Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)

The museum offers a dark and disturbing window into the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. The interrogation rooms have been left as they were in 1977, and photographs of the regime’s victims are on display, along with rusting tools of torture. The museum suggests visitors should be at least 14-years-old as the exhibits are too disturbing for most children. Visitors are expected to behave respectfully during their visit.

Tuol Sleng is a common stop on Phnom Penh city tours, which typically also include the Royal Palace, the National Museum of Cambodia, and Wat Phnom. For a more in-depth look at the horrors perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge, book a Tuol Sleng tour that includes a trip to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, south of the city, where S-21’s 17,000 or so victims met their deaths.

• The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a must for travelers who would like to understand Cambodia’s dark history.

• The museum is not suitable for most children.

• Please dress respectfully, covering legs and arms, or you may be refused admission.

• Tuol Sleng bans visitors from using mobile phones on the premises. Photography is allowed, but this is no place for selfies of any kind.

• Tickets are free for Cambodian citizens and travelers who use wheelchairs.

• The exterior areas, including torture sites, information boards, and a memorial, are fully wheelchair accessible; upper floors are accessed only by stairs; some ground floor exhibits can be viewed from a wheelchair.

Tuol Sleng sits in the heart of Phnom Penh, just a 1-mile (1.5-kilometer) walk southeast of the Royal Palace. The city has no public transport, so join an organized tour or book a pre-paid private driver if you want to avoid the hassles of negotiating with motorcycle taxis, “cyclo” rickshaws, and tuk-tuks.

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is open from early in the morning until late afternoon seven days a week. It’s worth arriving early in the day, during the working week, to beat the crowds and experience the site in peace. Two different documentaries are shown each day: Arrive reasonably early to catch the morning film or in the middle of the afternoon for the second screening.

The Khmer Rouge executed most of their victims at a range of different sites known as killing fields. Today, many are preserved as memorial sites, with shrines and disturbing exhibits. The Choeung Ek Killing Fields, outside Phnom Penh, are the best known. Sights include a mountain of 8,000 skulls and a tree where Khmer Rouge fighters bashed babies’ heads in to save the cost of bullets.

There are plenty of ways to experience the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

The Killing Field and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21) TourKilling Field and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum TourPhnom Penh Full Day Private Tour Included All Admission TicketsPhnom Penh’s Culinary Underground: Local Food Tour by Tuk-tukVisit 11 Places in One Day including S21 & Killing Field

Tickets to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) cost US$5 for adults and US$3 for those younger. You can only buy tickets at the museum’s ticket booth. Audio guides are available in multiple languages for an additional fee. If you take a personal guide, donations are welcomed.

The best time to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) is early on weekday mornings when crowds are fewer. The museum is open daily from around 8am to 5pm. Note that the busy dry season is from November to May, and the museum will see more visitors then, too.

Plan to spend a few hours visiting the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) to see the permanent and temporary exhibitions ones, plus watch a short film. If you have a half-day to spend, consider adding a trip to Choeung Ek or the Killing Fields, since you are in the area.

No, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) is not recommended for children under 15 years old. There is sensitive content and imagery inside the museum that kids—and even adults—may find distressing. However, you can purchase tickets for those 10 and over, but only when accompanied by an adult.

Yes, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) is worth it. Just be prepared for some shocking images and a hard look at a difficult time in Cambodia’s history. Make sure to wear respectful clothing, covering arms and legs, since this is a memorial site visited by both foreigners and Cambodians.