United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is one of the most important museums in the country and the most emotionally demanding visit in Washington. It opened in 1993 just off the National Mall, and its building, designed by James Ingo Freed, uses brick, steel and narrow bridges to suggest the architecture of ghettos and camps without imitating them. The core of the visit is the Permanent Exhibition, a chronological route over three floors that begins as you take an elevator up and receive an identification card telling the story of a real person who lived through the Holocaust. From there the exhibition traces the Nazi rise to power, the persecution of Jews and other targeted groups, the ghettos, the deportations and the killing centers, and finally liberation and the survivors' search for a future. The objects are what visitors remember: a railcar of the type used for deportations, a tower lined with photographs of the people of a single Lithuanian town who were murdered in two days, and a room filled with shoes taken from prisoners. The exhibition is recommended for visitors eleven and older. For younger children, Daniel's Story on the first floor tells the history through the eyes of a boy in a gentler, age-appropriate way. The visit ends in the Hall of Remembrance, a quiet hexagonal space with an eternal flame where visitors can light candles. Admission is free, but free timed-entry tickets are required for the Permanent Exhibition, so reserve ahead, especially in spring when school groups fill the calendar. The museum has also announced a major exhibition on Auschwitz. Fit: history buffs, first-timers, families with teens, and anyone ready to give it the time it deserves.

The museum is a living memorial as well as a museum. It was created by an act of Congress after a presidential commission chaired by Elie Wiesel recommended a national memorial, and it is funded by a combination of federal support and private donors, which is why it runs its own ticketing and calendar. Beyond the Permanent Exhibition, the building holds special exhibitions on subjects such as Americans' response to Nazism, propaganda, and genocide prevention today, and its research center and survivor registry are used by scholars and families around the world. On many days, Holocaust survivors or their descendants share their stories with visitors in the museum, and those conversations are often the most powerful part of a visit. The museum's website also hosts a large online encyclopedia and collections search, which is worth a look before a visit if you want context, or afterward if a particular story stays with you. Many visitors also return to the identification card story online to learn what happened to that person.

Visit craft: reserve timed tickets for the Permanent Exhibition, choose an early slot, and allow at least two to three hours, since the route is long and it is hard to rush. Take the identification card and read it as you go; many visitors find that following one life makes the scale bearable to understand. Plan a gentle activity afterward, such as a walk along the Tidal Basin or the Mall, rather than another dense museum. If you are visiting with younger children, Daniel's Story and the children's exhibition spaces are designed for them, and older family members can take turns visiting the Permanent Exhibition.

Practicals: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, just off the Mall near 14th Street and Independence Avenue, a short walk from the Smithsonian Metro station. Open daily. Security screening at the entrance. There is a cafe on site. Pair it with the Washington Monument across 15th Street, or with the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deep day of American and world history.