Toul Sleng Genocide Museum Tour Highlight

A Visitor's Guide to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

A visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is not a typical tourist activity; it is a profound and somber act of remembrance. Located in Phnom Penh, this former school stands as a chilling testament to the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime, and it is an essential stop for anyone seeking to understand Cambodia's tragic modern history.

Planning Your Visit

• Opening Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, daily.
• Entrance Fee: $5 USD for foreigners. Audio Guide rental is an additional $5.
• Audio Guide is Essential: The audio guide is highly recommended. It provides survivor testimonies and detailed context that are crucial for a comprehensive understanding.
• Dress & Conduct: Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees. Maintain a quiet and respectful demeanor throughout your visit.

Before It Was a Museum

Security Prison 21 (S-21)

Before 1975, Tuol Sleng was a high school. When the Khmer Rouge seized power, they transformed it into their largest center of detention and torture, known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). Between 1975 and 1979, an estimated 20,000 people were imprisoned here. They were systematically tortured to extract forced "confessions" before being transported to the Choeung Ek killing fields to be executed. Only a handful of prisoners are known to have survived S-21.

What You Will Witness

A Journey Through Four Buildings

The museum is preserved much as it was found in 1979. As you walk through the four main buildings, you will witness:

• Building A: Large rooms where prisoners were interrogated. Each room contains a single steel bed frame, shackles, and a stark photo of a victim found in that room.
• Building B: Galleries filled with the haunting black-and-white portraits of the prisoners, taken by the Khmer Rouge upon their arrival.
• Building C: The tiny, crude brick and wooden cells where prisoners were held in horrific conditions.
• Building D: Exhibits on the Khmer Rouge's methods of torture and the international tribunal that followed.

In the courtyard, you will see the gallows used for torture and the graves of the last victims found when the prison was liberated.

A Journey of Remembrance

A visit to Tuol Sleng is emotionally challenging but incredibly important. It is a memorial to the millions of lives lost and a powerful educational experience that ensures we never forget the horrors of the Cambodian genocide. To fully comprehend the scope of these events, it is recommended to also visit the **Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (The Killing Fields)**, where the prisoners of S-21 met their end.