Accessibility at the Museum

Where to get help at the Museum

If you have a question, concern, or need while visiting the Museum, you can get assistance by finding a nearby volunteer or security team member.

A printed self-guided tour of Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition is available for all visitors, as well as a printed map. You can download these before your visit or ask for copies at the Information Desk at the Museum.

download museum & karkomi map download self-guided tour brochure

Self-guided audio tours are also available for Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition and Take a Stand Center in English, Spanish, French, Polish, Hebrew, Japanese, Ukrainian, and Russian languages. Headphones are required to use audio guides on personal devices. Museum-provided devices do not require headphones. 

Field trips and group tours that need audio amplification on docent-led tours can reserve headsets and audio devices in advance.

Parking

Parking at the Museum is free to all visitors. There are reserved parking spots for vehicles displaying accessibility placards.

Public Transportation

Illinois Holocaust Museum is accessible from a number of public-transportation options. To learn more about accessibility information, visit Chicago Transit Authority’s accessibility page.

For general information on parking, hours, and public transportation, visit our Plan Your Visit page.

Wheelchairs & Personal Mobility Devices

Wheelchairs and personal mobility devices are welcome at the Museum. 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.

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.

In Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition, there is a lift by the rail car. To use the lift, push the button on the wall at the base of the ramp to call the Museum’s security team. A security team member will operate the lift. 

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

Bathrooms & Rest Areas

All bathrooms in the Museum are fully accessible. Two all-gender/single-occupancy bathrooms are available in the Legacy Shop, and there is a private lactation room in the Legacy Shop bathroom on the right-hand side. There is a chair and an outlet available.

The Museum’s Survivor Lounge and Library (Brill Family Resource Center) are available for visitors in need of a quiet, calm environment. Please contact visitor services staff during your visit if this space is needed.

To help visitors feel secure and comfortable in the Museum’s various environments, “Sensory Backpacks” will be available to all visitors in the near future. These backpacks can be checked out freely at the Information Desk and contain:

• Drawn Good coloring book with coloring pencils
• Plushie (pickle, grilled cheese, bagel)
• Remembrance coin
• Emotions fan
• Noise reduction headsets 

Service Animals

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.

Public Programs & Events

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and cart writers will be included for select programs & events and will be noted when available. The Museum will offer a virtual option for programs & events when possible.

ASL interpreters can be hired for Group Tours – please inform GroupTours@ilhmec.org of your interest while booking your tour.

Gift Shop

Legacy Shop staff are available for reaching, reading, describing, or otherwise assisting during your visit.