Thank you for your interest in visiting the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.

IHMEC strongly recommends self-guided tours for adults due to the design, content, and layout of the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition. Reservations are not required.

However, docent-led group tours are available by request for interested groups of 20 or more. These tours provide an overview of the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition.

Before filling out a registration form, please read through our group tour policies below (PDF available). For additional information, please email us or call Group Tours at 847.967.4849.

Planning Your Docent-Led GROUP TOUR

• Basic Information >
• Date and Time >
• Fees, Payment, and Cancellations >
• Frequently Asked Questions >
• Request Form >
  

Basic Information

Group Size
A maximum of 60 people are allowed on a group tour at a time. We will assign one docent for each group of 15 people.

When requesting a tour, you will be asked to select a size range for your group (20-30, 31-45, 46-60) along with the minimum number of people you expect to join you.

Additional Visitors

If you have additional visitors you wish to add to your group, within your group’s size range, you may do so up to two weeks in advance of your tour. Please notify Group Tours by email or in writing to Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077, Attn: Group Tours.

Changes will not be accepted by phone.

Youth Tours
The Museum deals with mature subject matter. Therefore, group tours for youth ages 8-11, not associated with a school field trip, will take place in Make a Difference: The Miller Family Youth Exhibition and the Legacy of Absence Gallery. IHMEC does not recommend that youth under 7th grade visit the Permanent Exhibition and will not provide docents for this section of the Museum, due to its graphic content.

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Date and Time

Selecting a Date and Time
Group tours can be booked up to four months in advance, with a minimum of three weeks' notice. Group tours are scheduled on the hour. Please provide three dates in order of preference in case your first choice is unavailable.

Length of Visit
Group tours through the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition last approximately two hours, depending on the size of your group. If you wish to visit other sections of the Museum, you are welcome to do so at the conclusion of your tour. These sections will not be docent-led.

Please note that these two-hour tours require continuous walking, and visitors will not have the opportunity to explore all artifacts and videos. For a more in-depth tour, with the opportunity to rest or walk at your own pace, IHMEC recommends self-guided tours.

Dining
With the exception of school field trips and items that are medically necessary, visitors may not bring outside food into the museum.

The Museum offers a fresh, exciting assortment of light foods in its vegetarian Reflections Café.  The cafe serves custom roast coffee, breakfast items, salads, sandwiches, soups and pastries.  Sealed Kosher foods are also available.

Please note that the Reflections Café is a public space, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

For those who wish to have a private meal, the museum offers catering and room rental. Please email us or call 847.967.4884 for more information on pricing and availability.

Parking

The Museum maintains bus parking spaces and a parking lot, both available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no fee to park in these spaces.

Re-entry
Re-entry into the Museum for groups is not permitted. Guests who choose to exit the Museum must pay full admission upon re-entering through the Main Entrance.

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Fees, Payment, and Cancellations

Docent-Led Group Tour Fee

The fee for a docent-led tour is $15/visitor. This fee includes general admission to the Museum.

Group tour fees are applied to all scheduled visitors, including Museum members.

Cancellation Policy
Because the Museum is in high demand for visiting groups, we must limit the number of groups scheduled on any given day. Therefore, if your plans change, we ask that you cancel or reschedule well in advance of your visit.
 
To avoid cancellation fees, you must cancel in writing at least one month in advance. Fees for group trip cancellations are based upon when the cancellation is received:

• More than 30 days in advance: Full refund of payment
• 30-15 days in advance: 50% refund of payment
• Fewer than 15 days in advance: No refund of payment

Please note that we require payment for all registered visitors and do not offer refunds or balance adjustments for absentees or reduced numbers once your request is confirmed.

In the case of a last-minute emergency cancellation, the Museum can reschedule your tour within 45 days at no additional fee, if exhibition space and docents are available.

Speakers
The stories of our local survivors are woven throughout the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition through videos and artifacts.

For a more personalized visit, the Museum has a Speakers' Bureau, comprised of survivors and other eyewitnesses, who provide first-hand accounts of their Holocaust experiences to visiting groups. These speakers are available on a limited basis according to their personal schedules and the Museum’s room availability.

The fee for an in-house speaker is $100 with a minimum group size of 30 people. To book a speaker before or after your tour, please fill out the Speakers’ Bureau section of your tour request form.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who will be leading my group around the museum?
All group tours are guided by a trained, volunteer Museum docent.

Do you offer discounts?
We do not currently offer group rates or discounts for docent-led tours. General admission for self-guided tours is discounted for students and seniors.

Can my group hear a Holocaust survivor speak during our visit?
Presentations from our Speakers’ Bureau are not generally included in docent-led group tours. However, the stories of our local survivors are woven throughout the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition through videos and artifacts.

To book a speaker before or after your tour, please fill out the Speakers’ Bureau section of your tour request form. The fee for an in-house speaker is $100.

How long is the tour? What Museum exhibitions will we see?
Group tours are led through the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition, the main historical exhibition of the Museum. The walking-intensive tour lasts for about an hour and a half.

If you wish to visit other Museum exhibitions, you are welcome to do so before or after your tour. These sections will not be docent-led.

May our group bring lunch/snacks/dessert to eat after our tour?
With the exception of school field trips and items that are medically necessary, visitors may not bring outside food into the museum.

For smaller groups, our Reflections Café offers light, vegetarian food and first-come, first-served public seating. For those who wish to have a private meal, the museum offers catering and room rental. Please email us or call 847.967.4884 for more information on pricing and availability.

Outside the museum, the Village of Skokie has a variety of restaurants within close driving distance. For dining suggestions, visit Chicago’s North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau.

After I receive a confirmation letter, what should I do to prepare for my tour?
Please thoroughly read and review our Pre-Visit Packet, which will be e-mailed to you along with your group tour confirmation (10-15 business days after registering). This packet contains vital information and instructions regarding your visit.

What if my numbers change?
If there are any changes in your numbers, you must confirm your final numbers in writing two weeks before your tour as long as you remain in your original size range (20-30, 31-45, 46-60). You can pay for additional visitors within your size range at the door.

If your numbers increase into the next range, please notify us as soon as possible. While we make no guarantees, we will try our best to accommodate your group.

We require payment for all registered visitors and do not offer refunds or balance adjustments for absentees or reduced numbers once your request is confirmed.

Request a Group Tour >

For additional information, email us or
call Group Tours at 847.967.4849.