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.
SOLDIER | ARTIST: Trench Art in World War II
The National WWII Museum’s newest special exhibit, SOLDIER | ARTIST: Trench Art in World War II, takes an in-depth look at the military pastime of creating art, souvenirs, and tools out of discarded materials and the waste of war, a practice that yielded pieces known as "trench art." Featuring more than 150 artifacts representing the various forms of WWII trench art, as well as background on their origins and creators, SOLDIER | ARTIST offers a unique opportunity to see physical products of servicemembers' resourcefulness and ingenuity in the field. Curated by the Museum’s Tom Czekanski, SOLDIER | ARTIST will be on view in the Hall of Democracy’s Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall from March 4 to November 14, 2021.
Museum Campus
HALL OF DEMOCRACY
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion
The John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion features glass exterior walls that allow the public a permanent, behind-the-scenes view of the restoration and preservation of priceless WWII artifacts. New to the pavilion is the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Innovation Gallery, which focuses on how problems were solved during World War II through ingenuity and innovation.
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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.
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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.
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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.
