Memorial De La Shoah, Paris

In my many trips to Paris, I have never been here even though I have always wanted to come here. I am glad I know French because I was able to understand the testimonial videos from survivors and reading the French texts of the children of the Rwandan genocide were emotional. You don’t have to know French as many things have translations, but it is helpful in the areas that aren’t translated.

We happened upon this place while walking around Paris on foot (I saw it on the map). It's a free Holocaust museum. The exterior is pretty interesting, with the star of David pattern. You have to go through mild security to enter, but I believe the whole museum is available free of charge. It's quite extensive inside. We didn't have a ton of time to spend, or we probably could have stayed longer. As it was, we were probably in there for a good two hours. There's tons of material inside, and all the written displays were in English as well as French. The video and audio presentations were only in French, as to be expected. I actually learned a lot about the impact of World War 2 in France. If you're happening by and have some time to read exhibits, I'd recommend it!