The large-scale, 3,764 square-foot special exhibit space within the Hall of Democracy allows the Museum to present major exhibitions on WWII-related subjects not covered in our permanent exhibits, as well as more in-depth coverage of subjects that are in the permanent exhibits. The 16-foot-tall space often presents new discoveries and significant themed displays—both allowing the Museum to host more special traveling exhibits and offering the potential to curate and produce more substantial exhibits in-house. Thanks to a gift from Joy and Boysie Bollinger, the Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall not only attracts new visitors, but keeps the Museum experience fresh and engaging to encourage repeat visits as the institution continues to explore and present little-known parts of the war. This expansive exhibit hall also provides additional space for Museum programming, educational activities, private receptions, and special events. The gallery helps the Museum link iconic artifacts, images, and documents to oral histories, archival film segments, maps, and geographic details from historic battlefields and other WWII sites.
The special exhibit space debuted on October 17, 2019, with the opening of Operation Finale: The Capture & Trial of Adolf Eichmann, presented by Perry and Marty Granoff and on loan from the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Cleveland, Ohio. Operation Finale follows the trial of the head of the Nazis’ homicidal “Jewish Department,” Adolph Eichmann, who zealously managed the transport of millions of innocent people to death camps and vanished after World War II. Photographs, film, and recently declassified spy artifacts reveal the dramatic secret history behind the daring abduction and globally broadcast trial of a principal perpetrator of the Final Solution. The exhibit runs through January 5, 2020.
Our War Too: Women in Service
On Veterans Day 2023, The National WWII Museum will debut Our War Too: Women in Service, a groundbreaking special exhibit recognizing the efforts, struggles, and accomplishments of the nearly 350,000 American women who answered the call to serve their country during World War II. On display in the Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall through July 21, 2024, Our War Tooexplores the path forged by the pioneering servicewomen of World War II that is still being traveled by women in the American military today.
This exhibit is presented by The Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation.
Museum Campus
Explore The Campus
Museum Campus Guide-
Louisiana Memorial Pavilion
The Louisiana Memorial Pavilion exhibits take visitors into the monumental efforts on the Home Front and to the beaches of Normandy—focusing on the thousands of men and women who made Allied victory in World War II possible.
-
Campaigns of Courage
In a war where the terrain was as deadly as the enemy, this pavilion tells the story of American servicemembers abroad—and how they overcame unprecedented challenges on multiple fronts to win victory in World War II. In over 19,000 square feet of exhibit space, two extraordinary exhibitions bring visitors inside the epic story of the war in its most infamous settings, bringing to life jungles, beaches, mountains, and oceans in 19 immersive galleries.
-
Solomon Victory Theater
The Solomon Victory Theater is home to Beyond All Boundaries, a 4D cinematic experience produced exclusively for The National WWII Museum by Tom Hanks—who narrates the film—and Phil Hettema.
-
Hall of Democracy
The Hall of Democracy represents the center of the Museum’s expanding educational outreach initiatives—providing a space that will enable the institution to share its collections, oral histories, research, and expertise with audiences across the world.
-
US Freedom Pavilion
In World War II—the war that changed the world—freedom hung in the balance. Americans answered the call to protect that freedom with 16 million men and women serving in uniform and an untold number of citizens of all ages doing their part on the Home Front. In US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, we honor their contributions.
-
The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center
The official Hotel of The National WWII Museum, this stunning art-deco style property offers first-class accommodations, meeting spaces, and dining options providing a sophisticated lodging experience for guests.
-
John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion
The John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion will offer up-close looks at WWII macro-artifacts, including the Museum’s patrol torpedo boat, PT-305, which returned to campus in 2022. The Pavilion also houses the STEM Innovation Gallery, a vibrant educational space for students and teachers alike that shows how science, technology, engineering, and math contributed—and advanced—in World War II.
-
Founders Plaza
Founders Plaza creates an impressive entryway to the Museum campus, safe passage for Museum guests, and a pleasant setting for rest and reflection as part of the visitor experience.
-
Bollinger Canopy of Peace
The soaring Bollinger Canopy of Peace, set to stand 150 feet tall, will unify the Museum's diverse campus and establish the Museum as a fixture on the New Orleans skyline.
-
Liberation Pavilion
Three building levels will explore the closing months of the war and immediate postwar years, concluding with an explanation of links to our lives today.