Pan-American Life Insurance Group has donated $1 million to The National WWII Museum in New Orleans to support the institution’s Virtual Field Trip “Los Veteranos: Latinos in World War II.

In partnership with St. Paul’s Cathedral Trust in America, The National WWII Museum is proud to present a once-in-a-lifetime performance of the Boy Choristers of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the American Memorial Chapel at St. Paul’s.

The National WWII Museum welcomed 100,592 visitors to its campus in March 2018, shattering the institution’s previous monthly record of 84,858 visitors set in March 2017.

The National WWII Museum’s Bollinger Canopy of Peace will soon take its place as a new landmark on the New Orleans skyline. The iconic architectural structure, scheduled for completion in 2018, will rise 148 feet above the center of the institution’s campus. The Canopy—a steel lattice framework supporting Teflon-coated fiberglass panels—will be 482 feet long and 134 feet wide, held aloft by four steel legs anchored in more than 1,260 cubic yards of concrete.

Hershel “Woody” Williams – WWII veteran and last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima – will return to the historic, Pacific battlefield sites to offer firsthand accounts of the devastating campaign that helped American forces achieve victory over Japan.

The National WWII Museum presents Drafts for Crafts 2018 – an annual fundraiser organized by the Museum’s Young Benefactors Committee, which will take place on Friday, March 16 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

On February 22, 2018, The National WWII Museum will host a live, web-based program examining racial segregation and discrimination faced by many African Americans during World War II.

The National WWII Museum ended 2017 by smashing previous visitation records. In 2017, the institution welcomed 706,664 visitors – the most in a single calendar year since opening its doors in 2000. Additionally, on  broke its single-day attendance record by welcoming 6,642 guests. The previous single-day record of 5,553 was set in 2016.

The National WWII Museum and its Board of Trustees officially broke ground  on The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center. The 230-room Hotel, which is scheduled for completion in 2019, will operate as part of the exclusive Curio Collection by Hilton, one of Hilton’s 14 market-leading brands. The first Curio Collection hotel in Louisiana, the property will support the Museum’s expanding educational programs while offering guests the unique experience of full-service hotel accommodations with a convenient way to maximize their time at the Museum.

The National WWII Museum today announced it has been recognized as a winner in the 2017 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice™ awards for museums, ranking  No.2 in the world and No.2 in the nation – up from No.11 in world and No.4 in the nation last year. Other winners include The Metropolitan Museum of Art (No.1 in the nation), Art Institute of Chicago (No.3 in the nation), The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum (No.4 in the nation) and USS Midway Museum (No.5 in the nation).

For the third consecutive year, The National WWII Museum is showing its appreciation to local supporters by offering discounted admission to Louisiana residents. During the entire month of September, locals will have the opportunity to enjoy the Museum’s exhibits and galleries for only half the price of regular Museum admission, including the newly opened special exhibit The Pelican State Goes to War: Louisiana in World War II, which offers a deep dive into the contributions of Louisianans to the Allied victory, both on the battlefield and on the Home Front.

On August 19, The National WWII Museum will present the first ever Ration Wars – a fast-paced, “Iron Chef” style, WWII-themed cooking competition. Cohosted by New Orleans food critic Ian McNulty and “Chopped Teen” season three champion Eliana de Las Casas, the competition will feature a clash of two local New Orleans chefs: Neal Swidler, Executive Chef at Broussard’s and Natasha Clement, Food Network’s “All-Star Academy” 2016 winner.