Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

The basics

The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is most often visited on half- or full-day trips from Munich. Visitors to the memorial site can expect to see the former compound (now an exhibition center), and learn about Europe in World War II, the Holocaust, and the violence that took place at Dachau at the hands of the Nazi party. For example, inhumane medical experiments were conducted here. Whether seen on your own or on a guided private or small-group tour from Munich, the guard towers and administration buildings, reconstructed barracks, cells, and crematorium offer ample opportunity for reflection.

Things to know before you go

• Visiting the Dachau memorial is an intense experience, and appropriate solemnity and respect are required on the grounds.

• While it's free to visit the memorial, booking an audio guide or a group or private tour allows for added insight and context from a tour guide.

• The site does not offer luggage storage.

• Dachau is generally wheelchair accessible, although some of the grounds are unpaved and some buildings do not have dedicated wheelchair entrances.

• Some of the exhibits may not be appropriate for kids under 12; it's recommended that kids visit with an adult.

How to get there

Dachau is 17 miles (28 kilometers) northwest of Munich. By public transportation, take the S2 train from Munich's Central Station to Dachau Bahnhof, then transfer to bus 726 toward Saubachsiedlung and get off at KZ-Gedenkstätte, the entrance of the memorial site. Parking fees apply from March to October.

When to get there

The site is open daily from morning to early evening year-round, aside from Christmas Eve (December 24). While some of the exhibits are indoors, much of the site is outdoors, and visited more frequently in the warmer months. The memorial tends to be busiest around noon.

Exhibitions at the Dachau Memorial Site

Set in what was once a maintenance building, Dachau's main permanent exhibition documents the former Nazi concentration camp's horrific history and sheds light on the lives of the site's prisoners—including political prisoners—with firsthand accounts, biographies, and artifacts. Elsewhere on the Dachau grounds are exhibits in other original buildings displaying bunkers, model barracks, a crematorium, and a gas chamber. Evidence indicates that the gas chamber was never used to murder prisoners.

Ways to explore

The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is most often visited on half- or full-day trips from Munich. Visitors to the memorial site can expect to see the former compound (now an exhibition center), and learn about Europe during World War II, antisemitism and the Holocaust, and the violence that took place at Dachau. Video interviews with survivors are also presented here. Whether seen on your own or on a guided private or small-group tour from Munich, the buildings, grounds, and exhibition spaces offer ample opportunity for reflection. There’s no charge for admission and no reservations are necessary.

Accessibility

Dachau is generally wheelchair accessible, with adapted restrooms, although some of the grounds are unpaved and some buildings do not have dedicated wheelchair entrances.

Age limits

The site is not recommended for children under 12.

What to pack

Comfortable shoes are a good idea, as the grounds are mainly gravel.

What to wear

Restrained and modest dress is appropriate.

Not allowed

Visiting the Dachau memorial is an intense experience, and appropriate solemnity and respect are required on the grounds.

Amenities

Restrooms, bookstore, café

Address 

The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is in the small city of Dachau, a 17-mile (28-kilometer) drive northwest of Munich.

Driving

There is limited paid parking at the site, and the memorial requests that visitors use public transportation. If that’s not possible, take the A9 toward Nuremberg from Munich, then follow the A99 toward Stuttgart/Lindau and take exit 11 onto the A92. Take exit 2 for the B471 to Dachau and follow the signs.

Public transportation

Take the S2 train from Munich Central Station to Dachau station, then transfer to bus 726 toward Saubachsiedlung and get off at KZ-Gedenkstätte, the entrance of the memorial site.

Best times to visit

The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is open daily, 9am–5pm, with the exception of December 24. One of the buildings in which the horrors are remembered, the crematorium area, closes at 4:30pm. The memorial is least busy at the end of the day or immediately after opening.

Best days to visit

The site only closes on December 24.

Best months to visit

While some of the exhibits are indoors, much of the site is outdoors. The experience is less bracing during the warmer months of the year.

Special events

The memorial site closes to the public on significant anniversaries.