take one of the bio pamphlets before starting the tour. You'll get to read about a real person and their life throughout the tour and find out if they survived or not at the end.
The only thing that needs improvement is the cafe. The food was mediocre and the coffee horrible. Besides that, a must stop if you like museums and the best part is that it's FREE! You just have to go through security like every other place in DC.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (1)
This museum was brings every emotion out of you. It's a must-see in DC. The museum itself is beautiful and exhibits are so moving, it tore at my heart strings. At one point, I teared up and had a lump in my throat. If you visit, try not to skip any parts. Every detail of the events makes an impact on the overall experience.
The shoes alone speak volumes.
Sorely disappointed by this museum, but possibly because someone told us later on that we had to have missed some of the exhibits (maybe they weren't open?)
What we did do is walk through a couple long exhibit with posters (copies, not originals), and old movies, but barely any original paraphernalia from the holocaust.
Quite honestly, this "museum" seemed like more of a theme show than an actual museum.
I did go through the children's section, "Daniel's Story" and that was a very creative and appropriate way to explain what happened during these terrible times to younger children. Again, more like a theme park ride, but it was for kids, so I get it.
I don't know, I expected something with a little more depth, but maybe we missed something.
A dramatic and inspiring museum experience. The Holocaust Memorial Museum provides an in-depth look at all of the events and people involved. The displays are necessarily graphic, yet respectfully done. There is a lot to take in, so be willing to devote several hours.
I took a bunch of my 10th grade students here yesterday and was very impressed with how the museum and staff was able to handle the flow of our 150+ students as well as so many other tourists. The tour guides were more than helpful - their knowledge not just of the museum but of everything historically relevant really added to our experience.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
The first star cuz it was free.
The second star because even though I really had no intention of going to what I thought would be a truly depressing museum, I left not depressed.
The third star for the high quality of the exhibits.
The fourth star for the surprisingly helpful and happy staff from security to volunteers, everyone was cool... unlike in other museums on the mall.
The fifth star will be earned when there's affordable food within a half mile of here. I know it's expensive to make and offer kosher food, but c'mon.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
By very far, my favorite museum in all of... life.
This is a walk-through type attraction that functions as both a memorial AND a museum. You start by taking a paper passport of a Jewish male or female. As you make your way through the hallways and exhibits, the fate of your person unravels, until the end when you find out if they made it out or not.
It is an extremely touching museum. You can literally get stuck spending four or five hours there, easy. There is a lot of reading material on the walls, which describes pre- and during- and post- Holocaust events. There are also pictures, videos, sculptures, letters, posters, and real artifacts.
It is, in all honesty, quite creepy at times, as the weight of the event falls into reality when you see the videos, hear the voices, and walk through the exhibits.
It's breathtaking in all regards and generally not suited for children (and young adults - sheesh) who can get restless and/or loud. That tends to detract from the experience.
During busy times, they require you to have a ticket to enter the main exhibit, which can be acquired for free from the informational desk inside. Go early, as it will take a lot of your day and tickets may be sold-out if you go later.
Please, go see this museum. It will touch your heart.
TIP*** If coming to this museum is only part of your day and you plan to tour more afterwards plan a break, because it will leave you emotional.
I was ready.
I mean, everyone knows what they are in for when you come to this museum. But even while I was prepared, I broke down in the middle of the bridge of family photos on the 2nd floor.
All the horrible stuff I was ready for. But seeing the smiling family photos, really seeing the lives, not just human beings, but lives that were destroyed was what hit me.
It is a well planned museum with a definite pathway and time-line that takes your through an experience. You feel immersed in the detailed replicas and learn without trying.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
Moving. And crowded!
Ditto what the others said, but make this a priority when you visit DC. Note that the tickets are metered out by the half-hour, so you'll need to show up at 10am-ish to get tix for the day.
UNLESS...you're police, fire, or military. Then you get right in!
People thought this was:
- Cool (2)
This is one of my favorite museums in DC.
Unlike certain unnamed others, this museum is chock full with content. You get to see videos--some gruesome beyond belief--detritus and memorabilia from the slain, photos of happier times contrasted with what eventually happened. Everything is meticulous planned, displayed for maximum information and effect. I was moved nearly to tears a few times(I cry about twice a year), especially by the stories of heroic people who faced untold danger to give aid Jews and others during that terrible time.
