On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an exhibition made its world premiere in downtown Manhattan, offering an unprecedented look into the life and legacy of Anne Frank. For the first time, visitors can step inside a full-scale recreation of the secret annex—the hidden refuge where Anne, her family and four others lived in hiding for over two years during World War II.

This immersive experience is a pioneering effort outside of Amsterdam, allowing visitors to engage with Anne’s story, not just as a victim of the Holocaust, but as a vibrant young girl. More than 100 original collection items, letters and artifacts help paint a vivid picture of her life, from her childhood to her tragic end. Visitors are not allowed to take any photos or videos in the exhibit.

Upon entering the exhibit, visitors receive a hand-held audio guide, allowing them to explore at their own pace. Walking past artifacts, photographs and video displays, the narration provides historical context, making Anne’s early life feel personal and relatable.

Visitors to the exhibit step room by room through an exact replica of the annex. They see the shared living quarters first—the kitchen, dining room and living room that was one small space. They enter Anne’s parents’ bedroom, where closed curtains ensured secrecy. They walk into Anne’s tiny shared room with Fritz Pfeffer, a man she initially liked but later found difficult. She and Pfeffer would argue over who got to sit at the tiny desk in their room. Anne wanted to sit there to write. “When I write, I can shake off all my problems. My sorrows disappear. My spirits are revived,” she confided in her diary. “But will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer? I hope so. I hope so very much.”

Then there was Peter Van Pels, the teenage boy in the annex. At first, Anne dismissed him as dull, but their relationship evolved into friendship and, briefly, young love. They stole private moments in the attic, though Anne ultimately found herself disillusioned. “We talked about the most private things, but we haven’t talked about things closest to my heart. I still can’t make heads or tails of Peter. Is he superficial? Or is it just shyness that holds him back?”

On Aug. 4, 1944, the annex was raided by the Gestapo. Anne’s father, Otto, later recalled: “I was in the attic with Peter and suddenly we heard a noise. A man came up to the attic with a revolver, and it all stopped. It was the end.” The families were arrested and transported to the Westerbork transit camp, then packed into a train bound for Auschwitz.

Upon arrival at Auschwitz, men and women were separated—Anne never saw her father again. Her mother, Edith, died in Auschwitz. Anne and her sister Margot were transferred to Bergen-Belsen, a camp plagued by disease, starvation and brutal conditions. In February 1945, Margot died of typhus. Anne died soon after.

Otto was the sole survivor of their immediate family. When Auschwitz was liberated, he searched desperately for news of his family. He wrote letters to his relatives, saying he still held on to hope. But upon returning to Amsterdam, he learned of their deaths.

One of Otto’s former employees, Miep Gies, had gathered Anne’s diary and other writings from the annex after the Gestapo raided it, hoping to return it to her. She gave it to Otto. He later admitted that it was through Anne’s words that he truly came to know her. “I had thought we were close, but I realized I had no idea what was really going on in her mind.”

Anne’s Diary Lives On

Anne had written that she dreamed of publishing a book about her experience during the war, and Otto, with the urging of his relatives, decided to fulfill her wish. Initially publishers hesitated, but in 1947, “The Secret Annex” was released in the Netherlands. Soon after, French and German editions followed. Finding a U.S. publisher proved difficult, but in 1952, “The Diary of Anne Frank” was finally published by Doubleday Publishing House in English.

The book became an instant classic. New York Times reviewer Meyer Levin praised it as the work of “a born writer,” declaring, “Surely she will be widely loved, for this wonderful girl brings back a poignant delight in the infinite human spirit.”

Anne’s story took on new life when it was adapted into a play in 1955, winning both the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. Four years later, a film adaptation followed, earning three Academy Awards. One of those Oscars is displayed in the exhibition.

Anne’s diary remains one of the most widely read books in history, translated into over 70 languages. It has resonated across generations because her voice feels universal. She was an ordinary girl caught in extraordinary circumstances, and she has become a symbol of resilience and courage.

This exhibition, for the first time outside of Amsterdam, allows visitors to not just read about Anne Frank’s life, but to walk through it—to stand in the spaces where she lived, dreamed and wrote.