Quiet Reflection. Videos. Photographs. Actual Artifacts.There was a man sitting quietly at the side of one of the rooms. I wasn't sure whether to approach him because I thought he just might be resting.My hope upon visiting the museum was to be able to meet Eva Kor, the founder of Candles. She has been a fixture in Terre Haute for decades. I was not so lucky, but that man....I learned he was a volunteer there, but more than that. He was Mr. Kor, Eva's husband. Both of them had been victims of the holocaust. Listening to him talk of forgiveness brought tears to my eyes...and a few months before I had visited Krakow, Poland.
Just like our WWII Veterans, Holocaust survivors are departing this world at an alarming rate. Who would think that you can be in Terre Haute, Indiana, and be able to meet 3 different survivors, one of them a twin used in human medical experimentation by Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele. I just recently visited and quite unexpectedly was introduced to a man whose grandfather was the commandant of Auschwitz. It certainly wasn't an introduction I was expecting, but I mean that in a good way. I would never have thought when I woke up that day, that this would be what I could tell about. Take note that the largest exhibit room is being renovated, so there is a limit to what can be seen, but that was ok and understandable. It just means I have to go back when it's all finished!
Completely new exhibit from the last time that I visited and it was excellent. Don't miss coming here if you are in the area or even if you have to make a special trip. Appropriate for all ages of kids, which I appreciated.
Having toured Auschwitz I & II in Poland last October, my husband and I decided to stop in at the Candles Museum while we were in Terre Haute this past week…..we were not disappointed! While the free museum itself is very small and offers no 'hands on' activities for kids, Candles really isn't appropriate for young children. The museum displays currently include photos, documents, written narrations, and two videos. A small display case, containing some of the items destroyed in the 2003 arson, speaks volumes as to what might have been lost. I should also note that as the museum is currently being reconfigured, hence current visitors do not get a true sense of all the museum has to offer. The real treasures to be found here, however, are docents, holocaust survivors, Eva Kor, her husband Mickey, and Walter Sommers who witnessed Hitler's rise to power and fled to the USA in 1939. Plan on an afternoon visit so that you will be able to attend one of their presentations at the cost of $5 per person. I certainly hope that some of these have been recorded so that their stories will live on after the docents time on earth has passed…
Not something I would have expected to find in Terre Haute, Indiana. However, it is well worth the time and effort to seeki out and paying a visit. While not as big as many other Holocaust museums Candles Holocaust Museum has an emotional impact... because of the involvement of a local resident, Eva Kor. While dedicated to the memory of she and her twin sister, both of whom survived the medical experiments at Auschwitz, it serves to educate the world in order to prevent similar atrocities.
We met Eve Kor a survivor of the holocaust, and got a first hand account of her experience. Really brings home what happened, My Dad saw on of the camps in World War II, but this really brought it home.
Was under renovation in Sept. 2014, but the curators and staff are wonderful and knowledgeable. A shocking and emotional experience, but still child appropriate...in fact I say it's something every young person should see.
I can't say I would say this is a museum as much as a presentation by Holocaust survivor Eva Kor. But if you don't go see it, you are missing out! Eva moved me to tears and truly feel a piece of my life changed since listening to her. Don't miss it!!
We phoned the museum in advance to get information. They also have a web page as well. We visited on a day that Eva Mozes Kor was giving her account of the Holocaust. We had read several books on the Holocaust prior to our visit. Her account of the events was so candid and she was so forgiving. There were visitors that day that also had family that had been in the concentration camps. The seminar gave the visitors a chance to have questions answered and the opportunity to speak with Mrs. Kor. My daughter and I got the chance to talk with her and get her autograph in one of the books that was written about her life. We even have a picture together with Mrs. Kor to remember our visit. The museum has many pictures and artifacts from the Holocaust. This is truly as special place to visit.
Here , you get to meet real holocaust survivors. Talk to them, listen to their stories, and finally shake their hands and glad the world is what it is now. It's just another level of experience, it's hard to just rate the place, because the opportunity is priceless. Just a note that the museum itself is free. $5/person to listien to the survivors. But I mean, $5 is nothing to compare with their stories... It is very hard to put the experience into words.... Really. Spend an hour or two talking and listening to them. Respect what they have been thru and the sacrifice they made on one of the ugliest pages in human history. Highly recommended