It is crowded though, especially during summer tourist season. I recommend coming EARLY to get tickets and see the full show.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
This was by far the single most powerful experience I've had in DC. Even knowing the history of WWII, it's hard to prepare for the journey that this museum takes you on. We can only hope that through places like this reminding the world of these atrocities... that they can be prevented from ever happening again.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
The main exhibit of this museum is amazing. It's set up perfectly, and I love the sectioning by floors based on periods of time. I also think it's good and extremely important that they give out the little "passport" story books about a person who went through the holocaust. It's good to make people connect to this.
My family has ties to these events and looking at all of this really struck me.
It also made me happy that they have a part of the museum dedicated to modern genocide and pledging to do what you can to stop these things from happening.
It's a great museum, it made me feel very thoughtful.
The only negative part of this for me was some stupid, disrespectful teenager girls taking their smiley photos for myspace/facebook in the glass hallway.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
Amazing. Truly an experience to be had in order to fully understand the extent of Hitlers wrath.
On top of that.... it's FREE! and it gives you something to do other than walk 50 miles around the vicinity of the state capital.
One can only take so many post card pics before it becomes redundant...
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
This was the most moving experience of my recent trip to DC.
I was with two teenage boys. First we went through David's story, the children's exhibit, so sad, so real.
The musuem is probably the most wisely designed one I have ever been to. You start on the 4th floor and some how through twists and turns you end up on the 1st. The entire experience is chilling starting with pre-war Nazi propaganda ending up with survivors stories. I cried through out the entire tour, shaking my head, listening to questions that I have asked for years to my parents...what were American Jews doing during this terrible time...I finally found out here.
The two teenage boys were quiet for the first time ever, not speaking, feeling angry and sad. I ended up spending a lot of money in the museum store, I felt I had to
My visit here 8 or 9 years ago haunts me to this day.
It is hard to find the words but three things stick with me....
Seeing the name of the Russian shtetl that two of my Great Grandparents were from written on the wall listing the names of the towns that were lost.
The train car. I felt I could smell their fear.
The exhibit of discarded shoes. There are no words.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
You walk in, and the lobby is an unassuming oblong space. Your first indication that this may not be your everyday museum comes when you walk toward the elevators and are asked to take a card from the two-foot stacks by the elevators.
This unassuming piece of typewritten white cardboard tells the story of a victim of the Holocaust. As you walk through the museum, you are following his/ her journey through this tumultuous time. Perhaps slightly more indicative of how unique this place is going to be.
The elevator brings you to the fourth floor. Two feet into the hallway and you're confronted by a large graphic poster of the burnt skeletal remains of Holocaust victims in a mass grave. If you're me, you walk directly into the restroom that is located discreetly off to the side, so you can retch while you gather your wits about you to weather the rest of this emotional storm.
This is genocide documented in full glory.
This is the story of human beings reduced to nothing but numbers. Of being -- literally and metaphorically -- beaten into a state of animalistic submission, helpless to save themselves, and at the very end, probably craving merciful reprieve of the permanent kind.
This is the story of depraved beings who ENJOYED herding emaciated people into train-cars that would trundle them to their deaths. As you walk through one of these actual vehicles, you may yearn for that restroom. Your heaving guts may leave you with sweat trickling down your back, goosebumps oozing with dread, and hot tears of anger and hopelessness drowning your retinas.
This is the story of the violent, cold-blooded, clinical dismissal of entire generations of the Jewish, and to a lesser extent, other races. You are faced with your own mortality as you come to terms with cruelty far surpassing anything you've allowed your heart and mind to believe possible. You hesitantly walk around corners of this place, averting your eyes to the floor as you become more and more afraid of what hellish thing you might see next.
You allow yourself to look at display cases of cards that have hair samples attached to them. Blond, red, light brunette. Then you see the article next to it describing how, if your hair did not match these colors, you were considered ...wretched. Of course, if your eyes did not match the color card next to the hair samples, then... you were close to extermination. And all this in the first three years of your young life. Or, God forbid, you were born with a mental illness. You were sent to an "experimental" asylum, a killing ground where people like you were unsophisticatedly murdered -- after being treated with the utmost depravity.
You walk past glassed-in walls of piles of rusted forks, enamel pots and pans, discolored hairbrushes, stained striped blankets. You shudder when you realize these were the meager last belongings of the people you see immortalized in pictures everywhere: shorn heads... skeletal bodies... blank, dead eyes staring into the camera, beyond beseeching mercy, only wanting the end.
