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The shoes would've gotten me, too.
I went there this past Saturday when I was in the District, and found it pretty interesting.
For starters, it's definitely the most intimate museum I've ever visited and it engages you throughout--sometimes for the worse. They typically have you start on the 4th floor and work your way down and around to the 2nd floor. Along the way you see a plethora of family pictures, Nazi propaganda, extermination footage, speeches from high-ranking Nazi officials, and a slew of other interesting things.
My only quasi-problem with the museum was the temperature (around 78-80 degrees), and how the rooms and halls narrowed as you made your way through the exhibits--this is obviously by design though, because you legitimately felt like you were packed into a rail car. It works for effect, but it also has you quickly going past certain areas b/c you're so damn hot.
If you ever visit (and I do recommend it) there are 2 things that I can assure will stay with you.
1. The Hall of Rememberance - Very cool circular room with an almost mystical feel to it, where the sunlight creeps in from above. On the walls around the area are the names of the major camps/slaughterhouses like Dachau, Mauthausen, Auschwitz, Lodz, etc, with candles set up. At the back end is their "eternal flame" with an inscription/passage from Deuteronomy (not the religious type, but the quote was very fitting).
2. In one part of the exhibit you pass through a dark, seemingly-empty corridor with waist-high glass on both sides of you. As you look down behind the glass (on both sides), the floor is covered with the actual shoes of thousands of the victims, who had taken them off prior to being exterminated. Not to sound like an arrogant prick, but after 6 years as a medic nothing really affects me or shocks me that much anymore--but this particular part of the exhibit will affect you in some way. It's an eerie feeling.
I haven't been to the one in NYC or anywhere else, but I definitely recommend visiting this one.
The shoes would've gotten me, too.
I haven't been to any of the Holocaust museums in the US, but I've been to the Anne Frank House and Museum in Amsterdam. It's haunting to walk the actual stairs and look out the actual window; and while I already knew the quarters were cramped I was shocked at how small it all really was. It was very eerie, and definitely sobering to be face to face with such a tragic time in history.
Where can I find the museum that honors the American Indians?
Just curious...
There's one in Vegas, Reno, and Atlantic City.
The National Museum of the American Indian (Smithsonian) is on the National Mall in DC.
How about in Washington DC?
Good stuff. I think what's shocking about it is when you're taking it all in you realize we're only 70 years removed from this (not even)...my grandfather on my dad's side was right in the thick of this too. Just crazy to think about.
X2In one part of the exhibit you pass through a dark, seemingly-empty corridor with waist-high glass on both sides of you. As you look down behind the glass (on both sides), the floor is covered with the actual shoes of thousands of the victims, who had taken them off prior to being exterminated.
That really hit home...Thinking the man/woman in THAT pair of shoes was exterminated.
Most of those guys are gone...my dad that flew Corsairs in the Pacific will turn 92 next week.
Is the museum your typical American uber Jewish angle or do they actually focus on Poles, Russians, Dutch etc?
They leave no one out, I can assure you that. They have a wall of Polish political prisoners in one section alone, as well as an assortment of other parts of the exhibit. The Russians (specifically Ukrainian jews) have quite a lot in there as well, especially concerning the Babi Yar camp.
In fact, the street the Museum is on is Raoul Wallenberg Place, named after a guy who saved a lot of jews in Hungary.
They cover everything.
Hmm this does sound intriguing then
Eat and be merry before you go. It pretty much ruins the day after that.
That being said, it shouldn't be missed either.
That and the Korean War Memorial on a cold dawn foggy morning and the FDR Memorial at night.
WWII memorial is weak, Vietnam memorial is a cliche (even if I personally know some names on the wall) and Lincoln M is over rated.
Sounds to me like a psychic imprint of those knowing their fate was left on the shoes. A paranormal phenomena similar to a haunting. I have experience left over impressions of the past before. It is eerie.
Besides the shoes, one other visual really got me. Early in the tour you pass through a room that represents an actual town with a couple thousand framed photos of the residents who lived there. Near the end you pass through a seemingly identical room again, but atleast 3/4 of the photos are now missing.
Definately a must see for all. What I knew of the holocaust was just the beginning, they break it down from beginning to the end with fantastic visuals. If you go just plan on spending 3 maybe 4 hours to really take it all in.
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