Illinois Holocaust Museum debuts new downtown Chicago location
Illinois Holocaust Museum debuts new downtown Chicago location
The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center has expanded its reach by opening a new satellite location in downtown Chicago. Known as Experience360, the facility officially opened on August 26 at 360 N. State St., providing a cutting-edge platform for Holocaust and genocide education.
The downtown location debuts as the museum’s primary site in Skokie undergoes renovations, ensuring its critical mission of combating hate and promoting understanding continues uninterrupted. In light of rising antisemitism and hatred, this addition underscores the urgency of preserving historical lessons for future generations.
Innovative storytelling through advanced technology
The Experience360 center employs advanced technology and immersive storytelling to create an interactive experience for visitors. "We’re thrilled to bring some of our most impactful exhibitions to new audiences in downtown Chicago", said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of the Illinois Holocaust Museum. "Experience360 is a bold reimagining of how we connect people to the lessons of the past using the technology of the future."
Visitors can engage with several of the museum’s acclaimed exhibitions at the new site. The Northern Trust Virtual Reality Theater offers a 360-degree film experience, enabling visitors to accompany Holocaust survivors through pivotal moments in their lives. Audiences are transported to survivors’ childhood hometowns, concentration camps, and hiding places, creating a deeply personal connection to history.
Additionally, the ITW Special Exhibition Gallery presents Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory., a moving display of photographs, artifacts, and mementos from Holocaust and genocide survivors. The Karkomi Family Foundation Gallery dives into key events between 1933 and 1945, featuring images, testimonies, and reflections from both survivors and victims.
A first-of-its-kind global perspective
One of the facility’s standout features is the Lillian & Larry Goodman Foundations Holography Theater, which includes a new interactive capability. This space, developed in partnership with USC Libraries, the USC Digital Repository, and the USC Shoah Foundation, enables visitors to "converse" with life-sized holograms of Holocaust survivors. Among the interactive interviews are survivors Rodi Glass and Marion Deichmann, who also appear in the museum’s VR films, allowing visitors to explore their stories across multiple mediums.
The inclusion of Kizito Kalima, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, marks a groundbreaking expansion of the museum’s focus. Kalima is the first non-Holocaust survivor featured in the Survivor Stories Theater, offering a broader global perspective. His testimony adds profound insights into resilience and recovery, deepening the museum’s mission to combat hatred and promote understanding.
Inspiring reflection and action
The center also highlights the efforts of Chicago-area Holocaust survivors and community members who channeled their experiences into resistance against hate. These actions led to the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum, a lasting testament to their commitment to truth and justice.
"In our more than a decade of developing interactive survivor biographies, we’ve seen firsthand how these conversations deepen engagement and inspire lasting reflection", said Sam Gustman, associate dean of technology at the USC Libraries and chief technology officer and senior director of collections at the USC Shoah Foundation. "This partnership with IHMEC enables visitors to engage directly with the singular voices of survivors’ testimonies, including – for the first time ever – the voice of a survivor of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. The immersive experience enriches Holocaust and genocide education by fostering personal connection and deeper historical understanding for audiences of all ages."
The Illinois Holocaust Museum’s Experience360 offers a transformative opportunity for visitors to engage with history in innovative and personal ways. By combining historical accounts with cutting-edge technology, the new location invites individuals from all backgrounds to reflect on the past while encouraging action toward a more just future.