Things You'll Need:
- Visitor's guide to the museum is helpful to have in advance
- Street map of Washington, D.C.
- Timed passes to the museum, which can be ordered in advance of your visit
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Step 1
Plan your visit to the Holocaust Museum, located at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW. Most hotels and tourism agencies can provide you with directions. It might be wise to 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.
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Step 2
Admission to the Holocaust Museum is free, but passes are timed if you want to see the Permanent Exhibition, The Holocaust, which makes up the majority of the museum. Timed passes can be obtained at the Museum on the day of your visit, or in advance either online at tickets.com or by calling (800) 400–9373. The Museum distributes on a first–come first–served basis a large but limited number of timed entry passes for use that same day. If visiting in the spring or summer, give yourself extra time to wait in the building entry line.
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Step 3
The museum strongly advises patrons to 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. A paid parking lot is available at 12th and C St., SW, which costs about $4 per hour, and there is hourly metered parking along Independence Ave. But public lots fill early in the day.
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Step 4
Concentration camp uniforms displayed at the Holocaust MuseumSpend 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.
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Step 5
The Hall of Remembrance at the U.S. Holocaust MuseumVisit 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. Visitors can light memorial candles, symbolizing renewed life.
