945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
The International Conference on World War II is the premier adult educational event bringing together the best and brightest scholars, authors, historians, and witnesses to history from around the globe to discuss key battles, personalities, strategies, issues, and controversies of the war that changed the world. Joining the featured speakers are hundreds of attendees who travel from all over the world to learn and connect with each other through engaging discussions, question-and-answer periods, book signings, and receptions throughout the weekend.
Pricing
Conference Only
$1,499
Hotel + Conference Package (Double Occupancy)
SOLD OUT
Hotel + Conference Package (Single Occupancy)
SOLD OUT
Pre-Conference Symposium: WWII Special Forces and Special Operations
$699
Additional Hotel Nights
(Call 1-877-813-3329 x257 to inquire about availability)
$295 per night
Dinner with a Curator: "Barbed Wire on the Bayou: Axis Prisoners of War in Louisiana"
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Join Museum Senior Curator and Director of Curatorial Services Kim Guise for an evening of dinner and history learning about the experiences of the thousands of Italian and German POWs held in camps across Louisiana. This event is open to the public. Tickets are $80 per person and include a three-course dinner. Conference guests can register using the code “ICDWAC” for $5 off admission. Learn More.
An Allied Expedition of International Flavors
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Café Normandie at The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center
Enjoy a special evening of food, wine, and history at The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center’s own Café Normandie! This exclusive dinner features a four-course menu inspired by international flavors and thoughtfully curated wine pairings to complement each dish. The evening includes a special presentation from expert historian John C. McManus, PhD
This event is offered exclusively to attendees of the 2025 International Conference on World War II. Tickets are $125 per person (tax and gratuity included).
Pre-Conference Symposium:
WWII Special Forces and Special Operations
Thursday, November 20, 2025
The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center
Madlyn and Paul Hilliard Conference Center,
Arcadia Ballroom, Second Floor
|
6:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. |
Breakfast, Arcadia Terrace |
|
8:00 a.m. – 8:05 a.m. |
Opening Remarks |
|
8:05 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. |
The General Raymond E. Mason Distinguished Lecture on World War II: “US Special Operations Forces in World War II”
|
|
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. |
Break |
|
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. |
The OSS, SOE, and Jedburghs
|
|
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. |
Break |
|
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. |
Special Forces in the Mediterranean
|
|
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
Lunch, Arcadia Terrace |
|
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. |
The US Navy and Marines
|
|
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. |
Break |
|
3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
British Special Forces
|
18th International Conference on World War II
Thursday, November 20, 2025
The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center
Madlyn and Paul Hilliard Conference Center,
Arcadia Ballroom, Second Floor
|
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Opening Reception, Arcadia Terrace |
|
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
The George P. Shultz Forum on World Affairs: “Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence”
|
|
7:45 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. |
Optional/Additional Ticket Required: An Evening with James Holland and Al Murray Join us for a lively evening with acclaimed authors James Holland and Al Murray as they discuss their new book, Victory ’45: The End of the War in Eight Surrenders. This event is offered exclusively to attendees of the 2025 International Conference on World War II. Tickets are $50 per person (tax and gratuity included). Ticket purchase includes free drink. |
Friday, November 21, 2025
The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center
Madlyn and Paul Hilliard Conference Center,
Arcadia Ballroom, Second Floor
|
6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. |
Breakfast, Arcadia Terrace |
|
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. |
Special Agents
|
|
9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. |
Break |
|
10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. |
Changing Tides: The US Navy’s WWII Transformations in People and Systems
|
|
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. |
Lunch, Arcadia Terrace |
|
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
“Stalin: Paradoxes of Power”
|
|
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. |
Break |
|
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. |
“Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and A Forever Promise Forged in World War II”
|
|
3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. |
Break |
|
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
“Preserving the Legacy: WWII Around the World”
|
|
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
Open House at The National WWII Museum: Reception and After-hours Gallery Visitation |
|
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. |
Optional / Additional Ticket Required: Frog Fathers 2 Dinner and Panel with Force Blue personnel Join us for dinner and an exclusive screening of Frog Fathers 2: Last Battle of the Pacific followed by a dessert reception with the film’s creators and members of the organization behind it, Force Blue. This event is offered exclusively to attendees of the 2025 International Conference on World War II. Tickets are $115 per person (price includes open wine and beer bar). |
Saturday, November 22, 2025
The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center
Madlyn and Paul Hilliard Conference Center,
Arcadia Ballroom, Second Floor
|
6:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. |
Breakfast, Arcadia Terrace |
|
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. |
Italy: Liberation and Occupation
|
|
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. |
Break |
|
10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. |
Ravensbrück
|
|
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. |
Lunch, Arcadia Terrace |
|
12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. |
“Armies Afloat: How the Development of Amphibious Operations in Europe Helped Win World War II”
|
|
1:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. |
Break |
|
2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. |
Fields of Glory: Football in World War II
|
|
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Break |
|
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
“Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World”
|
|
5:00 p.m. |
Closing Remarks |
|
6:15 p.m. |
Closing Banquet in US Freedom Pavilion: Boeing Center |
|
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. |
“The Old Breed: The Complete Story Revealed”
|
*Program is subject to change.
Sponsors
The International Conference on World War II is a program of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum, made possible with generous support from Pritzker Military Museum & Library, The General Raymond E. Mason Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series on World War II Endowment Fund, and The George P. Shultz Forum on World Affairs Endowment Fund.
