America's Next Generation of Holocaust Museums Breaks Ground in Dallas

Led by local Holocaust survivors and the Mayor of Dallas, the Dallas Holocaust Museum broke ground today on a new, iconic 51,000 square-foot museum in downtown Dallas, realizing a 40-year dream that will teach and inspire new generations to advance human rights to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference.

Scheduled to open in the summer of 2019, the new state-of-the-art facility will be called the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum and will be unique among the nation's 21 Holocaust-related museums with an expanded examination of the Holocaust featuring dozens of video testimonies from Dallas area survivors, along with new, in-depth technology-enriched exhibits on other genocides, human rights issues, and American ideals.  

Construction will commence immediately on the new museum, at 300 N. Houston Street in Dallas' historic West End district, which will quadruple its current size, accommodate more than double the number of current visitors—half of whom will be school students—and feature a Cinemark XD 250-seat theater, two classrooms, a temperature-controlled library and archive, and a special reflection and memorial area for visitors over three floors.

Given the increase in global, national, and local incidents of terrorist attacks, anti-Semitism, hate speech, and hate crimes, the creation of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum has never been more critical or relevant.

"Today is an important day for Dallas as we break ground on the new Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "The museum shows what Dallas is all about—diversity, equal opportunity, and respect for others."

"The new museum will allow us to serve more students, teachers, and visitors than ever before," said Florence Shapiro, Board Chair.   

OMNIPLAN Architects of Dallas designed the new building; Berenbaum Jacobs Associates, under the stewardship of Michael Berenbaum, the former Project Director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, is designing the permanent exhibition; general contractor is Austin Commercial.

About the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights MuseumThe mission of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is to teach the history of the Holocaust and advance human rights to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference. More information at DallasHolocaustMuseum.org.