Excellent exhibits - I like to read everything, so two hours was not enough time here. I managed to get through the permanent exhibit but wasn't able to watch many of the videos. The exhibits do a very thorough job of explaining the Jewish culture during the 1930s as well as how attitudes and politics escalated throughout the war.

in response to a question about dining options whilst visiting the Museum and Education Center.... - There is no cafeteria inside. There are vending machines in lower level with soft drinks, chocolate, snacks, etc. There are a number of good restaurants in the nearby Old Orchard mall. Simply keep your admission tickets and show them at the entrance when you return. Be sure to get back before 4:00 when the doors close. The museum is open till 5:00. Currently, masks encouraged but not required. See my earlier review (Ma 29, 2022) for more details, including the history.

Admission is free on the last Friday of every month in 2022. - I have been visiting the Holocaust Museum since its beginnings as a small store-front facility on Main Street in Skokie. I think it was a dentist's office before that. The original building is still standing and I marvel every time I drive by at the concept of "The Little Museum That Could" -- now the third largest holocaust museum in the world. Yes, you read that right -- in the world. Here's the back story: Neo-nazis attempted to march in Skokie in 1978 but were stopped by a last-minute court injunction. The attempted Skokie March galvanized a group of local Shoah survivors who knew that the strongest weapon against bigotry is education. They rented office space on Dempster and eventually moved into the Main Street location in 1984. School groups came to visit and a speakers bureau was established to reach those who couldn't visit in person. ' They raised funds for the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising memorial which was erected in 1987 on the Village Green between the Skokie Public Library and the Village Hall. There are ashes from Auschwitz buried behind the monument. In 2009 the current state-of-the-art Museum building opened. All multimedia is captioned and resources are available for the visually impaired. Docent-led tours are available in four languages (Spanish, Russian, French, and Hebrew). For me, the highlight is the hologram exhibit, which is computer generated; is changed every month; and is included in the cost of your ticket. You will experience an interactive, 3-D survivor testimony. The schedule right now spotlights Pinchas Gutter till the end of May; Aaron Elster from June 1 - 30; and Renee Firestone from July 1-31. The amazing technology allows members of the audience to hear the survivors' stories and to ask them questions. (Pinchas Gutter will sing a song for you.) The last time I was there the volunteer docent rephrased some of the questions in order to include the correct trigger words. Museum admission is free on the last Friday of every month in 2022. See my earlier review (August 20, 2022) for more details.

Truths of the Holocaust as told by Survivors - I loved the hologram theater with Fritzi! She was such a genuine, loving, compassionate person. It was rather difficult to listen to all that she had to go through. I cannot imagine the fear that they all went through.

A nice experience - It was a nice museum. We downloaded the app and had our headphones in listening. We learned a lot of stuff that we didn’t know before. Thank you for the experience.

Preserving the legacy of the Holocaust - In this day and age, when there are radicals or others who continue to deny that millions of Jews were killed by Nazi atrocities during World War II, I would highly recommend that anyone who still has doubts or has never been there before make a visit to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, Illinois. Located at 9603 Woods Drive in Chicago's near north suburb, off the Edens Expressway (I-94), near Old Orchard Shopping Center. its mission is to "Remember the Past" and "Transform the Future" while preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those were who lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference. The museum, which was established in 1981 and opened at its current site in 2009, was established as a response to a Neo-Nazi group's attempt march through Skokie, where many Holocaust survivors had settled after the war. The Holocaust exhibition occupies the first floor while the upper floor contains the remembrance area with stories by Holocaust survivors and an art gallery. One of the most sobering objects in the museum is a railroad car, which was filled with Jews on their way to the death camps. The unique Take A Stand Center employs a new technology that allows visitors to interact with speaking holographic images of Holocaust survivors. One of the newest exhibits tells the life of the late Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. All very informative and thought-provoking.

Powerful museum on the Final Solution - Other than DC, this is the most powerful and comprehensive museum I have seen on the Holocaust outside of visiting the camps themselves. An easy 20-minute drive from Chicago, this should not be near the top of any itinerary, this should be the top site. Excellent job to the curator and staff - very moving.

Museum - I went here in March of 2021. The only way to purchase a ticket is online and then they scan your phone. You do have to go through metal detector to enter. I was allowed to leave for lunch and come back later. This museum is very professionally done and the entrance fee is $15. The main floor is where you will spend most of your time. If you read everything and watch all of the videos, you will be there for a number of hours. The upper floor was mostly paintings and I did not spend much time there. The lower floor had a holographic theater and a special display area. In the holographic theater, they had a presentation and then you could ask a question which would be transmitted to a library of stored answers. While some were fascinated by this, this piece of it wasn't that thrilling to me. If you do want to do the theater, I would make sure you get a ticket early since they were limiting the number of people in it.

One of the best Holocaust museums - Amazing displays on Holocaust history, very detailed and captivating. One of the finest Holocaust museums. If you visit Chicago, this tour should be a must. Also a fabulous exhibit on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Thank you for this experience!!

Overall very nice - The guide was very kind, as were all of the other people there. With the guide, it was very interactive and engaging. Our group was very happy with this trip.