tour virtual auschwitz

One of history’s darkest moments brought to life…

An Auschwitz Virtual Live Tour provides a unique learning experience about the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, using historical footage, Holocaust survivor testimonies, panorama pictures and modern animation combined with virtual reality tools to teach about the horrors that happened in the world’s most infamous concentration camp. 

The group tours are live, led by expert tour guides in Poland who can answer questions and interact with participants during the tour. 

Visit an historical testament of one of humanity’s deepest failures in this most faithful representation of an in-person visit to the Auschwitz memorial site.

TOUR INFORMATION

Each tour is two hours long and the content can be adjusted to fit the considerations of the audience, such as age and background knowledge. Available formats, all online, include webinars, discussions, seminars and lectures. Q&A sessions are also available. 

DEMOGRAPHIC

This tour is ideal for high school and college students, educators, professionals, historians, politicians, scholars and anyone who is interested in learning more about this dark time in history in an effort to help prevent this type of tragedy in the future.

Public tours are $52 per household device. Special group pricing is available for schools, organizations and businesses. To request more information, fill out this form .

Proceeds from the tours go toward Holocaust education, as well as support and financial assistance for Holocaust survivors.

The virtual live tours of the auschwitz-birkenau concentration camp are supported by a grant from arizona humanities, national endowment for the humanities and the federal american rescue plan (arp) act..

What people are saying about the tour

“it literally left the participants, myself certainly included, speechless. i am grateful for the opportunity to have participated. i will never forget this. and, that may be the most important takeaway – never forget. while i’d like for as many as possible to experience this presentation in the intimate, interactive way that we were able to, i do want to encourage this to be brought to as many people as possible, especially the younger generation(s) who shockingly are living in a newly reignited era of anti-semitism and pro-nazism.”, “very powerful. it will take days to fully absorb what i heard and saw.”, “i’m a 3rd gen survivor who does school assemblies on holocaust education and this presentation was hands down the most informative and modern presentation i’ve seen.”, “it was especially meaningful to me since my grandmother survived auschwitz-birkenau; i hope to travel to the actual site one day. thank you for providing this program.”, “even though i’ve been to yad vashem and the us holocaust museum many times, this was still an excellent experience.”.

Virtual Tour

Auschwitz ii-birkenau, in the neighborhood.

• Auschwitz I
• Oprowadzanie zdalne PE MCEAH
• Auschwitz-Birkenau - Alte Judenrampe
• Main camp gate
• Camp unloading ramp
• Camp unloading platform
• Camp unloading ramp - a bird's eye view
• Blockfuehrerstube (SS administration building)
• Makeshift gas chamber - so-called 'little red house'
• Road to makeshift gas chamber - so-called 'little white house'
• Makeshift gas chamber - so-called 'little white house'
• Field containing human ashes
• Ruins of gas chamber and crematorium II
• Ruins of gas chamber and crematorium III
• Ruins of gas chamber and crematorium IV
• Ruins of gas chamber and crematorium V
• Pond containing human ashes
• Storage area - so-called 'Canada'
• Storage area - so-called 'Canada' - a bird's eye view
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Undressing room
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Looted property
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Disinfection facilities
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Barber's room
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Showers
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Latrine
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Family photograhps of deportees
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Family photographs of deportees
• Main camp baths - so-called 'Sauna' building. Cart used to transport human ashes
• Monument - a bird's eye view
• Monument - ceremony of the anniversary of liberation
• Monument of murdered Soviet POWs
• View from a watchtower
• Road between sectors BII and BIII - a bird's eye view
• Middle road
• Sector BIa - women's camp
• Road between sectors BIa and BIb
• Between BIa and BIb sectors
• Block 25 in sector Bia
• Brick barracks
• Children's barracks
• Sector BIIa - men's quarantine
• Jews from Theresienstadt camp - BIIb
• Sector BIIc - transit camp
• Sector BIId - men's camp
• Sinti and Roma camp - BIIe
• Sector BIIe - Sinti and Roma Monument
• Camp hospital
• Wooden prisoners' barracks
• Camp latrines
• Road between sectors BII and BIII
• Sector BIII - so-called 'Mexico'
• Sewage plant
• March of the Living 2013
• March of the Living 2014

The Holocaust on the Web

Virtual tours.

Websites that include virtual tours allow you to empathize with the victims, of the Holocaust by allowing you to see where the victims were and what they saw.  Virtual tours also allow you to see/ learn about the layout of locations including concentration camps without actually having to travel to those places.

