United States Holocaust Memorial Museum facts for kids

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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum


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Established	April 22, 1993
Location	100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, Southwest, Washington, D.C.
Type	Holocaust museum
Visitors	1.6 million (2016)
Public transit access	Smithsonian

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the official place in the United States that remembers the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a terrible time when about six million Jewish people were murdered by the Nazis during World War II. This museum is in Washington, D.C., near the National Mall.

The USHMM helps people learn about the Holocaust. It also teaches leaders and citizens how to fight hatred and stop genocide. Genocide is when a large group of people are killed because of their race, religion, or other reasons. The museum works to promote human kindness and make democracies stronger around the world.

The museum has many important items. These include over 12,750 artifacts and 49 million pages of historical papers. It also has 85,000 old photographs and 1,000 hours of video. There are also 9,000 stories from people who lived through the Holocaust.

Since it opened in 1993, almost 40 million people have visited the museum. This includes over 10 million school children. Many world leaders and officials have also visited. The museum's website gets millions of visits each year from people all over the world.

Researchers at the museum have found records of 42,500 ghettos and concentration camps. These were places where the Nazis held and killed people from 1933 to 1945. The museum is close to other famous Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C.

The Museum's History and Founding
Understanding the Museum's Architecture
Exploring the Museum's Exhibitions
The Museum's Collections and Research
- Museum Gallery
Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies
Committee on Conscience and Human Rights
National Days of Remembrance
Education and Outreach Programs
- Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos
- Online Resources and Global Reach
Elie Wiesel Award
Learning from History: Holocaust Awareness
How the Museum is Managed
See also

The Museum's History and Founding

14th Street entrance of USHMM

The idea for the museum started in 1978. President Jimmy Carter created a group called the President's Commission on the Holocaust. This group was led by Elie Wiesel, a writer and Holocaust survivor. Their job was to figure out how to create a memorial for the victims.

In 1979, the group suggested building a national Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C. They also suggested an education foundation and a Committee on Conscience. In 1980, the United States Congress voted to create the museum. The government gave 1.9 acres of land near the Washington Monument for it.

People raised almost $190 million from private donations to build the museum. This money also helped buy artifacts and create the exhibits. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan helped lay the first stone for the building. The museum was designed by architect James Ingo Freed.

The museum officially opened on April 22, 1993. Important people like President Bill Clinton and Israeli President Chaim Herzog spoke at the ceremony. The museum opened to the public on April 26, 1993. Its first visitor was the 14th Dalai Lama.

Understanding the Museum's Architecture

The museum was designed by architect James Ingo Freed. He wanted the building to help people remember the Holocaust. Freed's family was Jewish, and they left Germany in 1939 to escape the Nazis. He visited Holocaust sites in Europe to help him design the museum.

The outside of the building blends in with other buildings in Washington, D.C. But once you go inside, every part of the building reminds you of the Holocaust. The design aims to make visitors feel serious and thoughtful. This is different from the grand feeling of many other public buildings in the city.

Raoul Wallenberg Place Entrance with Dwight Eisenhower Plaza in the Foreground
Bridges in the USHMM. Blue glass etched with names and places lost during the Holocaust.
Glass bridge over the Hall of Witness.

Exploring the Museum's Exhibitions

The USHMM has two main exhibitions that have been open since 1993. It also has special exhibits that change over time. These exhibits cover topics related to the Holocaust and human rights.

The Hall of Remembrance

Panoramic view of the Hall of Remembrance

The Hall of Remembrance is the museum's official memorial. It honors the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Visitors can light candles here. There is also an eternal flame in this hexagonal room.

The Permanent Exhibition

The Permanent Exhibition is the most visited part of the museum. It uses over 900 artifacts and 70 video screens. It also shows historical films and stories from people who lived through the Holocaust. When you enter, you get an ID card. This card tells the story of a real person from the Holocaust.

You start on the fourth floor and walk through the history of the Holocaust. It begins with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis coming to power in 1933. You learn about their ideas, like Aryan ideology, and events like Kristallnacht. You also see how America reacted to Nazi Germany.

On the third floor, you learn about ghettos and the "Final Solution". This was the Nazis' plan to murder all Jewish people in Europe. Six million Jews were killed during this time. The exhibition ends on the second floor with the liberation of Nazi concentration camps by Allied forces. There is a film showing survivors telling their stories.

