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Illinois Holocaust Museum is offering free admission the last Friday of every month

Illinois Holocaust Museum

On the last Friday of every month in 2023, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is offering free admission, giving visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of the Holocaust and other human rights issues. Free Days are generously sponsored by the Engel Family Artifact Preservation Fund in memory of Ben and Rose Engel.

“What an experience. An educational, moving, heart wrenching museum filled with much information that needs to be known and remembered,” said one visitor. “It’s somber, but so important to remember and recognize the horrific experiences these innocent people suffered.” 

Tickets can be reserved here.

Now Open

The Girl in the Diary: Searching for Rywka from the Łódz Ghetto

Closing September 24, 2023

In 1945, a diary was discovered in the liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp. It was written by a 14-year-old Jewish girl named Rywka Lipszyc and documented her life in the Łódz Ghetto between October 1943 and April 1944. Rywka’s diary told stories of a young girl who lost her siblings and parents, but never lost hope or her faith. More than 60 years after its discovery, the diary traveled to the US, where it was translated to English, supplemented with commentaries, and published. Through historical artifacts and documents, interactive touch screens, documentary videos, and exceptionally rare photographs, The Girl in the Diary explores the story of a young girl’s fight for survival in the Łódz Ghetto and reconstructs what might have happened to Rywka after her deportation to Auschwitz and beyond.

Click here to learn more.

Opening in 2023

“I’ll Have What She’s Having”: The Jewish Deli

Opening October 22, 2023

More than a place to get a meal, the Jewish deli is a community forged in food. “I’ll Have What She’s Having”: The Jewish Deli explores how Jewish immigrants, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe, imported and adapted traditions to create a uniquely American restaurant. Organized by the Skirball Cultural Center, the exhibition reveals how Jewish delicatessens became a cornerstone of American food culture. Get a taste of deli history through neon signs, menus, advertisements, uniforms, photographs, and film and TV clips. Plus, spark and share your own deli memories with fun photo ops and interactives! Click here to learn more.

About Illinois Holocaust Museum

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center honors the Survivors and victims of the Holocaust and transforms history into current, relevant, and universal lessons in humanity. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Museum inspires individuals and organizations and provides a universal wake-up call to action: Take history to heart. Take a stand for humanity. The Museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 10 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.ilholocaustmuseum.org or call 847-967-4800.

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