Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center to Reopen on November 11

The newly renovated Museum expands visitor spaces, enhance its core exhibition and creates new opportunities for education, reflection and public programming

Skokie, IL, Oct. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center announced today that its newly renovated Skokie Museum will reopen to the public on November 11, marking a significant new chapter for the Museum as it reimagines how visitors experience history and carry its lessons forward. 

Following an extensive renovation, the Museum will welcome visitors into redesigned spaces created to accommodate more guests, expand public programming, and provide new opportunities for learning, reflection and engagement. The reopening comes at a critical moment, as antisemitism and hatred continue to rise, underscoring the importance of confronting the past and empowering individuals to take action in their own communities. 

“Reopening our doors is about more than welcoming visitors back—it’s about ensuring that the enduring truths continue to empower hope, inspire courage, and shape a better future,” said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. “We want every visitor to leave with a deeper understanding of the past and a renewed sense of responsibility for the world we share.” 

Newly renovated features of the Museum include:  

• A reimagined state-of-the-art Lillian & Larry Goodman Auditorium and Gallery redesigned to elevate the visitor experience and support a broad range of programming. 

• A renovated Shapiro Family Foundation Welcome Center with an enlarged lobby that creates a warmer, more welcoming experience and allows the Museum to host more visitors. 

• Meaningful additions to the core Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition, including expanded content on the roots of antisemitism, the story of Chicago resident Leo Edelman, the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis, and more. 

• A peaceful new reflection gallery, accessible from the Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition, designed to give visitors an opportunity for quiet reflection during and after their experience. 

• A refreshed Dr. Joy Erlichman Miller and John Miller Resilience Hall on the lower level, featuring an expanded stage for presentations and public programs. 

Among the new spaces, core exhibitions such as the Richard & Jill Chaifetz Family Virtual Reality Theater, Abe & Ida Cooper Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater, Take A Stand Center, Voices of Genocide Exhibition, and more will remain key parts of the Museum experience.  

“Every visitor’s experience now begins differently and runs deeper,” said Kelley Szany, SVP of Education and Exhibitions at Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. “The new welcome center sets the tone from the moment people arrive, the enhanced core Holocaust exhibition brings the history and the voices of survivors into sharper focus, and our new auditorium gives us a place to gather, listen, and talk about what it means for our communities today.”  

Shortly after its reopening, the Museum will also host Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare, an original exhibit created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, opening on November 15th. This timely exhibition explores the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech, and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s and will be on site in the Museum’s special exhibition gallery through March of 2027. 

During the Skokie renovation, the Museum opened Experience360, a downtown Chicago satellite location. Located in River North, Experience360 provided an opportunity to continue to engage the public while Skokie was temporarily closed. Experience360 has welcomed thousands of first-time visitors to its award-winning immersive exhibitions and will remain open through December 31, 2026. 

For nearly two decades, Illinois Holocaust Museum has provided visitors with opportunities to encounter history through the firsthand stories of Holocaust Survivors and other victims of genocide, explore the consequences of hatred and prejudice, and consider their own role in creating a more just and compassionate society. The renovated Museum builds on that mission by creating more space for visitors to witness stories of survival, ask questions, reflect on the past, and find inspiration to act with empathy, respect and hope. 

The Museum will reopen on November 11, Veterans Day, and will offer free admission to all active military, veterans, and their families on opening day. 

For more information and to reserve tickets, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org. 

About Illinois Holocaust Museum  

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center honors the Survivors and victims of the Holocaust and transforms history into current, relevant, and universal lessons in humanity. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Museum inspires individuals and organizations to remember the past and transform the future.  

Amanda Berman
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
847-967-4834
amanda.berman@ilhmec.org