And then, you might be reduced to a cowering, emotional pile of water, as you walk by rows, and rows, and rows of shoes. Shoes left behind as the feet they protected abandoned them; feet that, in a humorless parallel, were subject to unimaginable pain and suffering as the bodies attached to them were tormented.
Oh, I might be exaggerating. Yet, to see pictures of naked Jewish children being manhandled with their heads being used as handles might make your blood run cold, too, don't you think?
This... this is pure, distilled, unadulterated hate. Yes, we see that toothbrush mustache and we recoil, perhaps. Yet, we do not fully comprehend the sinister depravity of it's legacy. And if the history of hate does not at once -- emotionally at least -- bring you to your knees... ponder this:
Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo. Iraq. Palestine. Darfur. Hate. Is. Alive. And. Well.
People thought this was:
- Useful (23)
- Funny (5)
- Cool (24)
I really enjoyed this museum and I learned a lot! this is a great place to take your family! Plus its free. It doesnt get any better. lol. its also close to the metro, so if you dont feel like driving you dont have to! it was a little crowded but worth it cuz its for a good reason. Plus there are plenty of places to get food around there! 2 thumbs up!
Definitely a must-see when you are in the area!
You will never forget this museum.
Upon walking in you receive information on someone who lived during this period of history. At the end of your visit, you find out the fate of the person you walked with through all of the halls.
Most poignant and moving for me-walking through the train car, thinking of all those who were actually on here, scared and suffering.
Also, the room filled with shoes was another intense moment.
One really feels the hatred that was placed on so many innocent individuals. A very eye-opening, but teary-eyed, and depressing place.
PS...if you are a teacher, there is plenty of info. they can give you and their website is really helpful as well if you need information for your class.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
I feel a little bit like Seinfeld in Schindler's List, here, but I had a pretty underwhelming experience here. Hear me out.
You know how certain things get hyped up? Like, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, or Middlesex, or The Road, or (dont' even get me started on Oscar Wao)... the list goes on and on. We live in a society where Communications is a university-level course of study...
Well, you know how sometimes after hearing loads and loads of hype, after hearing everybody and their mothers rant about how AMAZING something is, sometimes your expectations become so inalterably exalted that once you actually experience said thing you can't help be feel a bit disappointed?
I had heard for years that the Holocaust Museum was the museum to end all museums. That it was museum par excellence. It pains me to say it, but I'm here to say, purely on a museum to museum comparison (not on a subject matter comparison), "Meh. I've experienced better."
The architecture - starkly reminiscent of the design elements common to train yards and death camps - is pretty stunning. The room with the shoes, and the multi-sensory impression it makes, knocks you flat on your ass. The subject matter, of course, is about as historically relevant and pressing as anything. It's heartrending.
But... I know a lot about WWII and the Holocaust. I've taken classes on it. I've read up on its historical and cultural ramifications of my own volition. I not only read Sophie's Choice, I went on to read some of its source material. You see what I'm getting at?
The Holocaust Memorial Museum caters to those who know very little about the Holocaust (which, one might argue, is an inexcusable personal trait), and it doesn't provide much in the way of new information/data/experience to those of us who do know a fair amount about it.
Also, it's really more of a Memorial than it is a Museum. I think that's a fair statement. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but if you go in with museum-expectations and get memorial-results you might be disappointed.
Also, the lay-out can be sort of frustrating. There are swarms of people, and everybody clusters around these 8' tall placards reading paragraph after paragraph. Very little about the Museum is interactive. It's a lot of reading in cramped quarters.
If you want to go because you feel like you should, I don't blame you. If you're interested in architecture, definitely check it out.
If you want to learn a lot about the Holocaust either go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum when there's nobody else there (so you have plenty of time and room to read the crazy amount of text in there) or get yourself a trustworthy book. Oh, you don't like to read books? Well, you probably won't like to read everything in the Holocaust Memorial Museum, either.
People thought this was:
- Useful (8)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (3)
As a fellow Jew, whose family consists of two grandparents who are Holocaust survivors, I found myself deeply offended when the Orthodox Jew working behind the counter asked me if the Star of David necklace I was looking to buy (for 42 dollars) was a gift for someone..in mid February? Apparently I don't look Jewish, because when I told him that "it's a gift for myself" he was embarrassed.
Oh the necklace broke the same day!
B)Really rowdy school kids in groups, with horrible supervision.
