Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum: History and Context

The site was originally Tuol Svay Prey High School. After the Khmer Rouge took power, it became Security Prison 21, set up as an institution in August 1975. The prison moved into the former school buildings at the beginning of 1976.

Wikipedia estimates that about 20,000 people were imprisoned there between 1976 and 1979. Sources differ on the total: UNESCO's Memory of the World register gives roughly 15,000. Twelve survivors are known, while the Documentation Center of Cambodia estimates about 23 people survived until liberation in January 1979.

The prison became a museum around 1979 to 1980. Its archive was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2009. On 11 July 2025, Tuol Sleng was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of three Cambodian Memorial Sites, together with Choeung Ek and the former M-13 prison.

The prison's commander, Kang Kek Iew (Comrade Duch), was convicted by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia on 26 July 2010. He died in 2020 while serving a life sentence.

Tickets and Opening Hours

According to the museum's official website, Tuol Sleng is open every day, including public holidays, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Some third-party listings show different hours, so rely on the official times.

Payment is cash only, in US dollars or Cambodian riel, according to the official site. Card payments are not accepted.

International adults aged 18 and over pay $5. The child ticket of $3 covers international visitors aged 10 to 17, and children under 10 enter free; both categories require proof of identity, so bring identification for any child.

• International Adults (18+)
  • Admission for international adults aged 18 and over is $5 per person.
  • Payment is cash only, in US dollars or Cambodian riel.
• International Children Aged 10 to 17
  • Admission is $3 for international children from 10 through 17 years old.
  • Proof of identity is required for this ticket category.
• Children Under 10
  • Children under 10 enter free of charge with proof of identity.
• Foreign Visitors With a K-VISA
  • Foreign visitors holding a K-VISA enter free of charge.
  • The museum asks for K-VISA confirmation as proof of eligibility.
• Cambodian Visitors
  • Cambodian nationals enter free of charge, according to the official ticket list.
• Audio Guide
  • The audio guide costs $5 for non-Cambodian visitors and $1 for Cambodian citizens.
• Personal Tour Guide
  • Personal guides work for a voluntary contribution, meaning a donation, rather than a fixed fee.
  • Group bookings are available for parties of 10 or more.

Getting There: Location and Entrance

The museum stands on Street 113 in Boeung Keng Kang III, in the Boeung Keng Kang district of central Phnom Penh. The entrance is at the corner of Street 113 and Street 350, and the postal code is 12304.

Because the entrance sits on a corner, give your driver both street numbers rather than only the museum's name. For other sights in the city, see our Phnom Penh attractions guide.

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, the former execution site linked to S-21, lies about 17 km (11 mi) south of Phnom Penh's city centre. It is a separate site with its own schedule, so plan that trip on its own terms.

What to Expect Inside the Four Buildings

The compound has four main buildings, labeled A to D, arranged around the former school grounds. The exhibits are documentary and often distressing, so each visitor should decide what feels right for them and for any children.

The official site sets ticket categories by age but does not state a minimum age for visitors. Other rooms described on the museum's site include a reading room in Building B and the White Lotus Room in Building D.

The official museum page also describes a wooden building, Building E, used for documentary screenings.

• Building A
  • Building A holds the large cells where the last victims' bodies were found.
• Building B
  • Building B houses the photograph galleries. The museum's archive, which holds prisoner photographs and prison documents, was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2009.
• Building C
  • Building C contains small subdivided cells.
• Building D
  • Building D holds memorabilia, including instruments of torture, along with the White Lotus Room.

Visiting Respectfully: Rules and Photography

The museum admits guests only in appropriate clothing. Its rules note that Cambodian culture dictates that legs and arms be covered at commemorative and religious sites.

Photography is allowed for personal, non-commercial, or research use. Mobile phones may not be used inside the exhibition buildings, and drones need authorization from the Museum Director.

The official rules also prohibit food, alcohol, and smoking on the grounds. Keeping your voice low and your pace unhurried is a simple way to honor the victims and survivors.

Pairing S-21 With Choeung Ek and Other Sites

Most S-21 prisoners were later taken to Choeung Ek, where they were executed. Together with the former M-13 prison, the two sites form the Cambodian Memorial Sites on the UNESCO list.

Tuol Sleng keeps the 8:00 am to 5:00 pm schedule noted above, but Choeung Ek, about 17 km south of the city centre, sets its own hours. Check those on its official channels before planning to visit both.

Our guides to other Phnom Penh sites cover the Royal Palace, the National Museum of Cambodia and Wat Phnom. Check each site's current hours separately before you plan.