Museum FAQ

The Museum is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 am through 5 pm. We welcome our last visitors at 4:00 pm, one hour before closing. The Museum is closed to the public on Tuesdays.

Mornings (before noon) are often busy with field trips – if you wish to avoid large student groups, we advise visiting after noon.

Parking is free, and a bicycle rack is available near the south parking lot. You can download a printable map (Español) of the Museum before arriving.

We do not use timed tickets for general admission, with exception to Free Days, which are timed entry.

On any other day aside from a Free Day: while your ticket will note our opening time (10 am), you may enter the Museum on the date of your visit anytime between 10 am and 4 pm and stay until our 5 pm closing time.

Reservations for The Journey Back: A VR Experience and Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater are timed entry. Please be sure to arrive at the theater/s on time for your reservation.

Visitors spend around 3 hours in the Museum on average, but you are welcome to spend as much time as you like to experience all of our exhibitions.

Please note that certain exhibitions (The Journey Back: A VR Experience and Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater) require additional reservations. However, there is no cost to add these experiences to your Museum admission.

The Legacy Shop is open during regular Museum hours (Wednesday through Monday, 10 am through 5 pm).

No, Museum tickets are not required to visit the Legacy Shop. Simply visit the Admissions Window and say, “I’m here to shop,” and proceed through security.

The Museum will be closed on the following dates in 2024:

Wednesday, October 2 after 2 pm & all day Thursday, October 3 (Rosh HaShanah)

Friday, October 11 after 2 pm & all day Saturday, October 12 (Yom Kippur)

Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving)

Tuesday, December 24 after 2 pm & all day Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas)

Adults: $18

Seniors (65+): $12

Students (up to age 22 with valid student ID): $8

Children (5-11): $6

Children (under 5): Free

Non-member ticket prices are the same regardless of add-ons to Museum admission. Virtual reality and holographic theater experiences require additional reservations.

Please note that we are a cashless Museum. General admission and Legacy Shop purchases can be made with contactless payment or a debit/credit card.

For assistance with purchasing tickets, please call the Museum at 847.967.4800.

While we encourage you to purchase tickets in advance, this is not required. You may purchase tickets and reserve seats for virtual reality and holographic theater experiences upon arrival. However, please note that virtual reality and holographic theater experiences have limited seating and may “sell out” in advance.

Yes, general admission to the Museum includes access to all of the Museum’s non-ticketed special exhibitions. The Journey Back: A VR Experience and the interactive Survivor Stories holographic theater require additional reservations, but there is no additional cost to reserve seats in these experiences.

Virtual reality takes approximately 20-30 minutes, and the holographic theater takes approximately 30-45 minutes. Virtual reality technology is not recommended for children under age 12, and children under age 10 will not be admitted into the virtual reality gallery.

Please check your junk/spam folder. If you do not see your confirmation/receipt, please contact the Museum at info@ilhmec.org or 847.867.4800.

Yes, your ticket is valid for the full day for which it is issued. You can visit for a while, leave to relax in the Peace Garden or have a meal off-site, and then come back inside to continue your visit.

While members receive complimentary admission year-round as a perk, members must reserve tickets in order to visit the Museum. Members may reserve tickets in advance or upon arrival at the Museum.

Several of the Museum’s exhibitions are geared towards younger visitors, teaching them about prejudice, discrimination, and speaking out for what’s right. You can learn more about these exhibitions on our “for younger visitors” page.

While we do not enforce an age restriction, the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition is recommended for visitors ages 12 and up.

Virtual reality is not recommended for children under age 12, and children under age 10 will not be admitted into the virtual reality gallery.

Children under age 5 visit free. General admission for children from ages 5-11 is $6.

Members enjoy free admission daily.

Admission is FREE on the last Friday of every month! Reserve your tickets >>

Museums For All – Please present your Link card/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card with matching photo ID for free admission (plus up to 3 guests).

North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association – If you are a member of a participating NARM institution, please present your membership card with NARM sticker for complimentary admission.

Active & Retired/Veteran Military personnel – Please present your Military ID for a 50% discount on admission (plus up to 5 family members).

Visitors with disabilities – Eligible for a 50% discount.

Advance reservations are not required – please visit our Admissions Window upon arrival for your free/discounted tickets. You may also make reservations (at no additional charge) for virtual reality and holographic theater experiences when you arrive at the Museum.

The Museum donates tickets and docent-led tour vouchers exclusively to non-profit organizations. All requests must be made via email to ticketdonations@ilhmec.org. Requests made by phone or fax will not be accepted. Please include in your request:  

• A copy of your 501(c)(3) exemption letter, stating that you are a non-profit organization in the state of Illinois

• Date of your event (vouchers will be valid for 1 year beyond your event) and a brief description of how the donation will be used

• Organization name and address which can receive the tickets by mail *OR* email address which can receive a voucher in PDF format

Please also indicate which of these donation options you are interested in:

• Package 1: 10 Individual Museum Admission Tickets ($180 value) 
• Package 2: 1 Docent-Led Exhibition Tour Voucher for a group of up to 10 ($180 value, includes Museum admission)

Due to the volume of requests the Museum receives on an annual basis, the Museum may not be able to accommodate all requests.  

Yes, free tickets include access to all of the Museum’s non-ticketed special exhibitions. The Journey Back: A VR Experience and Survivor Stories holographic theater require additional reservations, but there is no additional cost to reserve seats for these experiences.

