LOUISIANA MEMORIAL PAVILION:

From the beaches of Normandy to the sands of Iwo Jima, the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion exhibits tell the stories of dozens of amphibious landings — including the Normandy Invasion — and the thousands of men and women who made Allied victory in World War II possible.

The Malcolm Forbes Theater shows two exclusive films daily, each running approximately 45 minutes. Price for Peace shows at 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm. D-Day Remembered shows at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. Both are also available for purchase in our Museum Store.

The Joe W. and D.D. Brown Special Exhibits Gallery features rotating exhibits that draw on the Museum’s own collections, as well as relevant traveling exhibits from leading institutions around the world.

Galleries:

The Louisiana Memorial Pavilion Atrium features rotating macro-artifacts from the Museum’s collection—including a Douglas C-47 and a fully functional, replica LCVP—and special exhibits.

Start your exploration of World War II in 1939. The United States has only the 18th largest army in the world, while Germany, Japan and Italy are on the Road to War. As war comes to America, enlist in the Armed Forces, join the effort on the Home Front, and build a Higgins boat on the bayou. Listen to the voices of those who were there and remember — “The fellow who relaxes is helping the Axis!”

Climb the stairs and you will understand what the Allies faced in Normandy—Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. Explore these deadly fortifications awaiting the Allies, view the weapons, uniforms and gear of the Germans and Americans, and meet the commanders of Operation Overlord. Help Eisenhower make his decision to crash into Normandy in an Allied glider. Count to 5,000 as you marvel at the variety of ships used in this largest and most complex amphibious assault in history.

Step off your Higgins boat and into the surf of Omaha Beach. The artifacts and stories of individual soldiers here put a human face on the most decisive day of the Second World War — June 6, 1944. Hear from the men who fought for Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches. Climb Pointe-du-Hoc with the Rangers. Fight your way through Hedgerow country. And, finally, take a moment to contemplate the ultimate cost of victory.

Follow the American campaign in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II. Using artifacts, photographs and maps, this exhibit begins at Pearl Harbor and ends with the birth of the atomic age. The individual personal accounts of survivors, both military and civilian, tell the story of D-Day operations like Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. This exhibit also presents the story of the racism and brutality that were such a part of the Pacific war.

The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery, located on the second floor of the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, hosts traveling exhibits and special, temporary exhibits created by curators from The National WWII Museum's Collections department. Learn about the exhibits that are currently on view and are upcoming.