United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has entrances on 14th St. S.W. and at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. S.W.; there is no parking at the museum and limited parking in the area. The museum presents the history of the 6 million Jews and millions of others—including Roma and Sinti (gypsies), Soviet POWs, Poles, dissidents, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses and the disabled—who suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis during their rule of Germany 1933-45.

The museum serves as a memorial to these victims and teaches the implications of the Holocaust for contemporary life. The three-floor permanent exhibition depicts the story of the Holocaust through artifacts, photographs, films and oral histories. To personalize the experience, upon entry each visitor is given an identity card bearing the name and picture of a Holocaust victim. The Hall of Remembrance, a six-sided, 60-foot-high structure illuminated by a skylight, is an area for private contemplation.

The permanent exhibit also features stories of resistance and rescue, highlighting such heroes as Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who risked his life to hide and save Jews. Remember the Children: Daniel's Story (closed at time of publication) is designed for visitors over age 8. The Wexner Learning Center offers a number of multimedia displays focused on the genocide after the Holocaust.

The special exhibition "Americans and the Holocaust" examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans' responses to Nazism, war and genocide.

Note: Free timed passes, required for admission to the permanent exhibition March through August, are available at the information desk. Advance tickets are available online (www.ushmm.org); standard service charges apply. Passes (limited to 20 per person) are timed at 15-minute intervals between 10 and 4 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The permanent exhibition is recommended for visitors over age 11.

Food is available. Time: Allow 2 hours minimum.