NEW ORLEANS (September 19, 2017) – 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).
TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice™ awards highlight the world’s most popular museums based on the quantity and quality of consumer ratings gathered over a 12-month period.
“We couldn’t be prouder to receive such an honor from TripAdvisor and all the travelers who visit our Museum in New Orleans,” said Stephen J. Watson, President & CEO of The National WWII Museum. “It is our Museum’s mission to share the story of the WWII generation, and thanks to the enthusiastic work of our Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers, we’re able to provide an enriching and inspiring experience to travelers who visit us from around the globe.”
The National WWII Museum remains the No. 1 attraction in New Orleans for the fifth consecutive year. Other top attractions in New Orleans include St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square.
This past June, the Museum opened its newest permanent exhibit, The Arsenal of Democracy: The Herman and George R. Brown Salute to the Home Front, which tells the story of the road to war and the Home Front, including the political discord of the prewar years, the terror of the Pearl Harbor attacks, the massive mobilization in personnel and manufacturing, and the experience of ordinary Americans. The institution, which has received over 6 million visitors since opening in 2000, closed fiscal year 2017 with nearly 700,000 visitors. Additionally, the Museum’s membership – now at nearly 157,000 – is the highest it’s ever been, increasing by about 10,000 from 2016.
Already a compelling national destination, the Museum is in the midst of a $400 million expansion designed to take the visitor experience to even greater heights. Additional stages of the Museum’s capital campaign include construction of the Hall of Democracy pavilion to house education and outreach programs and a dedicated special exhibit space, and building of the Liberation Pavilion, focusing on end-of-war and postwar experiences, as well as the war’s meaning for citizens today. To help unify the six-acre campus, the Museum will install the Bollinger Canopy of Peace, a massive architectural sculpture symbolizing the hope and promise of the post-war era while adding a new iconic element to the New Orleans skyline, which is set to be completed in June 2018.
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The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world – why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today – so that future generations will know the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, it celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit nationalww2museum.org.