Located in New Orleans, the National WWII Museum focuses on the contributions that America made to the Allied victory in World War II. Through exhibitions and memorabilia, the museum walks visitors through the American experience of this conflict. World War II engulfed the entire world from 1939 to 1945, and the museum does an incredible job of showing the many aspects of its all-encompassing nature.
The National WWII Museum originally opened in 2000 at The National D-Day Museum. As such, the original configuration of the museum focused heavily on the invasion of Normandy. The Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, the first building on site, still displays the Higgins boats that were crucial to America’s amphibious invasions. These boats were manufactured and tested in New Orleans, making the city a natural fit for the museum.
Congress rebranded the museum in 2004, and today, the National WWII Museum is not one building but an entire campus dedicated to this critical moment in history. Five pavilions are spread across its six-acre campus to house the exhibitions, on-site restorations, a period dinner theater, and restaurants. There is also space dedicated to the historic aircraft and submarines that helped win the war, with models on display in several pavilions.
The exhibitions focus on different aspects of the war, with coverage of the Pacific war, the European war, and life on the home front. With over 250,000 artifacts in its vaults, the museum has plenty of material to draw from. And it is also dedicated to keeping the memory of veterans alive thanks to a rich collection of memoirs and personal accounts.
By covering all aspects of the war, from what led up to the conflict to America’s participation and how it affected the nation, the museum helps the public understand the past and, hopefully, learn lessons that can be used in the future.
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans focuses on the American experience during this international conflict.
The museum has over 250,000 pieces of World War II memorabilia to draw from, including aircraft and historic Higgins boats, which were used on D-Day.
Several exhibitions explore everything from the war in Europe to the Pacific War and life on the home front.
Thanks to this in-depth, thoughtful approach, the museum can educate the public about this conflict and preserve the memory of the veterans who fought for freedom.
