Here's an update now that we've visited the museum last week--and I truly appreciate all of the advice we were given.

Turned out that my enntire family chose to do the Holocaust Museum which was very special to me and my husband. We were travelling to DC to celebrate my parents' 75th birthdays so my little family thought we'd be visiting the museum on our own before the rest arrived. My family is Protestant and my husband is Jewish. I grew up in a very non-Jewish town and many of my husband's traditions and heritage are not known by my family thus I was surprised that they all really wanted to go.

We were given tickets by the concierge at the Mayflower which meant that making reservations was not necessary. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and decided to try to do the full museum with both kids and to "bail out" if we thought it was too tough, especially for the 10 year old.

As we were about to enter the main museum and elevator, the male docent suggested that we all do "Daniel's Story" (the children's section) first. It was a good decision. Great overview of the rise of Nazism, the force to the Ghettos and then the concentration camps at a kids' level. Upon exiting the exhibit, our 10 year old said she didn't think she could go on. So I said she and I would stay back and encouraged the rest to continue.

After sitting on a bench for a couple of minutes (and realizing we had about 2 hours to kill), I asked my daughter what caused her to change her mind. She somehow indicated that she feared she wouldn't be able to handle it and couldn't leave. When I explained that we could leave at any time during the tour, she said she would try it and we rejoined our group.

As someone on this forum aptly put it, one of the most graphic and disturbing parts of the museum is when you exit the elevator when you first start the tour. The photo that is staight ahead of you is VERY graphic although sadly real. I could tell immediately it was not something our children needed to view to appreciate the history of their ancestors and so quickly ushered them to the side.

I personally thought, as did the rest of our Christian and Jewish group, that the museum was excellent and not too overwhelming. The history is devastating and heart-wrenching. But it is presented in a way that explains the history and focusses on human frailties and triumphs more than it is a constant barrage of carnage. There are three floors--one about the rise of Nazism, one about the Final Solution and one about the post-camp rebuilding. The Final Solution floor is devastating and there is one film that we did not allow my daughter to view (I didn't see it either as a result). Those who saw it said it was grisly (described the horrible experiments that the Nazis did on the Jews in the camps). But there is a high wall with many warning notes around it so you can easily avoid viewing it. We did, however, allow our daughter and son to view the diorama explaining the crematoriums.

While it was all very upsetting, I must say that we were glad the children saw it. And our daughter was very glad she had gone. She is a sweet, sensitive and family-centered girl who really wanted to know about her heritage and who connected a great deal with both Anne Frank and the girl in Number the Stars as she toured. She even chose to light a candle at the end in the area for Bergen Belsen victims as she remembered that was where Anne Frank had died.

Each person will differ in their reaction to this powerful museum. I am glad we went and took our children. It is not easy but it is history. And my teenage niece was sad to draw parallels between the way Germans treated Jews in the 30's with the way White America treated African Americans at the same time (without the concentration camps, of course).

I hope this info is helpful to others. I'd be happy to answer specific questions.

Thanks, ccrosner!

How long did it take you go to through the museum? I am planning an April trip to DC with my older son, who is 13. We tend to go things pretty quickly, but do not want to rush through. (And we will skip the more "graphic" stuff.

I have friends who go to a local synogagogue that recently had a presentation on Paper Clips - I didn't know the DVD was available - I'll be sure to rent it.

Hi,
Thanks for reporting back. It sounds like you handled everything perfectly and it was very worthwhile. How special that your larger family shared the experience with you.

You have given me the push to get my act together and bring my 12 year old. I think he is and would be good timing for him as he has done lots of reading about this period recently. Sometimes when you "only" live 1 1/2 hours away, it is harder to get away from daily life to see things than when you are on a big trip away.

Karens and fun4all--
Thanks for your nice words. Fun4all...I understand the bit about needing an extra push to do things when you live so close. We live 10 minutes outside downtown Boston and my kids still haven't toured the USS Constitution And with so much to see in DC, you almost need to make a week long trip of it.

KarenS...I would suggest you give the tour no less than 2 hours and probably closer to 2 1/2 or three. We did it in a little over two hours but never got to see some of the temporary exhibits in the basement and really went quickly through the final floor. The first floor you tour can get a bit bottlenecked (just the design of it, I guess) so you can't whip through too quickly.

Have a great trip!

ccrosner: thanks for your insightful and detailed report - I was away and wondering how it went for you and yours. It is certainly something your children will remember many times over as they go through life, school, reading, etc....

I know the original poster has already taken her trip, but for others who might read this thread, budget 4 hours for The Holocaust Museum. Honest. It does take that long. You will not want to rush through once you start. You will not feel much like doing anything else after you finish except maybe have a drink or go somewhere quiet. There is a room at the end of the museum for contemplation.

For children: You will do the museum more quickly and you should do Daniel's Story first. You also need to discuss with your children what they are going to see first--and you do need to prevent them from looking in the sheltered boxes where the information can be quite graphic.

I would not take children under 8 years old. My children did go with their Hebrew School class the first time and they were younger than 10 & 12. Obviously, it was discussed beforehand.

I describe the Holocaust Museum as the place we visit to sort of visit the tomb of those for whom there are no graves.

The European branch of my family--as with most Eastern European Jews--disappeared in the Holocaust. I do have a few relatives who survived. What I know of them is that some live in the interior of Russia and one immigrated to the US. They are all very distant cousins.