The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington is one of the most visited museums in the city and also one of the hardest to go through. Not because of its size, but because of what it tells: the murder of six million Jews and millions of other victims of the Nazi regime, told through objects, photographs and the testimony of specific people. It's free, but the main exhibition requires a timed ticket. Here's how to reserve, the hours, what's inside, from what age it's suitable for children and how to prepare, with information from the official website checked on November 11, 2026.
Essentials before you go
- Price. Free. If you reserve online, the ticketing company charges $1 per ticket.
- Timed tickets. Required for the Permanent Exhibition; not needed to enter the building and see other galleries.
- Same-day tickets. A limited number are released online each day at 7 a.m. Eastern.
- Hours. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The last timed entry is at 4:30 p.m.
- Address. 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, next to the National Mall.
How much does admission to the Holocaust Museum cost?
Nothing. Like the Smithsonian museums, the Holocaust Museum is free; what costs a dollar is the online reservation service, run by the Etix platform. Timed tickets control capacity for the Permanent Exhibition, the core of the museum, which is walked in a single direction and can't handle crowds.
According to the website, timed reservations apply to Permanent Exhibition visits through December 2026, and also to the new exhibition "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.," which opens on January 4, 2027 and runs into February. To see Daniel's Story, the exhibition designed for children, and other temporary galleries, you don't need a ticket.
A practical tip: if you couldn't get a reservation, go to the website at 7 a.m. on the day you want to visit; that's when same-day tickets appear. And if that fails, you can still visit the building and the exhibitions that don't require a reservation.
What's inside
The museum opened in 1993 in a building designed to unsettle on purpose: brick, steel, walkways that recall the ghettos and the watchtowers of the camps. The Permanent Exhibition begins with a steel elevator that takes you up to the fourth floor, and you descend floor by floor, chronologically:
- Fourth floor. The rise of Nazism, 1933 to 1939: propaganda, race laws, book burnings.
- Third floor. The "Final Solution," 1940 to 1945: ghettos, deportations and killing centers. Here is a real railcar used in deportations and the room of shoes, thousands of pairs confiscated from prisoners at Majdanek.
- Second floor. The end of the war, the liberation of the camps and the rescuers.
One of the spaces that affects people most is the Tower of Faces, a three-story shaft covered with photographs of the residents of Eishyshok, a Jewish town in Lithuania where almost the entire community was murdered over two days in 1941.
At the end of the route is the Hall of Remembrance, a hexagonal space with an eternal flame, where people sit in silence and can light candles. Many visitors need it after the exhibition.
From what age?
The museum recommends the Permanent Exhibition for visitors 11 and older, because of its images and content. For children 8 and up, Daniel's Story is the alternative: it tells the history of the Holocaust through the life of a fictional boy in Germany, with his home, his ghetto and his camp recreated at scale, in an age-appropriate way. It doesn't require a timed ticket.
If you're going with teenagers, talking beforehand about what they'll see helps. Many US teachers prepare school visits weeks in advance, and that's no exaggeration.
How much time to allow
The Permanent Exhibition takes two to three hours. With Daniel's Story, temporary exhibitions and a break, plan on half a day. There are many texts and videos with testimony; don't try to give everything the same attention. Better to stop for some stories and move through the rest.
An observation from people who have been: don't plan another intense museum for the same afternoon. Many visitors leave emotionally drained and prefer to walk the Mall or sit for a while.
Preparing beforehand
The museum's online Holocaust Encyclopedia offers articles, maps, photographs and testimonies, much of it also available in other languages. Reading a couple of articles before you go, about Hitler's rise to power or the ghettos, makes the visit far easier to follow.
Along the route, at the elevator, visitors are usually offered an identification card telling the story of a real person who lived through the Holocaust. As you move forward, you read what happened to them. It's a simple and very effective way for numbers to become names.
Visiting with respect
There's no dress code, but there's a hush that people keep on their own. Speak quietly, avoid phone calls and think twice before taking photos in the hardest rooms; in some you're asked not to. If you're in a group, agree on a meeting point outside rather than waiting for each other inside: everyone moves at their own pace, and that's as it should be.
How to get there
The museum is on the south side of the National Mall, between 14th Street and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where US banknotes are made. The nearest Metro station is Smithsonian (Blue, Orange and Silver lines); use the Independence Avenue exit and walk about five minutes.
There's security screening at the entrance, with bag checks. Bring only what you need and leave a margin before your entry time.
How it fits into a Washington trip
The museum is minutes from the Smithsonian museums, the Washington Monument and the Tidal Basin. A day that works: the Holocaust Museum first thing, when it's quieter; a calm lunch; then a walk past the memorials to the Lincoln Memorial at sunset.
Which is the best Holocaust museum?
The question comes up often online, and there's no single answer. Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, is the world center for Holocaust remembrance. In Europe, the sites themselves, such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial in Poland or the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, carry a weight no museum can match. In the Americas, Washington's is the broadest in scope, with an enormous collection and a mission that also aims to prevent genocide today. For a traveler in the United States, it's the place where the subject is best understood.
Frequently asked questions
How much is admission to the Holocaust Museum in Washington?
It's free. Reserving a timed ticket online carries a $1 fee per ticket.
Do I need a reservation for the Holocaust Museum?
For the Permanent Exhibition, yes: you need a timed ticket. For the building, Daniel's Story and other galleries, no.
What are the Holocaust Museum's hours?
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with the last timed entry at 4:30 p.m., according to the official website.
Where is the Holocaust Museum?
At 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, next to the National Mall and near Smithsonian Metro station.
What is in the Holocaust Museum?
The Permanent Exhibition across three floors, with a deportation railcar, the room of shoes and the Tower of Faces, plus Daniel's Story for children and the Hall of Remembrance.