United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Visitors should come prepared for an experience they'll not forget when visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. At the start of the tour, each visitor is given an identity card of a Holocaust victim that matches the visitor's own age and gender. Ordinary reality is skewed through off-center stairways, weird angles, and the shadows of other visitors on the glass walkways overhead. An elaborate audio-visual display includes interviews, films, and photographs. The Hall of Remembrance provides a calm, empty space at the end of the tour where one can reflect on the experience. The museum discourages children under the age of 11 from attending. Admission to the museum is free. However, from March through August, a free pass is required to enter the permanent exhibition. Passes are not required to gain entrance to the museum building or to go to any of the smaller exhibitions, memorials, or special programming.