Claire Marie-Peterson

Review of USHMM

An impactful experience, with much information tha...

An impactful experience, with much information that I didn't know, presented in a chronological manner that made sense of a lot of loose ends in my mind about the Holocaust. The self-guided tour of the permanent exhibition, which the staff estimates at "90 minutes," could easily take at least one full day. The guided tour of the special exhibition (currently "They Were Neighbors") is not to be missed, and barely scratches the surface of material on the lower level. My most important criticism is that there is little signage and no staff presence in the permanent exhibition to help you find your way if you end up in the wrong place in the chronology--or to answer questions along the way. A related complaint is that I learned only after she had left that I had missed the regular Sunday visit of a Holocaust survivor. Since museum guests must check in at the information desk to use their timed tickets, staff should take that opportunity to tell guests about any such opportunities.