The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s purpose is to ensure that we never forget, and never repeat, the atrocities of the Holocaust, stimulating people to “confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity, and strengthen democracy,” according to the museum’s literature.
Upon entrance to the museum, each visitor is given an identity card representing a Holocaust victim of the same gender and approximate age. Throughout the tour, visitors can track the progress of their assigned individual through the events of World War II, 66% of whom died by the end of the war.
The museum opened in 1993 on the National Mall among other national monuments to freedom, and has welcomed more than 25 million visitors. Its online presence has recently established it as the world’s leading online authority on the Holocaust, with 15 million online visits in 2006 from an average of 100 different countries daily.
The museum attracts as many as 10,000 visitors daily and tickets (although they are free) specify an admission time in 15-minute intervals, and are usually gone just 30 minutes after the museum’s daily opening time. For this reason, we recommend that either you arrive early, at least by 8am, or you pay a fee to get a reserved ticket in advance via www.ushmm.org or by calling: 800-400-9373.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- 10am to 5:30pm daily
- Admission:
- Free
- Metro Stop:
- Blueline or Orangeline to the Smithsonian Station
- Contact:
- Location: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place Southwest, Washington DC
- Phone: 202-488-0400
- Website: www.ushmm.org
