the national holocaust centre and museum

A visit to Beth Shalom, The National Holocaust Centre , challenges; it challenges your senses; it challenges your perception of history; it challenges your beliefs in humanity and can even challenge your faith. It also inspires when you hear from those who survive the horrors of the Death Camps and all they faced.Any visit requires time to see the exhibits and reflection in the beautiful grounds. Before any visit check the website for opening times

Thank you for visiting the Centre and Museum and we're really pleased that you had a worthwhile visit. We'd be delighted to welcome you back when you visit again!

Thank you very much for visiting the Centre and for taking the time to write a review. We're delighted that you had a worthwhile visit and that you managed to listen to Steven's testimony. We look forward to welcoming at the Centre again very soon!

Hi, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review and we're delighted that you had the opportunity to visit the Centre. We look forward to welcoming you again very shortly.Best wishes,The National Holocaust Centre and Museum.

Dear Mandie,Thank you for visiting the National Holocaust Centre and Museum and for taking the time to write a review. We're delighted that you found your trip worthwhile and the exhibitions educating. We look forward to welcoming you to the Centre in the nearby future.Best wishes,The National Holocaust Centre and Museum.

During coverage of the Holocaust anniversary events I realised I was woefully ignorant about the events leading up to the Final Solution. I thought the death camps were in Germany whereas the 5 big ones were in Poland. So I visited the Holocaust Centre near my home. I was met by very friendly and very knowledgeable members of staff who offered first to put on an introductory film to set the scene if I wanted to watch it, This was followed up by a self conducted tour round the exhibition rooms aimed at adults and older teenagers. These were full of very emotional photos, artefacts and film commentaries. Photos of the ghettoes the Jews were forced into in Poland, with people walking past children clearly dead or dying in the street were particularly harrowing. The Journey, a separate exhibition for children showed the changes in the life of Leo through his diary, showing how, because he was a Jew, he was made to feel different, losing all his friends and finally being forced to leave his parents and his baby sister and travel to safety in England on the Kindertransport train never to see his parents again. A must visit educational experience.

I took my Dad along in the summer and I have to say it was a really interesting visit. I learned a lot but my Dad was engrossed and it brought back a lot of memories for him.

We visited last week (mum and child) We were warmly welcomed at the door and everything was comprehensively explained to us. The prices were fair (£15 for one adult and one child, with plenty of free parking.) There was no speaker (child survivor of the Holocaust) that day, which was not a problem to us, but the lovely chap in the shop gave us a voucher to return on a pre-arranged date if we wanted to, to hear a guest speaker. The facilities were excellent, with plenty of clean loo's and a very reasonably priced café (with such friendly ladies.) While we had a hot chocolate each (cold day!), a lovely gentleman chatted to us and asked us what we thought about the exhibition. He didn't say, but I got the feeling he was perhaps the owner (it is a privately owned museum.)The exhibitions were sensitively and rationally portrayed and although the main exhibition contained (understandably) some graphic and upsetting images, I was able to distract my child not to see two of the most shocking photographs (he is nearly secondary school age, so able to appreciate the atrocity of war and concept of Holocaust, but the pictures were of starving children and therefore too upsetting to see.)There was a second exhibition called The Journey, which was aimed at children and helping them to understand the context behind what happened, as part of the lead up to WW2. This was so interesting and was quite interactive. When we had finished looking round (we were surprised to find we had been there for 2.5hrs!), we had a look around the memorial gardens, which were so sad.This museum is an absolute must-see, so we will never forget the atrocities that happened. Highly recommended for a sobering, but interesting afternoon and hopefully this museum will continue to educate young people.

We visited on a Thursday i had emailed ahead having read it is advisable to ensure there are seats for the speaker in the afteenoon. This speaker was one of the main reasons we wanted to visit. On arrival we greeated in a friendly manner and told that there was a school trip attending this. We were showb where to start our tour and we did so unfortunately shortly after starting the school group followed us. I have no problems with school groups what so ever however in an environment such as this the lack of respect shown was quite disappointing. However we carried on and learnt some very interesting fact the museum us well laid out and very informative the journey bit is very well done and does hit home some more. The speaker was very good and captivated the audience. The gardens are well maintained and they gave us a chance to reflect on how fortunate we are. The coffee shop is very nice well priced and the staff are friendly it is also well stocked. Overall its a very good day put and informative just could maybe do a day without school groups once a month.

My husband and I visited The Holocaust center before our trip to Poland to visitthe death camps there. It gave us a good insight to what we were to expect but on a much greater scale. The staff are extremely helpful but not too intrusive. The rose gardens are serene and peaceful. The whole experience is peaceful and emotional. So pleased this place is now open to the public. Well done to all concerned, even to the staff in the tea rooms,..wonderful

Although we live very near to the centre we have never visited, oh what a shame we didn't. The approach is a beautiful memorial garden and the centre itself is amazing. There is a museum which reminds one of the awful atrocities to the Jews before and during WW2, and then there is the Journey which is an exhibition where little Leo takes you through his hiding place and this is aimed mostly at school children to give them an idea how it was during those times. I found it all very harrowing but so pleased I visited. Finished off with a tea and scones in the garden which was really cheap and lush too

Without any doubt, an incredible and moving experience that reflects the worst that human beings can do to each other. The Smith family deserve all the recognition that is possible for creating an educational tour that covers both visually and graphically the leading up to the Second World War.We should also wish to show our appreciation to Janet,Simon and Aneesa for opening the centre especially for our family. We very much look forward to visiting once again during normal opening times!Everyone should make the time and effort to visit.Susan & Gerry

I visited here with my husband and parents on Friday 18th July. The drive there was not as expected as the centre is in the middle of nowhere but surrounded by lovely countryside all the same. From the car park we walked through the gardens to get to the visitor centre. There were lovely messages from family members and areas dedicated to memorials with tributes. It was very peaceful. Entry was £8 per adult. All staff that we spoke to went above and beyond their duties to explain elements about the museum. Their passion was evident. The museum was informative and well set out. It was quiet and peaceful throughout the museum. It allowed for lots of time to read the information and take in all of the information. The Journey expedition was also very good and provided the opportunity to experience what life was like as a child during the Holocaust. We had a drink and cake in the café where the lady was exceptionally helpful. Unfortunately we were unable to do the survivor's talk as it was fully booked for the day. The website recommends that you book in advance but we were given a free voucher to return for the day to listen to the talk. Definitely worth a visit. Informative and moving with excellent staff!

This is a lovely museum set in countryside with beautiful gardens which full of lovely memorials. The exhibits are moving and remind us of mans inhumanity to man and how a race of people were persecuted by another. The journey was a wonderful series of exhibitions showing how the German Jews were made scapegoats and eventually were nearly all exterminated.The basement exhibition I found rather crowded and did not follow a logical path, but never the less I would encourage anyone to visit this moving museum. The cafe is very reasonable and very good for a snack.

beautiful gardens very calming museum beautiful but horrific very interesting but can be upsetting seeing how humans can be cruel to each other coffee shop also worth a visit