NEW ORLEANS (April 10, 2012) — Coming on the heels of a “topping out” ceremony for its US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and simultaneous groundbreaking for its next pavilion, Campaigns of Courage: European & Pacific Theaters, The National WWII Museum continues to build momentum with record-setting attendance.
Last month, the Museum welcomed a total of 44,807 visitors, the most ever in a one-month period, and over 1,000 more than its previous record month, March 2010.
“As New Orleans continues its resurgence, more and more visitors are flocking to the Crescent City, and we are proud to be another compelling and growing destination among the region’s offerings,” said Dr. Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, The National WWII Museum’s president and CEO. “Seventy-eight percent of our visitors are from outside of Louisiana and more than 36 percent of our out-of-town visitors cite the Museum as the main, or a very important, reason for their visit to New Orleans,” continued Mueller.
The Museum’s US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center is scheduled to open next winter and will showcase large artifacts that were integral to the Allied victory during WWII, as well as interactive visitor exhibits and experiences. Campaigns of Courage is scheduled to open in the winter of 2013, housing two galleries that explore the Allied campaigns in Asia, across the Pacific and in Europe.
The final phase of the Museum’s plan for a $300 million expansion calls for the construction of The Liberation Pavilion (scheduled for 2014), which will focus on the closing months of the war and immediate post war years, and will include an expansive special exhibits gallery. A proposed hotel and conference center as well as a parking structure, if built, will complete the Museum’s master plan. Upon completion, the Museum will directly sustain more than 400 jobs and generate $100 million each year in economic impact.
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. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-527-6012 or visit www.nationalww2museum.org. Follow us on Twitter at WWIImuseum or visit our Facebook fan page.