About Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Earlier established as Tuol Svay Prey High School, this place got converted in a prison in 1974. The Pol's Pot security forces turned this school into the largest centre for detention and torture in the country. Over 17,000 people were held captive in this barbaric centre. The Khmer Rouge leaders were meticulous about maintaining records of their cruel acts. They photographed every prisoner while passing through S-21 (another name for the museum) before and after the torture. The Khmer Rough, reaching heights of insanity, had also turned barbaric to their own generations. T Each room of the museum holds pictures of the prisoners that serves to remind us how cruel humans can be to each other. Photographs of men, women and children heading towards their fate shall send chills down your spine. They also held foreigners prisoner, before they met with their fateful end. A guide would probably help you get a detailed insight into this horrific museum. If you wish to go ahead without a guide, an audio tour is also available. On the closure of the Vietnamese forces to the city, the surviving prisoners used their photography and painting skills to live through this harrowing experience. Two of the survivors still spend time at the museum narrating their accounts of inside the prison. The rusted beds of prisoners, the instruments used for execution, horrific pictures and the graveyards of the deceased shall envoke in you an empathy for the people who suffered so much. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum serves as a testament to the brutality of the Khmer Rouge.

Must See

Facts of the barbarism of Khmer Rouge, Harrowing pictures of men, women and children executed or killed in this detention centre, Paintings made by alive prisoners post-liberation of Phnom Penh, Pictures of gruesome deaths of the prisoner in their rooms, Graves of the executed prisoners in the nearby courtyard, Instruments of torture and rusted beds in the rooms of the captives, Interviews with former prison guards in a daily show at 9:00 a.m, The Khmer Rouge documentary which screens at 3:00 p.m.

How to reach

By car:

It takes about 19 min by car to reach the location as it is 3.5 km away from the city center.

By foot:

It takes about 43 min to reach the location via Czech Repulic Blvd (169) and St 143.

Tips

  • This place is not for the squeamish. Be patient and strong.
  • Visit to the genocide museum will be heart-wrenching and emotional. So make sure you are mentally prepared to face the facts of human cruelty.
  • We recommend hiring a guide for support and guidance. Guide Fee is US $6
  • Carry your water bottles to keep you hydrated.

Visit Time

Sunday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Waiting Time

No waiting time.

 

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Entrance Fee

Yes

International visitors age 18 and above: US $5

International visitors age 10-13: US $3

 

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Time you can spend Icon

Time you can spend

1-2 hours

 

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Weather

Light Rain 34°C

 

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