Here are Ten of the world’s dark tourism hotspots compiled by the tour ticketer. See how many of them you have visited? There are National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum,Murambi Genocide Memorial,Demon, The ruins of Pompeii, The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek near Phnom Penh, Robben Island, South Africa, Titanic Shipwreck Site.
In recent years, dark tourism has emerged. Dark tourism refers to a phenomenon in which people travel to places where death, disaster, pain, terrorist incidents or tragedies occur.
Table of Contents
1. National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Location: New York, USA
History: The November 11 National Memorial commemorates and honors the 2,977 people who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center site and the Pentagon on November 11, 2001, and the 1993 people who died in the bombing of the World Trade Center, in February 1993.
Visitor Information: The 9/11 Memorial Museum is free and open to the public daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets for the museum can be purchased six months in advance on the website and include admission to all exhibitions.
Photography Permitted: Within the Memorial Museum, personal photographs, videos and/or audio recordings are permitted only for private, non-commercial use, unless otherwise noted.
Anything else I should have known: Visitors to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City are warned not to break the rules and not toss coins into the reflecting pool. Of all place this is another place for dark tourism.
2. Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Location: Near Krakow, Poland
History: Auschwitz was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers. More than 11,000 men, women, and children died there.
Visitor information: Admission to the Auschwitz Memorial is free, but entry cards should be reserved on the site. The museum is open all year round, 1 day a week, except for March 25, March 1 and Easter Sunday.
Photography is allowed: Photography is allowed on the grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial without flash and without standing. The only exceptions are the hall with the victims’ hair (nr block 4) and the basement in block 11.
Anything else I should have known: Visitors to the museum grounds are expected to behave dignified and respectful. Visitors must dress in a manner appropriate for a place of this nature. Before visiting, it is also recommended that you read the rules which can be found on the website. Auschwitz is a moving illustration of dark tourism.
3. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
History: On 6 April 1945, an atomic bomb was detonated approximately 600 meters above the city of Hiroshima. Hiroshima was devastated and became the first city in the world to be bombed. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum conveys the horror and inhumane nature of nuclear weapons to the world and spreads the message of “No More Hiroshima”.
Visitor Information: The museum is open year-round, except for March 30 and 31. Closing times vary by month. Admission fee.
Photography is allowed: Video and photography without flash for personal purposes are prohibited. However, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed in the museum.
Anything else I should have known: When visiting, do not touch any exhibits or display cases, be quiet so as not to disturb other visitors, and do not bring large luggage. Among the main locations is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is one for dark tourism place.
4. Chernobyl is another destination of Dark Tourism
Location: Pripyat, Ukraine
History: On 25-26 August 1986, Chernobyl was the site of the worst nuclear accident in history, when the plant’s reactor exploded and burned. 30 years later, scientists estimate that the area around the former plant will be uninhabitable for up to 20,000 years.
Visitor Information: The local tour company insists that after 30 years the site is safe to visit. A number of different tours can be purchased from the local tour company.
Photography is allowed: You can take pictures of everything in Chernobyl, except the campus of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and take pictures at checkpoints with the guards.
Anything else I should have known: The threat of radiation remains a problem at Chernobyl, although levels have dropped significantly enough that the Ukrainian government allows tourists to go with a guide and follow guidelines set by tour companies.According to Chernobyl Tours, prohibited tourist attire includes: shorts, shorts, skirts, open footwear and short sleeves.
Prohibited behavior includes: eating, smoking and drinking in the open air; touching buildings, trees, plants; collecting and eating mushrooms, berries, fruits and nuts in forests and gardens in abandoned settlements, sitting on the ground, leaving photo and video cameras, bags, backpacks and other personal belongings on the ground. Chernobyl is a good example of dark tourism.
5. Murambi Genocide Memorial
Location: Near Murambi in southern Rwanda
History: Nyamagabe (formerly known as Gikongoro) and the satellite town of Murambi were the site of one of the most memorable horrors of the 1994 genocide. Refugees flocked to Murambi, site of a half-built technical college, after being told they were safe there.