Auschwitz Scrapbook

This website includes a virtual tour of the concentration camps: Auschwitz, Monowitz, and Oswiecim. Once you pick which location you want to view, you then can click on links to see the entrances, gates, gas chambers, etc. of each location through a series of hyperlinks. You have the choice of where you want to see/ “be” in the camp.

This website preserves the memory of the Holocaust by preserving the memory of three concentration camps built and used during the Holocaust. The virtual tours let users click on a series of hyperlinks in order to see the layout of the concentration camps and feel like you are walking through the concentration camps, while in your own home. You can choose which aspect of the Holocaust you want to learn about and see the layout of without actually having to travel to Europe.

A Teachers Guide to the Holocaust

This website presents a series of virtual tours of the Auschwitz concentration camp, including a tour of the Main Entrance, Gas Chamber, “Wall of Death,” and many more. When choosing a tour, AUS2S (1)   such as this one of an Auschwitz gas chamber, AUS3S (1)  or this one of the “Wall of Death” in Auschwitz. You have the choice to scroll where on that tour you want to “move” to and what you want to see/ learn about.

This website helps preserve the memory of the Holocaust by memorializing one of the largest and most famous concentration camps. The virtual tours allow people to see what Auschwitz looks like long after all of the buildings and fences are old and worn. Although the location can be cared for, how long will people try to keep the area kept? Photographs, videos, and virtual tours allow for the area to always look as it did during the Holocaust. This website allows you to learn about the different aspects of Auschwitz by seeing the layout of the camp, without actually having to visit the camp.

Virtual Auschwitz Map  

Remembering Auschwitz

While many virtual tours of concentration camps, especially Auschwitz, exist; this site provides one of the most interactive. The tour actually allows the visitor to choose a site in the camp and navigate around a certain distance from that area. The experience is much like standing in a single spot on the camp and turning in circles to get a full view of the surrounding. A user may also choose to “walk” a short distance from the spot on which they entered the tour to get a slightly different perspective on the surroundings. This  set up is the perfect example of the empathetic interaction the site is trying to elicit from the visitor. The site is getting you to feel like you’re actually standing in the camp where the victims were or what it would be like to stand there today and try to process all you’re seeing.

Student analysis of websites about the Holocaust

• Collections
• LOX at Café Bergson

• Visitor Information & Admission
• Group Tours and Visits
• Health and Safety
• Accessibility
• On View – Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark
• On View – The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do
• On View – The Garden of Stones by Andy Goldsworthy
• On View – Survivors: Faces of Life After the Holocaust
• On View at The Mystic Seaport – Gerda III
• Past Exhibitions
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• The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm
• Private Events
• Work With Us
• Make a Donation
• Become a Member
• Corporate Support
• Dedicate a Seat in Edmond J. Safra Hall
• Make a Planned Gift
• Buy Tickets

Auschwitz, A Virtual Reality Tour

Discover history like never before as the Spirit of Triumph tour uses Virtual Reality (VR) technology to offer a firsthand perspective of Auschwitz. Rabbi Yisrael Goldwasser, an internationally acclaimed speaker on the subject of the Holocaust, narrates this moving tour of the camp. Participants will be able to explore the haunting landscapes and barracks, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of the Holocaust. 

“ It is the most amazing footage that you will ever see. I don’t think if you go to Birkenau Auschwitz, alive in real-time, you [will] see what you see in this video, especially the narration and the different stories that are told. ” – Rabbi Eli J. Mansour,Rabbinic Leader at Magen David Yeshivah in Brooklyn, NY

Event details

Virtual Tour of Auschwitz Exhibition at the Reagan Library

Virtual Tour of Auschwitz Exhibition at the Reagan Library Thursday at 12:00pm PDT

Step into the poignant and powerful world of the sold-out Auschwitz Exhibition at the Reagan Library with exhibit curator  Michael Berenbaum . The virtual tour takes visitors through the harrowing history of Auschwitz, exploring the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the stories of the victims and survivors. As you virtually navigate through the exhibit, you'll be immersed in a range of artifacts that bring to life the experiences of those affected by the Holocaust. From personal belongings of prisoners and authentic camp uniforms to interactive displays and photographs, the exhibit offers a profound and deeply moving perspective on one of the darkest periods of human history. After the virtual tour, you’ll have the opportunity to ask Michael Berenbaum questions during a live Q&A.  

