Overview
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.
Located on the second level of Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, The Arsenal of Democracy: The Herman and George Brown Salute to the Home Front, tells the story of the road to war and the indelible contributions from the Home Front. The Museum's original exhibit, The D-Day Invasion of Normandy, opened in 2000 and is available for visitors on the Pavilion's third level.
Atrium
Visitors enter the original Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, which features essential tools of the war effort, including the LCVP or “Higgins boat,” the famed D-Day landing craft showcased in the film Saving Private Ryan. More than 20,000 boats were designed and built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans and used in all major amphibious landings of the war. In an interview with Museum founder Stephen Ambrose, Dwight Eisenhower credited these boats with playing a central role in Allied victory. The Museum was established in New Orleans because of Ambrose and this historic connection. Other iconic artifacts exhibited by the Museum include Sherman and Stuart tanks, jeeps, a halftrack and a restored C-47 aircraft that dropped paratroopers over the fields of Normandy and saw action in the Battle of the Bulge.
L.W. "Pete" Kent Train Car Experience
Located in The National WWII Museum’s Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, a re-created 1940s train station is the perfect introduction to the Museum experience, inviting guests to follow in the footsteps of new recruits on their way to war.
The Arsenal of Democracy
Opened June 2017 in the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, The Arsenal of Democracy: The Herman and George R. Brown Salute to the Home Front tells the story of the road to war and the Home Front, drawing on personal narratives and evocative artifacts to highlight facets of WWII-era American life through an experiential narrative.
The D-Day Invasion of Normandy
The Museum's original exhibit, located on the third floor of Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, helps you understand what the Allies faced in Normandy, from the comprehensive preparations beforehand to the daunting challenges once troops landed on Normandy beaches.
Bayou to Battlefield: Higgins Industries during World War II
A new permanent exhibit celebrating Higgins Industries and its charismatic leader, Andrew Jackson Higgins.
The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery
The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery features rotating exhibits that draw on the Museum’s own collections, as well as relevant traveling exhibits from leading institutions around the world.
Malcolm S. Forbes Rare and Iconic Artifacts Gallery
This gallery highlights more than 50 hidden gems from the Museum’s vast collection that have the power to evoke a wide range of emotions and experiences from a time of momentous conflict and change, and houses Voices from the Front, a new interactive experience that allows guests to hold conversations with more than a dozen members of the WWII generation.
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.
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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
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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
Now open, the John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion offers up-close looks at WWII macro-artifacts, including the Museum’s patrol torpedo boat, PT-305, which returned to her permanent home on campus in 2022. Museum visitors can observe the fully restored vessel from the Lester and Beverly Wainer PT-305 Viewing Terrace and learn of her wartime crew and tours of duty. The Pavilion also houses the STEM Innovation Gallery, an educational space that gives visitors the opportunity to engage in tactile learning and exploration.
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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.
