Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum recounts the crimes of the Khmer Rouge communist party that led a Cambodian genocide between 1975 and 1978, killing more than 17,000 people. The museum is housed within Security Prison 21 (S-21), which was a high school before it became the largest detention and execution center in the country.
Tuol Sleng was one of at least 150 execution centers built by the Khmer Rouge. Meticulous records of the barbaric events can be seen in the museum, including chilling black-and-white photographs of each victim before and after torture. Victims included men, women, and children from Cambodia, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Walk through the holding cells and torture rooms containing original beds, weapons, and photographs depicting exactly how the rooms were found. For more profound insight into the genocide, listen to a detailed retelling on the audio tour, which features stories from the survivors, who often conduct meet-and-greets at the museum.
Getting there
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is located in the center of Phnom Penh in Sangkat Olympic at the intersection of Street 113 and 330. You can take the bus to Movingnog Road, which is five minutes’ walk from the museum.