TIP: I've been here twice, and I find it that by going through the tour fast, by not stopping and observing the footage, (and not looking over the cement wall that has content that could be harsh to some) I don't have that morose-depressing -lingering feeling that most people have for the entire day after visiting this museum.
However a guy in one of my school trip visits stated,"It changes you". The second time i toured, I went slow the first part of the tour, and it did change me.
As a Jew and a Pro-Palestinian, this personally is usually a museum I tend to avoid, I recommend it towards Gentiles though.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
I did not really expect to like this museum. I mean, a surefire way to get depressed, right? But, actually, it is an extremely, extremely well-done museum, particularly because the subject is so difficult to do without becoming maudlin.
I didn't think the "side exhibits" around the entrance and exit added that much, but the main exhibit is stunning. I really like how you take an elevator down to start the tour, and how the whole experience of the museum is a walking progression, chronologically and emotionally. Powerful stuff, but not done in a manipulative way. Thumbs up.
Everyone should make a point to stop here when in Washington DC.
The museum itself is very well laid out, with open room, temporary exhibits, and areas for reflection on the first and second floors. The top 2 floors are where the main permanent exhibit is, and while crowded at times, I again liked the use of space. As I worked my way chronologically from the rise of Hitler, through the war and, of course, into the concentration camps and death marches, the museum itself guided my movement through walkways, down stairs and ramps and from room to room with every area used to convey the history of the Holocaust.
Of course this is a very weighty subject, so expect to be impacted (this is not going to leave you feeling the same way the Natural History Museum might). This place is graphic, honest, and chilling at times, but there is probably no better place in this country to learn about, and experience a piece of, the Holocaust.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Cool (1)
First off..I'm not a big fan of museums but I ended up in the area doing tourist stuff because of my girlfriend. Anyway, this was by far the most interesting Museum I visited while in D.C. At first glance when coming in I felt like I was at the airport. I didn't understand why they needed so many security guards but after the shooting incident which happened today, I fully understand how important they all are.
http://news.yahoo.com/... (check out the link if you don't know what I'm talking about)
Don't let the ignorance of others keep you from checking this out....this place is very safe inside. With that said, the museum is a great experience. There's a "cold" feeling throughout the different areas you walk through. The feeling gives you the opportunity to be overwhelmed by all the different facts they throw at you as you go on the walking tour. It's sad but well worth the experience. I'd recommend this for middle school aged children and up....oh!...there's military discount for tickets too.
This is my favorite museum in the world. As you walk through the different exhibits, you are emotionally and spirtitually drained......and touched.
Once I leave, the only thing that I can think of is the love that I have for my wife, family and country.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
I'm probably the only person in the world to complain about The Holocaust Museum. And I will probably get the shit flamed out of me for this, but I'm willing to take that chance. I actually wish I could give the place 3.5 stars instead of 3, but since Yelp has not given us a half star option, we're rolling with 3.
First, I hate the layout of the place. If you've never been, it's basically laid out in a manner which forces you to snake through the entire exhibit. That's fine and good, but the initial...umm...1/4 of the museum is not conducive to actually walking while reading. Both times I've gone, the beginning sections (basically the portions that address everything leading up to WWII/Hitler's rise to power/very beginnings of the Holocaust) get so congested with people that it is difficult to actually see everything while making your way through the museum. Any which way you turn, I wind up elbowing people or getting in other visitors' ways.
Second, the place is so dark and warm that, without fail, I spend half my time yawning and feeling like I'm going to be out cold until I get to the well lit portions of the museum. (Let me tell you how much an asshole I feel like when I'm yawning my head off in the Holocaust museum.) I'm someone who is cold ALL THE DAMN TIME but after a half hour, it starts to feel as warm as my bed.
Third, the museum spends a whopping 5 panels talking about the other groups who were persecuted in the Holocaust. Before you shoot a bunch of nasty emails off to me, read the rest of what I have to say:
When I initially went through the museum, I was happy to see that the museum acknowledged that Hitler's final solution was pretty broad. As a geeky history major, I would have been pissed had the Nazis been painted as just a bunch of racists instead of being very clear about Hitler's goals. And I understand that the numbers of Roma, gays, political prisoners, atheists, and mentally retarded people who were put to death during the Holocaust does not even begin to compare to the numbers of European Jews who were brutally murdered during World War II.
