Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center
Another highly culturally enlightening place to visit in Chicago is the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, located in Skokie. The motto of this museum is powerful and sobering at the same time, stating ‘Remember the Past, Transform the Future’. There is a powerful spirit of dedication to both the Holocaust and its survivors here, over 300,000 guests coming here each year to visit the landmark cultural history and education center.
First built in 2009 under the design of architect Stanley Tigerman, the inside of the museum provides interactive youth exhibitions, tours, group visits, the Legacy Shop store, field trip options, and many more artifacts and exhibits for adults. The entire museum provides a very ‘successful learning experience for all’, the tragic history of this place alone a lesson worth learning.
With threats of neo-nazi marches in the late 1970’s in Skokie a group of survivors put up a small storefront, turning their mission into the 65,000 square foot museum you see today. Over 30 years of experience in educating the public make this place so special, not to mention it’s single-handed efforts in passing the 1990 Holocaust Education Mandate.