Yad Vashem - World Holocaust Remembrance Center

Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, set on the Mount of Remembrance (Har Hazikaron) in West Jerusalem. The campus is a wooded hillside complex with indoor and outdoor memorials, and the central Holocaust History Museum is a long triangular concrete structure cut into the mountain. Its galleries lead visitors through the story of Jewish life before the war, the rise of Nazism, the ghettos, the camps and the aftermath, using personal testimony, film, photographs, documents and everyday objects. The route ends at a large hall with a view over the Jerusalem hills. Other parts of the campus include the Hall of Names, a cone-shaped archive holding pages of testimony for millions of victims, the Children's Memorial, a dark chamber lit by reflected candle points while names are read aloud, the Hall of Remembrance with its eternal flame, the Valley of the Communities, and the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations. Sculptures and memorials, including a railway boxcar overlooking a gorge, are placed throughout the grounds. A visit takes three to four hours, and it is emotionally demanding, so many visitors plan a quiet period afterward. Entry is free but timed entry should be reserved through the official website, and groups must book. Photography is not allowed inside the main museum, although it is permitted in many outdoor areas. The museum is not recommended for children under ten. Arriving at 9:00AM on a weekday gives the calmest conditions, while late mornings and school-group days are busiest. Opening hours run Sunday to Wednesday, Thursday with late opening, and Friday morning only, and the site is closed on Saturday and Jewish holidays. A cafeteria and bookshop are on site, but many visitors eat before or after. The Mount Herzl light rail terminus is a ten-minute walk, and a free shuttle also runs.