This is the inside story of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., told by the very people who developed the museum as a place for learning, communicating, and remembering. This book conveys the dedication to truth and scholarship that is the foundation of the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and details the museum's role in presenting evidence of lives and events that must never be forgotten.

When the museum opened in April 1993, Holocaust survivors saw their dream come true - their story could now be told to the world. Since it opened, the museum has had to contend with unprecedented attendance records, as 5000 visitors a day continue to wait in line to see the exhibitions and experience the architecture of this remarkable place.

This is the story of a monumental achievement - from the planning and construction of the museum, theater, conference center, and library; to the design and selection of the exhibits; to the participation of the first visitors. It tells of the 'visitor as victim' approach to exhibitions, of the effort to educate children, and the commitment to historical truth in the narrative presentation of the Holocaust.