While staff at The National WWII Museum are preparing for a very busy 2015, they are also looking back on a year of several major milestones for the New Orleans institution. The Museum ended 2014 with more than 515,000 visitors, a 14 percent increase from the previous year. On December 13, the newest pavilion on the growing campus, Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters, opened to the public with the first phase of exhibits—"Road to Berlin: European Theater Galleries".

The National WWII Museum’s live theater venue, the Stage Door Canteen, regularly plays host award-winning shows celebrating the music of the World War II era, but the newest offering takes us into the years following the war and celebrates one of country music’s first crossover sensations.
‘Always . . . Patsy Cline’ is a musical play, complete with down-home country humor, true emotion. The show includes many of Cline's unforgettable hits such as ‘Crazy,’ ‘I Fall to Pieces,’ ‘Sweet Dreams,’ 'Walkin' After Midnight,’ and many more.

On June 6, 2015, The National WWII Museum will simultaneously commemorate the 71st anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy and the 15th anniversary of its opening as The National D-Day Museum in 2000. After receiving Congressional designation to become America’s WWII Museum in 2004, the institution launched a major campaign in order to expand into a world-class educational institution that preserves the stories of the Greatest Generation, while benefiting and inspiring future generations.

On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the documents that ended World War II. That October, the World Series was enjoyed by a nation at peace for the first time since December 7, 1941. While most star players were still overseas and some wartime rules remained in effect, the game marked a much-needed return to normalcy for Americans. The Detroit Tigers ultimately triumphed over the Chicago Cubs four games to three—in large part due to the play of honorably discharged slugger Hank Greenberg.

When The National WWII Museum first opened its doors on June 6, 2000, as The National D-Day Museum, legendary broadcaster Tom Brokaw and award-winning actor Tom Hanks were already among the ranks of its supporters. It was a natural fit for two men who have done so much to honor the personal stories of World War II, and the beginning of an enduring friendship with the Museum. Both Brokaw and Hanks have worked tirelessly throughout their careers to document the World War II story, educating millions of Americans about our shared history and strengthening the legacy of the greatest generation. On February 24, The National WWII Museum honored their remarkable careers with the presentation of its American Spirit Award.