Michael Berenbaum  is a Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute at the American Jewish University. He is a writer, a scholar and a creator of Museums. His work has been recognized by the Emmys and Academy Awards.

Alyssa Silva  is the Programming Manager for the Office of Innovation at American Jewish University whose passion is to reimagine and implement what Jewish community looks like by bringing a unique perspective on what is engaging and inspiring Jewish communities today. Prior to arriving at AJU, she was the Assistant Executive Director of Houston Hillel, the Programming and Operations Associate at Maryland Hillel, and is a proud Moishe House DC alumni. Alyssa has a Master’s Degree in Jewish Nonprofit Management from The Zelikow School, a BA in Religious Studies from The University of Arizona, and a certificate in Jewish Experiential Education from The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. 

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Haredi women offer virtual tours of Auschwitz

NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education

Study trip -- never forget: auschwitz virtual live tour.

Live from Poland, join OLLI members for a unique two-hour exploration of Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. 2023 marks the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, where over 1.1 million men, women and children perished during the Holocaust. We will be joined by a professional tour guide who uses historical footage, testimonies, and modern animation combined with videos, photos, drone footage and more to teach about the horrors that occurred. 

Note: Please note that this will be two hours long with an opportunity for Q and A at the end. 

Includes: Professional guided virtual experience through the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp.

Registration Deadline: May 5

Your message (optional)

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• Help Finding People Lost in the Holocaust Search and Unite

• Holocaust history and stories from Holocaust Photos, Survivors, Liberators, Books and Art
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A Virtual Tour of Auschwitz: On Every Day Since…

Illustrated Tour of Auschwitz

A Virtual Tour of Auschwitz

On every day since… a christian at auschwitz, welcome to my journal.

“The same day I saw my first horror camp, I visited every nook and cranny. I felt it my duty to be in a position from then on to testify about these things in case there ever grew up at home the belief or assumption that the stories of Nazi brutality were just propaganda.”

– General Dwight D. Eisenhower

On every day since I first saw Auschwitz, I have wept.

– The Author

Introduction

What follows here is the written and photographic record of five days spent visiting two Nazi concentration camps in and near Oswiecim, Poland in September 1993. Known as Auschwitz and Birkenau, the two camps were liberated in January 1945. The remains of the camps, the survivors’ and liberators’ testimonies, and the documentary evidence leave no doubt as to the enormity of the crimes against humanity which were committed there. This journal, which started out as a letter to my friend of 30 years, John Anderson Parker, is a work in progress and an expression of the belief that we must never forget .

Parts of this document will change. Most changes will occur in Afterwords as matters of fact are corrected and puzzles are solved. New or revised graphics will appear in various sections from time to time. If the project goes as hoped and a return trip is made possible, the quality and scope of the work will be improved.

Comments and reactions are welcome by [email protected] via e-mail.

© 1993, Stuart C. Nichols

Illustrated Tour of Auschwitz , where you can just view the pictures Stuart took.

Go to the Top of the Page

Remember. Zachor. Sich erinnern.

Remember.org helps people find the best digital resources, connecting them through a collaborative learning structure since 1994. If you'd like to share your story on Remember.org, all we ask is that you give permission to students and teachers to use the materials in a non-commercial setting. Founded April 25, 1995 as a "Cybrary of the Holocaust". Content created by Community. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT . History Channel ABC PBS CNET One World Live New York Times Apple Adobe Copyright 1995-2024 Remember.org. All Rights Reserved. Publisher: Dunn Simply

APA Citation

Dunn, M. D. (Ed.). (95, April 25). Remember.org - The Holocaust History - A People's and Survivors' History. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from remember.org

MLA Citation

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11 N Schoenbeck Rd Prospect Heights, IL 60070

Property ID: 10994850

Guided Tours for Individual Visitors

Individual visitors may tour the Memorial independently or in organised groups with a guide-educator.

Entrance to the Museum, to both Auschwitz I and Birkenau parts, is possible only with a personalized entry pass booked in advance. Reservations can be made at  visit.auschwitz.org  or on the spot at the cashier. The number of entry passes available is limited.

Due to the limited number of the entry passes visitors are kindly requested to book in advance at the website  visit.auschwitz.org ,  as well as to arrive 30 minutes before the start of the tour. Larger luggage should be left in vehicles in the car park. Before the visit, please read the  rules of visiting  and  the opening hours of the  Museum.

