This extremely compelling museum in New Orleans tells the story of the American Experience of World War II through personal recollections and artefacts, explaining why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today.
The museum originally opened as the D-Day Museum in 2000 and focused on the amphibious invasion of Normandy. New Orleans was chosen as the home of this new museum as the Higgins Boats that were vital to D-Day operations were designed, built, and tested in New Orleans by Higgins Industries. Also, the historian Stephen Ambrose who drove the project forward came from the city, and he got to see the museum open before his death.Inside the museum located in the historic Warehouse District you'll find a vast lobby, filled with aircraft suspended from the rafters. The permanent exhibits include a large collection of military hardware including tanks and anti-aircraft guns, and there are also galleries remembering the D-Day Landings almost 70 years ago. The home front has not been forgotten either with displays on what life was like for the people left behind, complete with a large archive of oral histories.The US Freedom Pavilion showcases the people, weapons and industrial might that preserved America's, and the world's, freedom. The pavilion’s signature exhibit, Final Mission - The USS Tang Submarine Experience - is fascinating. It's an interactive exhibition incorporating sound and motion that gives visitors a taste of the conditions and realities of submarine warfare.Another highlight is the film Beyond All Boundaries, a powerful 4-D cinematic experience that plunges viewers into the battles of the 20th-century’s most titanic struggle. Tom Hanks is the executive producer and voiced some of the film. Admission costs extra.
The museum is open every day, except Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Free parking is available, and it’s also accessible by public bus.
