Holocaust Museum Washington DC

Holocaust Museum Washington DC

We had decided to spend our last day in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.  So, we went to the museum, and we were standing in line to get in when I realized we had two souvenir pocketknives in my bag which we had purchased at South of the Border.

We wouldn’t be able to get those through security.  So, we discussed and decided to walk across the street to the Holocaust Museum.  I had no idea what we were in store for that day.  I mean, I knew it would be depressing, I knew we wouldn’t like what we saw and learned there.

My son wasn’t enthusiastic about visiting this museum, but he was interested.  He had learned about the holocaust in school already, so he had an idea of what it was all about.  I think he kept a good attitude throughout the museum and didn’t come out too troubled.  The museum did a great job of portraying the holocaust in such a way that children can learn and understand without being emotionally scarred from what they learned.

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About Holocaust Museum Washington DC

As America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum serves as our memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust.

The primary mission of this museum is to disseminate knowledge about the unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memories of those who suffered, and to encourage visitors to reflect on the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.

The Holocaust Museum offers multifaceted programs, exhibits, research and publication, collection and preservation of material evidence, as well as art and artifacts related to the Holocaust.  It hosts annual commemorations known as Days of Remembrance.  The museum distributes education materials and other teacher resources as well as a variety of other public programming designed to enhance our understanding of the Holocaust and related issues.

Located near the National Mall at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, the museum is free to visit but tickets are required to enter.  If purchasing tickets online, a $1 convenience fee will be charged.  Right now, during COVID, reservations can be made for groups of 6 or less.

The museum is open Thursday through Tuesday from 10am to 5:30pm, closed Wednesdays.  There is no parking for the museum specifically, but there is a paid parking garage across the street, on D Street between 13th and 14th Streets.  There are also some metered parking spaces along Independence Avenue.

Summary

It wasn’t on our Roadtrippers itinerary, and we didn’t really plan to visit this museum, it ended up being a plan C stop for us.  But I’m so glad we did visit this museum.

You know, when you read about events in history, you remember a lot of the significant events.  But nothing puts things in perspective as well as seeing the gas chambers in person or the piles and piles of shoes from people that went through the holocaust.

I definitely recommend visiting the National Holocaust Museum if you are in the DC area.  It’s a most humbling experience and you won’t be sorry you went.

Have you been there?  I’d love to hear what you thought of it.  Which part of the museum had the most impact on you personally?

Please drop a few lines in the comments box below and let me know how your visit went.

In the meantime, safe travels!

~Kris M.

P.S.  If you happen to use travel journals, be sure to check out the travel journal I created for my future Washington DC Road Trips.

Written by Kris M.