VISITING WITHOUT A GUIDE-EDUCATOR

Tour without a guide-educator is possible at certain times subject to free Entry Passes, which may be downloaded from  the tour booking system :

• January, November: form 1.00 PM
• February: from 2.00 PM
• March, October: from 3.00 PM
• April, May, September: from 4.00 PM
• June - August: from 4:00 PM
• December: from 12.00 PM  

During the dates provided below, entrance to Museum is only possible with a guide-educator:

• January, November: from 7.30 AM to 1.00 PM 
• February: from 7.30 AM to 2.00 PM
• March, October: from 7.30 AM to 3.00 PM
• April, May, September: from 7.30 AM to 4.00 PM
• June - August: from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM
• December: from 7.30 AM to 12.00 PM

  VISITING WITH A GUIDE-EDUCATOR

• Polish from 8.30, 9.00 to 13.00 in every hour • English from 8.30 to 12.30 in every  hour • French 11.45 • German 10.15 • Italian 11.15 • Spanish 10.45 • Russian 9.45

• Polish from  8.15, 9.00 to 13.00 in every hour • English from 8.30 to 13.30 in every  hour • French 11.15 • German 10.45 • Italian 11.45 • Spanish 12.15 • Russian 10.15

• Polish from  8.15, 9.00 to 14.00 in every hour • English from 8.30 to 14.30 in every  hour • French 10.15, 13.45 • German 9.45, 14.15 • Italian 11.15, 13.15 • Spanish 10.45, 14.45 • Russian 11.45

APRIL / MAY / JUNE

• Polish from  8.15 to 15.15 in 30 min. • English from 8.30 to 15.30 in 30 min. • French 10.15, 12.45, 13.15 • German 9.45, 12.00, 14.45 • Italian 11.15, 12.45, 14.15 • Spanish 10.45, 12.15, 13.45 • Russian 9.15, 11.45, 15.15

JULY / AUGUST

• Polish 8.15, 8.45, 9.15, 9.45 and from 10.15 to 15.45 in every 15 min., 16.15, 16.45  • English 08.30, 9.00 and from 9.30 to 15.30 in every 15 min., 16.00, 16.30 • Czech 10.45, 14.15 • Slovak 9.45, 13:45 • Russian 9.15, 11.45, 15.15 • French 10.15, 12.45, 14:15 • German 9.45, 12.00, 14.45 • Spanish 10.45, 12.15, 14.45 • Italian 11.15, 12.45, 14.15

• Polish from 8.15 to 15.15 in every 30 min. • English from 8.30 to 15.30 in every 30 min. • Russian 9.15, 11.45, 15.15 • French 10:15, 12:45, 13:15 • German 9.45, 12.00, 14.45 • Spanish 10.45, 12.15, 13.45 • Italian 11.15, 12.45, 14.15

• Polish 8.15 and from 9.00 to 14.00 in every hour • English form 8.30 to 14.30 in every hour • Russian 11.45 • French 10.15, 13.45 • German 9.45, 14,15 • Spanish 10.45, 14.45 • Italian 11.15, 13.15

• Polish 8.15 and from 9.00 to 14.00 in every hour • English from 8.30 to 12.30 in every  hour • French 11.45 • German 10.45 • Italian 11.15 • Spanish 12.15 • Russian 10.15

• Polish 8.15 and from 9.00 to 12.00 in every hour • English from 8.30 to 11.30 in every hour • French 11.45 • German 10.15 • Italian 11.15 • Spanish 10.45 • Russian 9.45

You can book a place on a tour at  visit.auschwitz.org , where you will find information on available dates and  prices of entry passes .

A tour lasts approximately 3.5 hours and it starts at Auschwitz I. 

The price includes a tour of the former Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau camps with a guide-educator, rental of a headset. The Museum provides transfer between both sites of the former camp. The shuttle bus is intended for individual visitors in guided tours. The transfer takes place in accordance with security procedures in force in the territory of the Republic of Poland regarding public transport means.

Sale of entry passes for language tours ends 5 minutes before the start of the tour.

Concessionary entry passes are available to pupils and students aged up to 26 years, people over 75 years of age and disabled upon presentation of a proper document.

During periods of increased visitor traffic, there may be a temporary limitation in the availability of group tours.

