Traveler Description
A memorial and museum detailing the rise of Hitler's Germany and the horrors of World War II.

Address: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Plaza SW
Phone: 202-488-0400

http://www.ushmm.org/

Traveler Reviews

Tickets different for fall and winter
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Sep 19, 2008


We were NOT required to have timed tickets. If you check the website Sept- March do not require the tickets (I guess due to slower season). We went there during the week during the afternoon and walked right in. This must be seasonal. The only wait we had was the front door where they were checking everyone through security (5-10 minutes tops). It gave the impression there were lines but inside we went straight to the 4th floor to start. There is also a Coat/Bag check in which was very nice for us so we did not have our gear during the visit to the museum. We found museum staff very helpful. My spouse thought this was the best museum he had ever visited.

Needs work
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 12, 2008


Your ticket to the main exhibits are timed, but the frist gallery was jammed with people. To many to take in the first gallery at all. Many of the interactive exhibits were not working. The galleries that were open(untimed) were much better.

Museum: A; Crowds: F
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 11, 2008


The museum's motto is "think about what you saw," and the exhibits here do leave an indelible impression. It goes without saying that the Holocaust Memorial Museum is a must-visit. The visit experience is intense. There are several areas in the exhibit that challenge the comfort level in major, but necessary ways. The walk into the exhibition area on the death camps, for instance, takes the visitor through an authentic railroad car used to transport victims, past a wall of poignant portraits of individuals persecuted by the Nazis, and under a replica of the Auschwitz "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate. Every aspect of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust, from Kristallnact to the persecution of the Roma to the T4 program, is covered in-depth, with brutal detail, authentic artifacts and personal accounts from survivors and witnesses. The one real drawback to this museum--and it is a large one that does detract from the experience--would be the crowds. In a way, it's encouraging that the crowds are huge, because it means that many people want to learn. On the other hand, it makes it hard to absorb the material when you're struggling to see it. The exhibition halls are packed wall to wall. In addition, since many of the exhibits are text-intensive, there are huge, impenetrable bottlenecks of people who have stopped to read. During my visit, I did notice people finally giving up and just walking past exhibits, simply because they couldn't get to them. The Museum really needs to revisit its timed ticket policy and, perhaps, start distributing less. If it's at all possible, try to visit this museum at off-peak times, if there are any.

Intense experience
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 4, 2008


It is difficult to explain or describe this amazing museum. It is beautifully done - thoughtful, organized, shocking, intense, respectful, and emotional are a few words that come to mind. It starts by groups being herded in to looming gray elevators going to the forth floor. People then walk, at their own pace, through the 4th floor, 3rd and 2nd floors. My husband and I had an 11:00 tour time and didn't reach the 1st floor until after 3:00. We didn't have time for the open 1st floor 1936 Olympic exhibit. This museum experience is different from others - it sticks with you in a haunting way. It is so important for people to go here; as a high school teacher, I wish all high schoolers could go through this place. Younger children may be scared to go through the upper floors because of the graphic photos and toddlers/babies might not be able to spend so much time there - there is a children's area on the first floor though. Make sure to get a timed ticket before you arrive so you can go through the museum - they only allow a certain amount of people through per day. Go through the book store before you leave; it is worth it.

Very touching and informative; not for young kids, though!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 1, 2008


Allow at least two hours to fully absorb all the exhibits. There is a lot to look at! I visited the museum with my 16 year old daughter, who had heard about it from her history teacher. We learned upon arrival (and going through the x-ray security), that admission is free, and you will receive tickets for a designated entry time. Ours were for about an hour after we walked through the door, so we took a walk a block away to the Mall/Washington Monument and came back. The museum is four stories tall, and you begin on the fourth floor and work your way down. The exhibits are in chronological order and tell the story of the Holocaust from the rise of Hitler through World War II and the eventual discovery and liberation of the concentration camps. The atmosphere is very quiet, dim-lit and reverent, and there are many, many photographs, stories and artifacts to look at, in addition to some short video presentations. I would not recommend this museum for small or young children because some of the material is graphic or hard to understand for young ones, not to mention they have a hard time staying still and quiet (out of respect to those who want to be still and quiet and reflect upon these atrocities). There is a special portion of the first floor of the museum that is designed for the younger set. I do highly recommend this museum as a wonderful history and life lesson for young teens on up.