Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie to undergo major renovation

The big picture: The renovation of the second largest Holocaust museum in the U.S. is beginning 80 years after the end of the Holocaust, but while antisemitic incidents hit a record high in 2024, according to the ADL.

Flashback: After Neo-Nazis marched in Skokie in 1977, Holocaust survivors in the largely Jewish community, formed the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois.

• The group purchased a small Skokie storefront and made it available to the public.
• The current 65,000-square-foot museum opened in 2009.

State of play: The renovations will modernize the structure and create a new welcome center designed to hold more guests and be more accessible.

• There will also be a redesigned auditorium, exhibition reflection space, and more restrooms, among other upgrades.

What's next: The museum will close all exhibitions on June 2, but remain open for public programs and trainings. It will fully close on July 1.

• It will partially reopen on Jan. 2, 2026, with limited content, and fully reopen in late summer 2026.

What's next: The satellite downtown museum is slated to open this July.