Please note that virtual reality technology is not recommended for children under age 12, and children under age 10 will not be admitted into the virtual reality gallery.

Yes, there is a self-serve coat check and small lockers available for all visitors. The Museum is not responsible for any lost or damaged items.

• Chewing gum and candy
• Writing utensils (pencils, pens, etc.)
• Large suitcases
• Weapons of any kind

All visitors must pass through metal detectors and have their belongings scanned. For your safety, all items brought into the Museum are subject to inspection.

Yes, you may bring a water bottle to the Museum, but please do not drink in any galleries or exhibition spaces.

Yes, there are multiple reserved parking spots for vehicles displaying accessibility placards.

Yes, there are three manually operated wheelchairs and one walker available for visitors to use at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis – no reservation required. These are located in the coat room on the ground floor. However, please note that Museum staff and volunteers are not permitted to push visitors in wheelchairs.

Personal wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers are always welcome.

Several areas of the building contain narrow walkways and doorways and/or uneven terrain. Please use caution at all times when operating electronic mobility devices, wheelchairs, walkers, support canes, forearm-crutches, handle-crutches, strollers, etc.

Elevators are available in all public areas of the Museum and access all three levels.

Self-guided audio tours are available for Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition and Take a Stand Center in English, Spanish, French, Polish, Hebrew, Japanese, Ukrainian, and Russian languages. You may download the audio tour in advance on your personal device or rent an audio tour device at the Museum’s Information Desk.

Yes, view and download a print-friendly map of all three levels of the Museum and Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition below.

In accordance with the ADA, service animals* are welcome at the Museum, along with service animals-in-training with a handler/trainer presuming they have met the requirements outlined in the Illinois Service Animal Access Act, Illinois Guide Dog Access Act, and Illinois White Cane Law.

• Service animals must be on duty and serving in their official capacity and under the control of a handler at all times.
  
• The owner of the service animal is solely responsible for its care and supervision.
• Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices.

*According to the ADA, a service animal is defined by the ADA as “a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.” Pets, therapy animals, and emotional support animals are not considered service animals under the ADA and therefore are not permitted at the Museum.

In accordance with local guidelines, proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is no longer required to visit.

Visitors are not required to wear masks or face coverings in the Museum.

Any visitors who are disrespectful or discourteous to other guests, staff, or volunteers – or engage in behaviors disruptive to others’ Museum experience – may be asked to leave.

Yes, the Museum is accessible via public transportation. To find the most efficient route, check Google Maps and use the public transportation (“transit”) filter. Links to Chicagoland’s public transportation systems (CTA, Metra, and Pace) are below.

The Museum is located at 9603 Woods Drive in Skokie, Illinois, convenient to I-94 and the Chicago downtown area.

Get Directions from GooglePrintable Map and Directions

From North I-94
Take the Edens Expressway (I-94) east to the Old Orchard exit. From the exit ramp, turn right onto Old Orchard Road. Turn left onto Woods Drive, about 1/4 mile down.

From South I-94
Take the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) west. Merge onto the Edens Expressway (I-94) going west to the Old Orchard exit. From the exit ramp, turn left onto Old Orchard Road. Turn left onto Woods Drive, about 1/4 mile down.

From Downtown Chicago
From Downtown Chicago, take I-90 (Kennedy Expressway) to I-94. Then, take Old Orchard Road to Woods Drive.

From South I-294
Take the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) north to the Dempster St. east (US-14) exit. From the exit ramp, turn right onto Dempster Street (US-14) and drive east for about 3.5 miles. Turn left onto Waukegan Road and drive north about 1 mile. Then, turn right onto Golf Road, and drive east about 2 miles. Turn left onto Woods Drive.

Parking is FREE and available in multiple lots at the Museum. There are multiple reserved parking spots for vehicles displaying accessibility placards.

Yes – there is a bicycle rack available near the south parking lot at the Museum.

The nearest Divvy station is approximately 6 miles from the Museum on Golf/McCorrmick Blvd.

Yes, the Legacy Shop is open during regular Museum hours (Wednesday through Monday, 10 am through 5 pm). There is also an online store.

No, the Museum does not have food service on-site during regular hours. However, there are snacks available for purchase in the Legacy Shop.

Please note that eating is not permitted in any galleries or exhibition areas, but you may eat food in the light side (exit) lobby; downstairs in Rowe Hall, the cafeteria, and student dining area; or outside of the building.

There are also many dining options available at the nearby Old Orchard Shopping Mall.

Yes, your ticket is valid for the full day for which it is issued. You can visit for a while, leave to relax in the Peace Garden or have a meal off-site, and then come back inside to continue your visit.

Yes, free docent-guided tours of Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition are offered daily at 2 pm (based on docent availability, for up to 20 participants). Visitors can participate in the tour by signing up at the Information Desk and gathering in the dark side lobby five minutes before 2 pm, where they will be greeted by the docent.

Self-guided audio tours are always available for Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition and Take a Stand Center in English, Spanish, French, Polish, Hebrew, Japanese, Ukrainian, and Russian languages. You may download the audio tour in advance on your personal device or rent an audio tour device at the Museum’s Information Desk.

The Museum also offers group tours, field trips, and facility rentals for private events.

Plan Your Field Trip Plan Your Group Tour Rent Our Space

We will gladly answer your questions – please consult our contact page and reach out to the appropriate party.