Virginia Holocaust Museum-Richmond, VA

If you are in the Richmond area then you must visit the Virginia Holocaust Museum. I have been to the one in Washington D.C. and I thought the one in VA was a lot better. 

Walking up to the building  you see the fence around the entrance and signs in German telling you to stop. Outside they also have a railcar from Germany that held Jewish people as they were being transported.

The whole experience is a moving one. World War II is in my top 5 things of history to study. 

The museum is free of charge and they recommend it for children 11 and up because of the graphic content. Walking through the museum you see the cramped quarters they were forced to sleep in. They give you more of a perspective because they have mannequins cramped in the bed. You also see teeth, hair, and other items that the Nazis collected. 

In the museum, they have interactive parts where you can step into a mock gas chamber and crawl through holes to "hide." You will definitely get a history lesson even if you know or don't know anything about the genocide the Nazis committed.

One sad thing is seeing children's artwork and poems from that time.  During 1939-1945, 1.5 million children were annihilated. They have a memorial with their names and some pictures. 

We happened to stumble across this place when in Richmond and I'm glad we stopped. We spent a few hours in here and I would gladly go back and stay longer. The museum also focuses on genocide after WWII. Lots to be learned when you walk in those doors.