HOWEVER, every time I go into the museum, I feel like the "oh, yeah, other people died in the Holocaust" section was tacked on as an after thought, because someone said "OH SHIT! THE [insert other group here] ARE GONNA GET PISSED IF WE FORGET ABOUT THEM!" I think there are 5 panels devoted to the Roma, mentally retarded, Communists/atheists (IIRC, they're lumped together), and gays. Even the panels themselves are no where near as informative as the smaller panels in the rest of the museum.
I understand that the intention was probably to make a connection between all of the groups who were persecuted in the Holocaust. And I get what the attempt was, but considering that museums are often geared towards non-history majoring tourists and school trips, that connection could be made more clear; additionally, I think that given how desolate the "other people who were persecuted" room is, the Holocaust museum could stand to add a little more information about the non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
Which makes that portion of the museum most frustrating is that they have devoted space in the museum in which they talk about other genocides that have occurred in history....but they can't tack on a couple extra panels upstairs?
Despite those complaints, the museum has A TON of information in it and it is IMPOSSIBLE to get through it in under 3 hours unless you're rushing through. Both times, I wound up not being able to get tickets until 2 or 3 pm and had to rush through half of the museum. Get the earliest tickets you can.
It's definitely worth checking out, but my complaints (specifically #3) make it a little disappointing for me every time I go.
People thought this was:
- Useful (10)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (5)
I was in the play "Anne Frank & Me" a few years ago. For some background our director brought us to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC. I have never been more overwhelmed with such a weighing energy.
It's a beautiful and educational homage to holocaust victims. The part that sticks in my mind most is the room full of shoes. I can't even mention is without crying.
I believe *everyone* should go to this museum. I agree with the other reviews in saying that this should be required.
People thought this was:
- Useful (6)
- Cool (6)
This place is great, and I think it is a good place for everyone to visit. Everyone needs to know these sorts of things and understand (as much as one can understand, at least) the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust. If I had not take a Politics of Genocide class prior to visiting here, I probably would have cried my eyes out.
Genocides are simply a matter that we ignore too often, and I find them fascinating, because you have to ponder the rationale behind the actions. Few did the right thing, but the tricky question is... Were some less guilty than others? Many Nazi soldiers got extremely drunk prior to mass shootings, and a majority of Jews were killed in ways that the Nazis could get it over quickly. In Rwanda, however, machetes were used, and murders were not quick by any means.
I don't know... maybe I'm a little weird, but I find genocides terrible, yet fascinating, and I like learning about them, because I keep wondering how they keep happening. If you are fascinated by how much evil people are capable of as well, you should find out here.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (2)
Haunting and amazingly all encompassing. Sets the historical period and rides out with stunning accuracy and sensitivity. A must see.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Yay I'm a fan is not quite the appropriate phrase for this museum. As one of those who has read about the persecution and extermination for many, many years, I did not find anything new to me. Nevertheless, the artefacts - shoes, castings of crematorium doors, the infamous "Arbeit Macht Frei" archway, etc lends impact to the prior knowledge. I had even seen most of the films before.
On the other hand, as a place for the young to get a clear look at what happened in the past, and especially for Jewish and Roma youth to see what happened, the museum is outstanding. The sad thing is that as I listened (yes, I eavesdropped) to the youngsters wearing yarmukes and the girls with them, it became apparent that they viewed all just as history. They did not understand that it could all happen again, and right here in America, should circumstances change just a little bit.
I noted this museum as good for kids. Due to the graphic photos and films of the death camps, kids under 10 should probably receive a very guided trip through the museum.
I was here many years ago, but will never forget the experience. I'm not a museum buff but for my first trip to D.C. this is the place I will always think of first above all the other historical sites.
I'm a person that likes to be moved and inspired and staring at plain walls and reading isn't going to make an impression on me. This museum did!
The entire architecture set the tone for the heart-wrenching exhibits you were about to see. The videos, pictures, audio and actual artifacts were woven in through special rooms that overwhelm your senses to the point where you can actually feel some of the pain and anguish these victims endured.
All of these rooms will increase the wave of emotions that are swelling inside of you until the point where you reach the final theater area. Hearing the survivors tell their stories from a video inside this dark theater was as much as I could take. I started bawling uncontrollably at this point. And when you walk into the next brightly lit room, you can see that everyone else is crying just as hard.
What an amazing & moving experience!
(In remembrance of my grandmother who survived the Holocaust but passed away in 2006)
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (2)
Everyone needs to see this museum at least once in their lifetime.
We shall never forget.