Most first-time visitors spend two to three hours in this exhibit. It is recommended for visitors aged 11 and older because of some of the images and topics. If you visit between March and August, you need to get free timed passes.

Remember the Children: Daniel's Story

Remember the Children: Daniel's Story is an exhibit made for elementary and middle school children. It opened in 1993. This exhibit tells true stories about children during the Holocaust. Daniel is named after the son of Isaiah Kuperstein, who helped create the exhibit. It is still open today because families love it.

Stephen Tyrone Johns Memorial

In 2009, the museum honored Special Police Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns. He was killed at the museum. The museum created the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program. Each year, 50 young people from Washington, D.C., learn about the Holocaust in his memory.

The Museum's Collections and Research

The museum has a huge collection of items. These include art, books, maps, films, and recordings of people's stories. It also has personal items and documents. You can look at this information online or visit the museum. Researchers from all over the world use the museum's Library and Archives. They also use the Benjamin and Vladka Meed Registry of Holocaust Survivors.

Museum Gallery

"State of Deception" Nazi propaganda exhibition at the museum in 2011
(Interior) An A2 railcar, one of several types used as Holocaust trains by Nazi Germany to transport victims.
Tower of Faces
This uniform on display was worn by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.
(Exterior) A2 railcar owned by Deutsche Reichsbahn and donated by the Chief Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation in 1991.
Photo Wall at the Holocaust Memorial Museum

Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies

In 1998, the museum started the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies (CAHS). This center supports research and publications about the Holocaust. It helps make historical documents available. It also offers programs for researchers and hosts events. The CAHS has made the USHMM a top place for Holocaust studies worldwide.

The slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" displayed at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Committee on Conscience and Human Rights

The museum also has the Committee on Conscience (CoC). This group researches human rights around the world. They use the Genocide Convention, a rule approved by the United Nations in 1948. The CoC speaks out about possible genocides, like the Darfur Genocide. They advise governments but do not make laws.

National Days of Remembrance

A volunteer reads names of Holocaust victims during the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust inside The Hall of Remembrance.

The USHMM helps organize the National Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (DRVH). These are special days each year to remember the Holocaust. Events are held across the country and around the world. The museum creates materials to help people organize these events. Each year has a special theme, like "Choosing to Act: Stories of Rescue."

Education and Outreach Programs

The USHMM has many programs to improve Holocaust education. The Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Conference for Teachers brings teachers to Washington, D.C. They learn about the Holocaust and become leaders in teaching about it.

Since 1999, the museum has also taught ethics lessons to public service workers. This includes police officers, military personnel, and judges. They learn about professional behavior using Holocaust history. Over 21,000 law enforcement officers have been trained through this program.

Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos

Replica of Auschwitz sign "Arbeit Macht Frei" which means "work will set you free"

The Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945 is a series of books. It tells the history of the concentration camps and ghettos in German-occupied Europe during the Nazi era. The USHMM produces this series. The first volume covers early camps and later camps run by the SS. The second volume focuses on ghettos in Eastern Europe.

Online Resources and Global Reach

The museum has many online resources. Its Holocaust Encyclopedia is an online encyclopedia about the Holocaust. It is available in many languages, including English, Spanish, and Arabic. It has thousands of entries and stories.

The USHMM also partners with companies like Apple Inc. to offer free podcasts about the Holocaust. It has its own channel on YouTube, a Facebook page, and a Twitter page.

The Genocide Prevention Mapping Initiative is a project with Google Earth. It collects and shares information about crises that could lead to genocide. This helps the world respond faster to human rights problems.

Elie Wiesel Award

The Elie Wiesel Award started in 2011. It honors people who have helped the museum's mission. This mission is to fight hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. The award is named after Elie Wiesel, who was the first person to receive it. Past winners include Angela Merkel and John Lewis.

Learning from History: Holocaust Awareness

In 2018, a survey found that many Americans, especially young adults, did not know much about the Holocaust. For example, 41% of young adults (millennials) did not know what Auschwitz was. Auschwitz was the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. The survey showed that education about the Holocaust is still very important.

How the Museum is Managed

The United States Holocaust Memorial Council oversees the museum. This council includes 55 private citizens chosen by the President of the United States. It also has members from the United States Senate and the House of Representatives.

The council has had several leaders over the years. These include Elie Wiesel and Harvey M. Meyerhoff. The museum directors have included Jeshajahu Weinberg and Sara J. Bloomfield.