What is Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum?
What is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum? It is a museum and a memorial to those who were prisoners and then ultimately died in that location at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. The location of this atrocity has been left as a somber memorial that Cambodia uses to teach future generations about the history and how to prevent it from happening again. That brings us to whether the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is appropriate to take children to. And if so, at what age is it alright to go, and what age is too young.
A Brief History of Tuol Sleng
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is located in an old high school in downtown Phnom Penh. During the Khmer Rouge genocide, this high school was turned into a prison. The Khmer Rouge called the prison S-21. It was at this high school that the Khmer Rouge brought traitors to stay while they were interrogated and tortured. Classrooms were divided up into tiny cells. A few rooms were left for the torturing of the more important prisoners.
Thousands and thousands of prisoners came through the Tuol Sleng prison; only a few prisoners ever made it out. There are 12 confirmed survivors. All the rest were slaughtered at the location. Many thousands of others were killed at nearby killing fields. We do not recommend visiting the killing fields with kids. It is estimated that one fourth of the population of Cambodia was killed during the Khmer Rouge. Even at the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, the prisoners that were left were all killed so that what happened within the walls at Tuol Sleng would be kept hidden.
But the few survivors shared their stories. And S-21 became a museum to remember the horrors that took place during those years.
The school was left exactly how it was found after the liberation. However, signs and pictures have been added into the rooms to show who was held there. But so much was left where it was, untouched. Beds with shackles sit unmoved. Which makes it much more vivid and real.
Where is Tuol Sleng
Tuol Sleng is found a little way from the downtown area in a residential area of town. It is far enough that you will need to take transportation to reach it. It is about 4 kilometers away from the Royal Palace of Cambodia which is along the riverside. As you approach it the only indication that you have arrived is the barbed wire surrounding the property.
You can read about other attraction and things to do in Phnom Penh with kids.
Admission
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Price
Adults: $5usd
Children: $3usd (under 10 years old free)
Audio guide: $5 per headset
CASH only
Hours
8:00am-5:00pm
Daily
Under 10-year-olds are not on the price list. They did give our 9-year-old a small slip of paper to hand at the entrance in order to enter.
Dress code
You need to dress modestly to enter. They are more relaxed on the rules than other places. Shorts cannot be too short and you are supposed to wear sleeves.
Audio guide vs. In-person tour guide
At the ticket counter, you have the option to add an audioguide to the price of your ticket. It is an extra $5 per audio guide. Audio guides are available in many languages. You can also choose to get a tour guide for your whole group.
The audio guide had been recommended to us as a way to get a lot of information but still go at your own pace. We saw the tour guides sharing with different sized groups and they sounded incredibly knowledgeable.
However, when thinking about the children and having them hear a tour guide, who may share more graphic details, we decided that we would not go through with a tour guide. Rather, us adults would take turns listening to the audio guide and then share the information from there.
That saved us money and the concern of overexposing our children to the horrors of the place. We could share the information in a way that was suitable for our kids.
Layout of the Museum
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a living museum, so the information is found exactly where it happened. There are 4 school buildings around the perimeter of the property with a beautiful courtyard in the center. These school buildings are divided into sections, each showing what happened with that building.
The first building had larger cells with beds and shackles. These rooms were used as torture rooms. There are graphic photos on the wall showing the bodies left in that room when the Khmer Rouge fled the prison. Other buildings had cells with the makeshift ‘cells’ made of brick dividing up the classrooms. Some had torture equipment and explanations on how they were used.
The courtyard is filled with trees and bushes and is very peaceful. The walking paths around it have misters to keep you cool. The center of the courtyard has memorials to those who were lost there.
There are a few other small buildings that house the souvenir shop and the ticket booth.
As of April 2026 there are a few survivors who have decided to return to the prison to share their stories and sell their books. This was hard for one of our boys to see actual survivors. There were two on the day we went.
Our Visit
At the time of visit, our children were 9, 11, 13, and 16. Because we had heard from friends that the layout made it possible to visit without seeing disturbing pictures, we decided that we would all go. If we had another option for our youngest child, we would have definitely decided against bringing him. The 11 year old would have been given a choice. That said, the 9 year old did not do any of the museum and just sat in the courtyard and read his book the whole visit.
To prepare for the visit, the 16 year old and I read the book First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. This is an excellent resource to understand the horrors that took place during the Khmer Rouge regime. But it is definitely a read for young adults and adults. For the younger kids, I read the first few chapters of the book The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho. This is a historical fiction book that takes place at the end of the war in a Thai refugee camp. But it gives details of what happened during the Khmer Rouge with a middle school audience in mind.
So when we entered the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, our children were very aware of what they were going to see and experience.
After the first building, our 11-year-old decided to go read his book in the courtyard with his brother. After just a few rooms and a little information, he had enough. The 13-year-old made it through one more building, but only to see some portraits and see some hastily built brick cells. He didn’t look at any graphic images. He then went to read. Our 16-year-old was able to make it through the whole museum.
In the courtyard there are a few unmarked graves. No indication of what they are there for are written for the kids in the courtyard. However, the audio guide explains the purpose.
Quick Summary of Tips to make it KID Friendly
Prepare ahead of time so they know what to expect
Summarizing information to make it more child-friendly
Skip rooms with overly graphic images or send child to courtyard
Processing what you are experiencing so that you can learn from it, but not be traumatized by it
Conclusion
Our 16 year old had this to say about her experience after she left: “If you are going to visit Phnom Penh then you should go there with your family. It shows an accurate depiction of their recent history that has become so integral to the shaping of modern day Cambodia. The museum does justice to the horrors that took place. It helps you understand what happened. It’s not a part of history that’s really focused on, so understanding what really happened there in the country that you are in is really important.”
We think that taking smaller kids ultimately comes down to the parents and how much you want your child to be exposed. Based on our experience, we would urge that this is really designed for teenage children and older. However, it is safe to go to the museum with younger children because you can choose how much information they take in.
After discussing our options and ultimately deciding to have each child engage a different amount, we are glad that we chose to go to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. What we learned at the museum shaped many conversations after we left. We hope our experience and sharing the pros and cons with you can help your family make an informed decision too.