A museum I think EVERYONE needs to go to, but also one that you need to go to when you've got time to think and reflect afterwards, and be solo with your thoughts. The images, the artifacts, and the smells really bring you in, and ignite your imagination... taking you to a time in our world's history that was not the best. The SHOES... gah, they get me.
Yes, the Holocaust is a horrible moment in history. Yes, the things you see in this museum can be highly disturbing and make you sick to your stomach. Yes, you should absolutely go to this museum.
**This is a museum I think the children that go to it need to be a bit older, to really understand the history, and be able to handle the images**
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Cool (5)
Bring on the flak for this one...I thought the museum was well done on the whole, but I left infuriated due to the glorification and promotion of Zionism at the end of the tour.
I agree with the other reviewers about the unfortunate lack of focus on the millions of non-Jewish victims of the holocaust. Kudos for showing the links between the Nazi party and various evil corporations that benefited from slave labor. I'll never look at Fanta the same way again.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (3)
Haunting and moving. If you're visiting DC, make it your last stop at a museum-- unless you want to be depressed all day.
I had taken a Holocaust course in college and continue extensive research there after, but I kept putting off visiting the Holocaust Museum. I found myself in a situation where there was no getting out of it.
To say it was overwhelming can't begin to describe it. I found myself in one of the rail cars that transported the captured. That did it for me. I headed to the bookstore.
I will go back again, but as I suggest to others, take little bits at a time.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
I had the pleasure of visiting the Holocaust Museum when it first opened. I have been back three more times since then, and each time I've found something new to explore and gaze at.
My first trip there was in 1998, on my eighth grade class trip. They stuffed the my classmates and me into the elevators that bring you to the exhibit - we hardly had room to breathe. On the way up, they explained that's how it really was on the railcars. As you wind your way down four floors, your breath will be taken away by how many real photos, videos, clothes, shoes, and other pieces from the Holocaust there are.
You really have the chance to try and understand the hells that these prisoners (and non-prisoners) went through - including a child's take on things in "Danny's Story" at the end of the exhibit. There are parts that will bring a tear to your eye trying to fathom the reality of the nightmare that was the Holocaust.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
I was absolutely ecstatic to find out that i was going to this museum, with my 8th grade graduation class.
I'm deeply interested in the holocaust, and this museum is definitely the BEST museum i have ever been to in my life.
When my partner and I first walked into the museum, we went to a room, to grab a card about a real life person, who lived during the holocaust. I got a 32 year old guy from Poland. I decided to wait until I finished looking through the museum to read the man's biography.
It took me just about 5 minutes, until I started crying. The pictures, videos, audio, and displays were heart-wrenching. A few memorable pictures I remember seeing was of dead corpses in piles, and piles.. it just made me sick. The feeling of walking through the museum was odd, everywhere I looked.. I saw someone crying.
I felt like I was an actual victim of the holocaust, walking through horrid memories.
By the time my whole class had reached the end of the museum, I sat down and finally decided to read the card. His name was Aviv, and he was a young man who was torn away from his family and sent off to Auschwitz. He managed to survive for a few years, but later died of internal bleeding.
This museum made me better understand the occurrences of the holocaust, and it has further deepened my interest in studying the subject.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
I teach High School ELA/History in CA and I thought I was prepared for this museum. Was I wrong. Nothing can really prepare you for the emotional impact of this experience.
Many reviewers have done a great job of reviewing how well done this museum is... and to be honest, I don't want to give away the experience because part of it (at least for me) was experiencing it as you discover each exhibit...
Be sure to take the time to see the traveling exhibits downstairs... when I was there in Summer of 07 there were two exhibits, one of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan and another on the "alleged world conspiracy" of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, a fake document that continues to this day, to be used as "justification" for antisemitism and hatred of the Jewish people of the world...
This museum is a MUST see. Hands down it is the best.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
Disturbing. Moving. Powerful.
There are other words to describe visiting the Holocaust Memorial Museum, but those three best describe it for me. The enormity of the destruction of human life is almost impossible to document, but the exhibits do a superb job of giving the viewer an sense of how the Holocaust began and ended. Most visitors are hushed which seems only fitting given the subject matter.
I went early in the morning, so didn't have to wait too long to make into the museum (admission is free) and was able to walk easily to see the various exhibits. There's a children's exhibit that I didn't see, but suspect it's as well done as the one for the adults.
As you finish the exhibit portion of the museum, take a moment to stand or sit in the Hall of Rememberance. It's a fitting way conclude a visit.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (5)
