United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Lonely Planet review

The somber, soaring Holocaust Museum is unlike any other DC museum. In remembering the millions murdered by the Nazis, it is brutal, direct and impassioned. Its exhibits leave many visitors in tears and few unmoved. James Ingo Freed designed the extraordinary building in 1993 and its stark facade and steel-and-glass interior echo the death camps themselves.

Apart from the permanent exhibits, the candlelit Hall of Remembrance is a sanctuary for quiet reflection; the Wexner Learning Center offers text archives, photographs, films and oral testimony available on touch-screen computers. If you have young children in tow, avoid the permanent exhibits, which are very graphic; instead, opt for Remember the Children, a gentler kids' installation, on the 1st floor.

Same-day passes (up to four per person) to view the permanent exhibit are available at the pass desk on the 1st floor. The passes allow entrance at a designated time (arrive early because they do run out). Alternatively, for a surcharge, tickets are available in advance at www.tickets.com or 800-400-9373.