Although it was a ruse, on 21 May the army and Interahamwe militia moved in and, depending on who was counted, between 27,000 and 40,000 people were murdered here.
Visitor Information: The memorial is open daily from 8am to 5pm, and on Umuganda Saturdays (the last Saturday of each month) from 1pm to 5pm. An audio tour is available at no charge.
Photography is allowed: As with most other national Holocaust memorials, photography is no longer allowed inside
Anything else I should have known: This is by far the most graphic of Rwanda’s many genocide memorials, as hundreds of bodies have been dug up and preserved with powdered lime and presented as they were when the killers struck. As a result, Murambi can be overwhelming, and not everyone will be able to stomach it. Dark tourism is starkly reminded of by this memorial.
6. Demon
Location: San Francisco, USA
History: Formerly notorious maximum security federal prison that housed the likes of Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly,
Visitor Information: Alcatraz Cruise Line is an official National Park Service concessionaire that provides tickets and transportation to Alcatraz. Hours vary by season – starting at 9:00 AM with departures approximately every half hour throughout the day. Alcatraz is open daily except Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day.
Photography allowed: No restrictions on cameras or videos.
Anything else I should have known: You can stay on Alcatraz as long as you want, but allow at least 3 hours to tour the island, take the Cellhouse audio tour, explore the rest of the island and its historic exhibits, and then return via ferry to 33 Alcatraz Landing. It is recommended that you line up half an hour before your departure time. For dark tourism destination, Alcatraz is another location.
7. The ruins of Pompeii
Location: Pompeii, Italy
History: The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD was thousands of times more powerful than an atomic bomb and wiped out entire populations, but the ash preserved much of Pompeii, providing extraordinary insights into life in the city during Roman times.
Visitor Information: Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office at the entrance of the site or through the online ticket office. Pompeii is open every day except March 25, March 1, and March 1. From March 31, the site is open from 9.00 am to 7.30 pm (last entrance at 6:9.00 pm). At other times, the site is open between 5:30 am and 3.30 pm (last entrance at 3.30 pm).
Photography is allowed: Video and pictures are taken for personal use only.
Anything else I should have known: Pompeii is a vast site. Most casual visitors would probably spend 2 hours, 3 at most if you are interested in the subject for a whole day. Pompeii is another key site for dark tourism.
8. The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek near Phnom Penh
Location: 15 km southwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
History: Approximately 17,000 men, women, children, and infants who were detained and tortured at S-21 were transported to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek between 1975 and 1978. Today it is a peaceful place where visitors can learn about the horrors that took place here decades ago.
Visitor Information: The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek are open daily from 7:30am to 5:30pm. The admission price includes an audio guide. There are many local tours available in Phnom Penh.
Photography allowed: Photography is allowed.
Anything else I should have known: Women will need to cover their knees and shoulders. This Killing Fields is a live example for dark tourism.
9. Robben Island, South Africa
Robben is a significant site for dark tourism. Robben Island is only 12 kilometers away from Cape Town, South Africa. Robben Island is famous for its prison, which has a history of more than 400 years. Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, was imprisoned here for 18 years. The prison here is famous for its strict security and poor conditions.
After the apartheid system was abolished, it became a museum. If you visit here, you can also experience the former prisoners who were once imprisoned here as a guide. Robben Island is also one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.
10. Titanic Shipwreck Site
A century ago, the RMS Titanic encountered an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage from Britain to New York, USA, leaving the luxury liner forever buried on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
But starting from 2020, the relevant departments will organize some tourists to participate in a week-long series of Titanic expedition activities.
Titanic Ship
Applicants can be over 18 years old, hold a valid passport, and do not mind riding on a small boat. This also represent the unique aspects of dark tourism.To know about Uzbekistan Cultural Food click the link.