Virginia Holocaust Museum, Richmond, Virginia, An Interactive Look at the Holocaust

The Virginia Holocaust Museum is not as large as the United States Holocaust Museum, located in Washington D.C., but it provides visitors with an experience that is truly unique.

Founded in 1997 by Mark Fetter, Al Rosenbaum and Holocaust survivor, Jay Ipson, the Virginia Holocaust Museum aims to place visitors in the scene and allow them to view the Holocaust through the eyes of the victims.

The museum was originally housed in a few room of a local temple. In 2003 the doors opened for its new facility: an old tobacco warehouse that was donated by the state of Virginia.

To accomplish the goal of allowing visitors to feel as though they are part of the events of the Holocaust, the exhibits feature life-size recreations of various Holocaust related places.

Visitors can walk through a ghetto, see full-size replicas of important places, board a cattle car like the ones used to transport victims to concentration camps and even crawl into a hiding place like one that was used by several Jews trying to evade capture. In order to be accessible to all patrons, the museum provides an alternate route for those visitors who cannot crawl through the exhibit.

Many visitors said that visiting the museum was one of the most moving experiences of their lives. Some who have also visited the Holocaust museum in D.C. appreciated the smaller, more personal feel of this museum. Said one visitor, "There are plenty of pictures, plenty of audio, and plenty of hands-on exhibits that you can actually touch and be a part of.''

The same visitor also said, "The museum makes fantastic use of large-scale reinterpretations of places and events and effortlessly guides you on your own through the use of personal audio equipment (mp3 players and headphones.)''

Visitors to the museum, located at 2000 East Cary Street, have the option of a self-guided audio tour, which is narrated by Holocaust survivor Jay Ipson, or a self-guided book tour.

The museum includes 28 total exhibits, each focusing on a particular theme or event. One, which was added in May 2008, is a replica of the courtroom in which the Nuremburg Trials were held. There is also a "Survivor's Room'' where guests are welcome to reflect in quiet meditation and several special events and programs are held throughout the year.

Because of the nature of the museum, there are some photographs and exhibits that are too graphic for young children. For this reason, the museum recommends that only children over the age of 9 attend. Also, it is recommended that parents walk through exhibits in order to decide if each is appropriate for their child.

The museum website offers several suggestions for reading materials that can help visitors prepare for a visit. The website also provides updated exhibit information as well as information about upcoming special events, lectures, film screenings and other programs.