Discover the Dallas Holocaust Museum’s New Exhibit: ‘Let Me Be Myself’ – Anne Frank’s Life Story
Through her now‑famous diary, Anne Frank gave humanity a face for the Holocaust’s unimaginable genocide. The Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most‑visited sites, where visitors wander the cramped three‑story annex that sheltered the Franks and other families from Nazi persecution. By harnessing cutting‑edge technology, the Dallas Holocaust Museum has brought that profound experience to North Texas.
Virtual Reality
The exhibit opens with a 15‑minute virtual reality tour—a technology that lets museumgoers explore key sites without physically being there. After booking an appointment, visitors arrive a few minutes early; staff guide them to a VR headset, give a brief orientation, and then launch the immersive journey through the Anne Frank House.
The virtual tour begins at the bookcase that concealed the secret entrance. Users slip through the doorway and step into the first‑floor living quarters, then climb a narrow staircase to the second floor where the Van Pels family also hid. In the attic, a pair of binoculars rests beside the window where Anne once gazed at the night sky.
Unlike the real house, which is kept minimal to accommodate high visitor volumes, the VR environment is fully furnished exactly as it was in 1944. A special clicker allows participants to pick up objects, hear Anne read diary passages, and witness daily life—cooking, sleeping, and gathering around the radio for wartime updates.
Let Me Be Myself Exhibit
The VR segment is only the beginning of the broader exhibit, titled Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank. It chronicles her life from birth in 1929 to her death in the Bergen‑Belsen concentration camp in 1945, using large personal photographs. Visitors also see a copy of the red‑checked diary Anne received on her 13th birthday and an original yellow star that Jews were forced to wear.
Voices of Today
The final section showcases contemporary youth. Looping video clips feature young people sharing stories of prejudice and how they’ve overcome adversity. Visitors are invited to write their own responses to discrimination before leaving the exhibition.
The exhibit ran through August 2019. The 15‑minute VR tour was free with admission. Tours were offered daily from 1–3 p.m. and required online booking.
Stay tuned for the opening of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, a new state‑of‑the‑art building set to debut in Fall 2019. The expanded venue will host enhanced educational and cultural programming.
Photos courtesy of the Dallas Holocaust Museum