STUDY TOURS

Study tours are organized everyday (tour takes around 6 hours):

• Polish 9.00

• German 9.15

• English 9.30

• via @auschwitzmuseum" aria-label="Udostępnij na Twitter">

Images from www.auschwitz.org may be used only in publications relating to the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau or the activities of the Auschwitz Memorial. Their use must not tarnish the good reputation of the victims of KL Auschwitz. Any interference in the integrity of the images – including cropping or graphic processing – is prohibited. The use of the images for commercial purposes requires the Museum’s approval and information about the publication. Publishers undertake to indicate the authors and origin of the images: www.auschwitz.org, as well as to inform the Museum of the use of the images ([email protected]).

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Some visitors to Israel have a new stop on their tours: Hamas’ destruction in the south

For people visiting Israel, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. This is a new kind of tourism that has emerged in the country in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. (AP Video: Ami Bentov)

A group of Israelis on an educational tour visit the home of the Siman Tov family on Friday, June 21, 2024. The parents and three children were killed and their home was torched by Hamas militants on the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

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A group of Israelis visit a damaged house following the Oct. 7 Hamas militants attack on Israel in Kibbutz Beeri, southern Israel, on Friday, Jan. 28, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israeli soldiers watch a virtual tour of the destruction of the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel near the site of the Tribe of Nova music festival, where at least 364 people were killed and abducted near Kibbutz Re’im, southern Israel, Thursday, May 30, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

An Israeli reservist poses for a picture with a tourist from Mexico, who is holding the soldier’s M16 rifle, at the site of the Tribe of Nova music festival, where at least 364 people were killed and abducted during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, near Kibbutz Re’im, southern Israel on Thursday, June 20, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A group of Israelis on an educational tour visit a house that was torched by Hamas militants on the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in Kibbutz Nir Oz, on Friday, June 21, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

People look at the Gaza Strip through binoculars from an observation point in the town of Sderot, southern Israel, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

FILE - Danny Danon, a member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, left, and Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, visit a home torched by Hamas in Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, Monday, May 27, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

A woman stands next to photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event to commemorate the Oct. 7, massacre near Kibbutz Re’im on Thursday, June 20, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli soldiers look at pictures of revelers killed on Oct. 7, 2023 at the Nova music festival by Hamas militants during a cross-border attack, as they visit the site in Re’im, southern Israel near the Gaza border, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman stands next to a shelter at the site of the Tribe of Nova music festival, where at least 364 people were killed and abducted during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, near Kibbutz Re’im on Thursday, June 20, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A group of Israelis on an educational tour visit the dining hall that was damaged during the Oct. 7, Hamas attack on Israel in Kibbutz Nir Oz, on Friday, June 21, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

People look at the Gaza Strip from an observation point in the town of Sderot, southern Israel, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Ultra-Orthodox Jews from central Israel visit a bomb shelter where Israelis were killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas militants attack on Israel, near Kibbutz Beeri, southern Israel, on Friday, June 21, 2024. A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

KIBBUTZ NIR OZ, Israel (AP) — A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza .

Jerry Seinfeld, Elon Musk , Michael Douglas, former presidential candidate Nikki Haley , and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are a few who have visited, at times posing for photos in front of burned-out homes. Many Israelis, including soldiers and security officials, are also visiting on organized trips.

“It’s our personal story, but it’s also the story of all of the state of Israel,” said Irit Lahav, spokeswoman for Kibbutz Nir Oz, who gives many of the tours.

A quarter of the approximately 400 Nir Oz residents fell victim to the attack. Hamas militants killed more than 20 and kidnapped over 80. In the dining hall, a wall of post office boxes is plastered with stickers — red for killed, black for kidnapped, blue for released.

While it’s uncomfortable to open the community to visitors, she said it’s important for people to “come here and smell the burned smell of death, to imagine your friends or parents here.”

Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people as they rampaged through southern Israel, and kidnapped around 250. Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war that followed.

Prior to Oct. 7, Lahav ran a tourism company. Now she has turned those itinerary-building skills to the kibbutz where she grew up. Her tour includes the spot in the fence where Hamas militants stormed the kibbutz, along with small details that humanize the scale of destruction, like the candy eggs that melted when the general store was torched.

Many of the kibbutzim and towns that experienced the worst destruction are closed to the public, accessible only via organized tours like those for dignitaries or celebrities, or by invitation from a resident.

A group of Israelis on an educational tour visit a house that was torched by Hamas militants on the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in Kibbutz Nir Oz, on Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Nir Oz decided that the guides must be residents. Rena Bazar, who lives with most of the community in temporary housing elsewhere, is among those giving tours.

