The Holocaust Museum is a must-see while in the D.C. area. It is easily in my top 3 museums as it gives visitors the opportunity to receive a single identity card of a Holocaust victim whose story get revealed as you plunge into the past marked by ghettos, rail cars and death camps. The museum also shows the flip side of human nature, documenting the risks many citizens took to help the persecuted.

Upon entering the museum and look at the skylight, many survivors have stated it reminds them of the sky above the camps and is symbolic because it was the only thing the Nazis could not control. The exhibits present the Holocaust history chronologically from 1933 – 1945. All guests start on the 4th floor, which is titled “Nazi Assault” covering the period from 1933 – 1939 demonstrating how the Nazis used modern techniques to craft their messages and sway citizens. The exhibits also demonstrate the world’s response.

The 3rd floor is known as “The Final Solution” where you get to see a rail car used to transport people to the camps, wooden bunk bed from Auschwitz and Crematorium at Auschwitz. You are also able to learn about the ghetto experience and observe the shoes from those who were killed during the mass murder.

The 2d floor is the “Last Chapter” where you get to learn about the camps’ liberation and how non-Jews risked death or imprisonment to save Jews, utilization of the underground war,

The 1st floor has a Children’s Tile Wall which is appropriate for children, along with a museum shop and cafe.

As you exit the exhibit, you get to visit the Hall of Remembrance which is candlelit and considered a sanctuary for quiet reflection.