Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust was founded in 1961 by Holocaust Survivors and is the oldest museum of its kind in the United States.

In 1961, a group of holocaust survivors began meeting to discuss their personal experiences, the importance of commemorating their lost relatives and friends and educating future generations about the Holocaust.

They each possessed valuable primary sources, such as photographs, artifacts, documents, and memories, and decided that these objects needed a sanctuary for documentation, preservation, and education.

The Museum moved into its award-winning permanent home in 2010. The physical building is integrated into the surrounding park landscape.

The architecture of the main building is designed to immerse the visitor in the horror and darkness of the Holocaust, as the ceilings are lower and the rooms darker in the galleries focused on the concentration camps.

While visitors are submerged in the history of the Holocaust, park-life continues outside of the Museum. This juxtaposition is a crucial component in the architectural design of the building.

The galleries are organized chronologically and cover Jewish life before the Holocaust as well as critical historical events between 1933 and 1945.

Artist’s View of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust’s home in Pan Pacific Park

Highlights of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

An extensive collection of artifacts from the Holocaust period
The “Children’s Memorial” – about 1.5 million children, perished in the Holocaust
The “Martyrs Memorial” – honoring the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust
The “Garden of the Righteous” – pays homage to non-Jews who risked their lives to help
The “Tree of Testimony” – a 70-screen video sculpture that displays the 52,000 survivor testimonies
The “18 Camps “Interactive – in Judaism, the number 18’s corresponding letters are the word “Chai,” for life
The “Sobibor Model” – a model of the Sobibor Extermination camp