At first, it was difficult to return to Nir Oz. She didn’t like the idea of strangers on the lawns and in the dining hall with its bullet-riddled windows. But eventually, she understood the importance of helping visitors understand not just what happened, but also what life had been like before Oct. 7.

“I want to make it less about the combat and more about the personal stories of people who were there,” Bazar said.

For visiting dignitaries and VIPs, trips to Israel have long included stops at famous religious or cultural sites, such as the Western Wall, Masada, the Sea of Galilee or the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. The visits to the battered kibbutzim and border towns are the latest way to build support and solidarity with Israel’s allies abroad.

Other parts of southern Israel are open to the public and encouraging visitors — both foreigners and Israelis from elsewhere.

People look at the Gaza Strip through binoculars from an observation point in the town of Sderot, southern Israel, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The city of Sderot runs “resilience tours,” connecting groups with survivors who share their memories of Oct. 7 or highlight cultural or culinary offerings. In contrast to the hardest-hit kibbutzim like Nir Oz, most of Sderot’s residents have returned.

Hen Cohen, the city’s tourism director, estimated that about 200,000 visitors have come during the first half of 2024, compared with 100,000 total in a normal year. Most come via solidarity missions from abroad or are local visitors such as soldiers and police officers on educational tours.

Birthright Israel, an organization that provides 10-day free trips to Israel for Jewish Americans, said that nearly all of the 13,500 participants expected this summer will visit Sderot and the site of the Nova music festival, where at least 364 people died. These visits provide an economic and morale boost to residents, Cohen said.

The Sderot police station, where 10 officers were killed on Oct. 7 in a standoff that left the station in ruins, is a main attraction. Visitors stop at the local museum, and watch security footage of what happened on Oct. 7, then walk to the empty lot where the police station stood. Twisted metal remains. Israeli flags flutter in the wind. A sign says a memorial will be built there.

People look at the Gaza Strip from an observation point in the town of Sderot, southern Israel, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

“In this dark hour, I wanted to do my part to make sure the people of Israel know that the people of the United States are with you,” former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said while visiting the site. Seinfeld later cried while talking about his own visit to a kibbutz, describing it as “the most powerful experience” of his life.

Zehava Ben Zaken, a lifelong Sderot resident, said it has taken time to adjust to seeing visitors every time she walks by. “I’m happy they come to see this place, so they can understand and stand with us,” she said.

Hearing the booms from Gaza a few kilometers (miles) away, she hoped that visitors can finally understand Sderot’s precarious security situation. “We’re totally broken,” she said.

South of Sderot, the site of the Nova music festival has become a pilgrimage site for hundreds of visitors per day. Photos of victims are arranged around what had been the main stage. Loved ones have left candles, sculptures, photos and other mementos.

Israeli soldiers look at pictures of revelers killed on Oct. 7, 2023 at the Nova music festival by Hamas militants during a cross-border attack, as they visit the site in Re’im, southern Israel near the Gaza border, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Standing there helped her understand the enormity of loss of life, said Naomi Hanan, a medical student from San Francisco. “It’s right in front of your face and there’s no denying or ignoring what you’ve been hearing or seeing through the media,” she said.

In a eucalyptus grove near the site, an organization called Triumph of the Spirit offers virtual reality tours of three kibbutzim, including Nir Oz. The tours are currently only open to soldiers on official educational visits, but an English version will be available in the coming weeks for international tourists.

“I feel like I’m in Fortnite!” one soldier said as he slipped on the headset, then went silent as images of destruction appeared.

The videos were created by Miriam Cohen and Chani Kopolovich, who had created such tours of Auschwitz for a Holocaust education experience for people who don’t travel to Poland.

“We’ve made it accessible to go on this tour without damaging peoples’ privacy,” said Pinchas Tosig, who runs the tent and has 300 to 700 soldiers visit per day.

Some residents of southern Israel are looking beyond the visitors to the future.

In the coming weeks, Nir Oz will start demolishing some buildings to make way for new construction. Residents wonder how to preserve what happened while making space for new lives. Some say part of the destruction should remain. Others don’t want reminders — or visitors.

On one tour, Bazar pointed out the safe room where she spent hours hiding on Oct. 7. Her home was mostly spared. Others were burned. She doesn’t want the destruction to remain inside Nir Oz and hopes any future memorial will be elsewhere.

“I don’t want any child to be impacted by the ruins,” she said. “Our cemetery is full. Isn’t that memorial enough?”

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war