Responsible for the deaths of more than 17 million people, the Holocaust, which spanned from 1941 to 1945, remains a black mark in European and German history. Every year since 2005, Jan. 27, the anniversary date of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, has commemorated the history and tragedy of World War II’s Holocaust.
Recognized as a national event primarily in the United Kingdom and Italy, citizens of the United States use the day to reflect upon the immense losses, especially those that heard or experienced first-hand the atrocities of the German concentration camps. From the East Coast to the West, the U.S. is brimming with different memorials and museums dedicated to the five years of horror experienced by millions of people.
When it comes to memorializing the victims of the Holocaust, most states house a specific building, location or statue dedicated to those lost and the many left with permanent physical and emotional scars. This Jan. 27, take a moment to find your state’s Holocaust memorial and pay your respects to those who suffered.
One of the best resources for the Holocaust is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, located in Washington, D.C. The museum provides an in-depth look at the horrific events that spanned 1941 to 1945 using photos, personal stories and historical footage. If a trip to Washington, D.C. is not possible, consider visiting any of these Holocaust memorials and museums selected from dozens across the nation.
Alabama
- Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, Birmingham
Arizona
- Jewish History Museum/Holocaust History Museum, Tucson
California
- The Desert Holocaust Memorial, Palm Desert
- Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, Los Angeles
- The Holocaust Memorial at California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco
Colorado
- The Baby Yar Park, Denver
Florida
- The Florida Holocaust Museum, St. Petersburg
- The Holocaust Documentation & Education Center, Dania Beach
- The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, Maitland
Georgia
- The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, Atlanta
Illinois
- Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Skokie
Indiana
- CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Terre Haute
Louisiana
- New Orleans Holocaust Memorial at Woldenberg Park, Woldenberg Park
Maryland
- The Baltimore Holocaust Memorial, Baltimore
Massachusetts
- The New England Holocaust Memorial, Boston
Michigan
- University of Michigan Holocaust Memorial, Ann Arbor
- Holocaust Memorial, Oakview Cemetery, Royal Oak
Missouri
- Holocaust Museum & Learning Center, St. Louis
Nebraska
- The Nebraska Holocaust Memorial, Lincoln
Nevada
- The Sperling Kronberg Mack Holocaust Resource, Henderson
New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Holocaust Memorial, Nashua
New Jersey
- Liberation Holocaust Memorial, Liberty State Park, Jersey City
New Mexico
- The New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum, Albuquerque
New York
- Holocaust Memorial Park, Brooklyn
- Holocaust Memorial, City Hall Plaza, Long Beach
- Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, Welwyn Preserve, Glen Clove
Ohio
- The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Cincinnati
- Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, Beachwood
Oregon
- Oregon Holocaust Memorial, Portland
Pennsylvania
- The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center, Philadelphia
- Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
Rhode Island
- Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, Providence
South Carolina
- Charleston Holocaust Memorial, Charleston
Tennessee
- Nashville Holocaust Memorial, Nashville
Texas
- The Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education & Tolerance, Dallas
- The Holocaust History Project, San Antonio
- Holocaust Museum Houston, Houston
Wisconsin
- Holocaust Memorial, Milwaukee
Virginia
- The Virginia Holocaust Museum, Richmond
