Washington D.C. Day 5
This was our last day in D.C. and we had a late afternoon flight to catch, but we had one more important stop to make...
...The Holocaust Museum.
I was super excited about seeing this because I've heard so many amazing things about how well it's done, and it definitely did not disappoint. I have a really morbid curiosity/fascination with the genocide that Hilter and the Nazis committed during WWII. I've watched tons of documentaries and read lots of books, and the horrendous atrocities they committed never become less shocking.
Museum lobby
The museum was pretty packed, much more so than I thought it would be on a Monday morning, and it was kind of hard to get through the crowd with Henry's stroller. The beginning of the museum had information about Hitler and how he and the Nazi party came to power, and there were lots of pictures and videos. The atmosphere was very solemn and reverent, and it was amazing that although it was crowded, hardly anyone said a word. Everyone was just walking through and absorbing everything, really feeling the gravity of it all.
This was a really cool two story hallway with floor to ceiling photos of families that were taken to concentration camps. Seeing all of the happy faces, and just normal people living normal lives, and then knowing what horrors they faced was really sad. It's just unfathomable.
This is a gas chamber door, with cans of inert Zyklon B pellets. They had lots of other items that had been transported from concentration camps, including a set of bunks, and a train car. You could walk into the train car, and it really put into perspective how jam packed they were while being transported. The stories that were told throughout the museum were absolutely heartbreaking. One that really got me was a quote from someone who had been in a train car with 2 women with babies, and she said that the women were begging for water while trying to nurse their babies. As a new mom, that absolutely killed me. I just cannot even imagine.
Both sides of this walkway were filled with pairs of shoes that had been taken away from the Jews upon their arrival at concentration camps. The number of shoes was astounding.
This boat was used to smuggle Jews out of Denmark after they were ordered to turn in their Jewish population to the Nazis. They were the only country to protect their Jewish citizens, and 99% of their Jewish population survived the war.
At the end of the museum was an area for people to light candles in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. There was this one large flame, and then lots of tea lights throughout the room.
So thankful to be able to live our lives without the fear of persecution.
Needless to the, the museum was so well done and was so moving. I could have cried throughout the whole thing, and I did tear up a couple of times. Everyone needs to visit the Holocaust Museum at least once so that we don't ever forget what happened, and how many innocent lives were lost.
After leaving the museum we had to hurry back to the hotel to grab our luggage, and then we went straight to the Metro and headed to the airport. We flew in and out of Reagan, and we will definitely use the Metro station at the airport next time. It was so easy and convenient! It was a short flight home, and luckily Henry did this most of the way...
...what every parents wishes for when flying with a baby!
And then he woke up happy and excited to be going home after a wonderful trip!
Thanks so much for following along! We had the most wonderful time, and I seriously cannot wait to go back! In case you missed it, here's where you can find recaps of each day:
If you have suggestions of things that are musts when in D.C., I'd love to hear them!
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