US Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - darkometer rating : 7 - This is one of the world's most important Holocaust memorial centres, even though, being in the USA , it is "dislocated" from what it commemorates. But it's still a top-drawer dark tourism destination, and certainly the No. 1 in Washington D.C. for the dark tourist. > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations More background info: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the USA 's (if not the world's) premier Holocaust memorial centre. It was opened in 1993 and has become so incredibly popular (attracting millions of visitors) that it is now one of the most important institutions of its kind in the whole world. That's even though it is "dislocated" from what it commemorates (see the concept of dark tourism ) – that is to say it is neither located at a place where the Holocaust happened, i.e. especially in Poland , nor in a country of either the perpetrators or victims, i.e. Germany / Austria and Israel (as well as many countries in Europe), respectively. In fact, for this very reason it was initially even questioned whether the USA needed to have such a place [see Lennon/Foley , p148]. Indeed, I would also say that seeing the exhibition at the USHMM cannot replace a visit to the authentic sites in Europe where the Holocaust took place, in particular places like Auschwitz or other death camps (even if there may not be any elaborate educational exhibitions). Yet the USHMM is probably (at least nearly) on a par with Yad Vashem in Israel in global importance. As the home of the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, it also sets the benchmark for Holocaust remembrance and research in the USA (and beyond).