Tower of Faces, Holocaust Memorial Museum © Dsdugan

One of the city's best museums, but also the most disturbing, is the US Holocaust Memorial Museum that hauntingly commemorates the abuse and murder of millions of Jews by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. The permanent exhibition is divided into three floors, starting with the Nazi occupation of Poland, the Holocaust, and finally the after-effects of the war and liberation of the camps, with a moving film in which Holocaust survivors recount their personal experiences. The Hall of Remembrance is a quiet, meditative place with dozens of burning candles lit in memory of the victims.

Exhibits vividly convey the scale and nature of the horrors of the Holocaust using films, voice recordings, personal belongings of Jewish victims, photographs and Nazi propaganda. The permanent exhibition's graphic content is extremely disturbing and is not recommended for children under 11 years of age. A different section of the museum contains an exhibit designed for children, called 'Daniel's Story: Remember the Children'.

Address: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place

Website: www.ushmm.org

Telephone: (202) 488 0400

Transport: Smithsonian metro station

Opening times: Daily 10am to 5.20pm.

Admission: Entry is free year-round, but between March and August timed passes are required for the permanent exhibition. These passes can be booked in advance through the official website.