PT Boats lined up in factory in New Orleans during WWII
Permanent Exhibit

Bayou to Battlefield: Higgins Industries during World War II

The permanent exhibit Bayou to Battlefield: Higgins Industries during World War II tells the remarkable story of WWII boatbuilder Andrew Jackson Higgins and his Higgins Industries workforce in vivid detail through text panels, artifacts, a video presentation, and an interactive table with Higgins highlights including a series of oral-history clips from former Higgins Industries employees.

  • Andrew Higgins’s oldest sons were heavily involved in Higgins Industries from the beginning. Higgins stands at center with his sons Ed, Andrew Jr., Frank, and Roland.

    Andrew Higgins’s oldest sons were heavily involved in Higgins Industries from the beginning. Higgins stands at center with his sons Ed, Andrew Jr., Frank, and Roland.

  • Andrew Higgins receives the Army-Navy "E" Flag Award.

    Andrew Higgins receives the Army-Navy "E" Flag Award.

  • This May 1940 aerial photograph shows City Park Plant in the final stages of construction. When completed, City Park had one PT boat and two landing craft production lines. Higgins, without permission, built nearly 40 percent of the facility on property owned by Holt Cemetery. This property use was not resolved until after the end of World War II.

    This May 1940 aerial photograph shows City Park Plant in the final stages of construction. When completed, City Park had one PT boat and two landing craft production lines. Higgins, without permission, built nearly 40 percent of the facility on property owned by Holt Cemetery. This property use was not resolved until after the end of World War II.

  • One hundred FP, later designated FS (Freight, Supply) ships, were built at Industrial Canal on a moving assembly line. As each ship reached the end of the line it was launched, stern first, into the Industrial Canal for final testing. In this image, FP-146 is nearing completion and launch.

    One hundred FP, later designated FS (Freight, Supply) ships, were built at Industrial Canal on a moving assembly line. As each ship reached the end of the line it was launched, stern first, into the Industrial Canal for final testing. In this image, FP-146 is nearing completion and launch.

Located next to the Museum’s “Higgins boat” replica in Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, the exhibit shows how the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP)—adapted from Higgins’s shallow-draft swamp boat called the Eureka—revolutionized amphibious warfare by enabling the landing of troops and supplies over an open beach. In addition, the exhibit celebrates the large, diverse New Orleans workforce that not only built the more than 20,000 combat watercraft essential to the success of the Normandy invasion on D-Day, as well as all other major amphibious landings of the war, but also patrol-torpedo boats, supply ships, marine radios, torpedo tubes, aircraft components, and even precision parts for the Manhattan Project.

Exhibit Artifacts

  • A builder’s plaque for a Higgins A-1 airborne lifeboat. The A-1 was a 27-foot lifeboat that was parachuted from heavy bombers to aviators downed at sea.

    A builder’s plaque for a Higgins A-1 airborne lifeboat. The A-1 was a 27-foot lifeboat that was parachuted from heavy bombers to aviators downed at sea.

  • A wheel from a Higgins LCP(L).

    A wheel from a Higgins LCP(L).

  • The Higgins Industries hard hat of Joseph R. Poche, who apprenticed in the machine shop at the Higgins City Park plant.

    The Higgins Industries hard hat of Joseph R. Poche, who apprenticed in the machine shop at the Higgins City Park plant.

  • A tank testing model, used to test hydrodynamic and seakeeping properties of prototypes.

    A tank testing model, used to test hydrodynamic and seakeeping properties of prototypes.

  • Eureka, LCP(L), and LCVP models.

    Eureka, LCP(L), and LCVP models.

Bayou to Battlefield: Higgins Industries during World War II is made possible through a gift from Beverly and Lester Wainer, in honor of Lester Wainer’s WWII Service in the US Navy, Pacific Theater, aboard the USS Clay (APA-39).

The National WWII Museum

Museum Campus

Exhibit Location

Louisiana Memorial Pavilion

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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

    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.

  • 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.