The National World War II Museum

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Those that follow my blog know that I tend to focus on outdoor activities.  While I sometimes write about a museum I popped into for about an hour in a “Things to Do…” post, it is rare I dedicate an entire article to something indoors.  Well, the National World War II Museum was so good, it warranted its own write up.  Even then, I won’t be able to do it justice.

I don’t think I have ever been to the same museum twice unless I was attending a special exhibit.  That said, I would return to the National World War II Museum a second time in a heartbeat.  I was so impressed by the facility, the exhibits, and the comprehensive information.

In full disclosure, I do love historical fiction based on World War II.  Additionally, I have wanted to visit this museum for at least 10 years.  On the flip side, sometimes I’m disappointed by my high expectations.  Furthermore, I don’t like spending hours in a museum, and I read that most people spend around five hours.  Consequently, I tried keeping my expectations in check.

In the end, I spent six hours in the National World War II Museum, and it beat all my expectations. I highly recommend making time for a visit even if you are in NOLA just for one of its crazy festivals, most notably Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest.

Table of Contents

Why is the National World War II Museum in New Orleans?

Yes, the National World War II Museum is in New Orleans.  Why not D.C.?  Well, that’s what I wondered.  The museum was originally opened as the National D-Day Museum on June 6, 2000, the 56^th anniversary of D-Day and focused on the amphibious invasion of Normandy.

Given the Higgins boats, constructed in New Orleans, were vital to the D-Day attack, The Big Easy was naturally a perfect location.  Additionally, Stephen Ambrose, a historian and author who spearheaded the project is from New Orleans.

The US Congress later designated the National D-Day Museum as the National World War II Museum in 2004, and it has since been through significant expansions.

Getting to the National World War II Museum

So, now that you know it is in New Orleans, how do you get there? I was anxious about getting to the museum because I was returning to Dallas after visiting Gulfport with my dog in my high roofed Sprinter van.  It is big and tall!  Potential traffic and parking challenges concerned me.  In fact, if it were a hot, sunny day, despite my window shades and fans, I planned on skipping this stop all together.

Luckily, it was cool and cloudy this March day, and the private surface lot was shaded by a building on one side.  Furthermore, the lot was right next to the museum.  I couldn’t have gotten luckier if I tried!  There is also an official museum parking garage for a slightly cheaper option, but typically my van doesn’t fit in garages. For more specific directions, see the museum’s webpage.

How to Get Tickets to the National World War II Museum

With the parking behind me, I entered the building with the ticket office.  While the tickets may be purchased online, the queue moved quickly as I surveyed the tour options listed on the overhead board.  With my dog waiting the van, I was unsure about committing a ton of time, so I only purchased the “General Admission” tickets and skipped the movie narrated by Tom Hanks for an additional fee.

Other choices include guided tours, two-day passes, hotel packages and more.  I think World War II buffs would really appreciate some of these options.  For me, the general admission ticket was perfect!

Visiting the National World War II Museum

After purchasing the ticket, you enter the line to “ride the train”.  Basically, this is just a measure to control crowds that weren’t much of a factor during my weekday visit in the spring. 

Visitors are ushered into a standing train car where they watch an informative 3-minute film while on a train journey.  Then the group of twenty or so exit the train and climb the stairs or take the elevator to the exhibits.

There is a docent waiting at the top of the stairs to help with directions, though some were better at providing information than others.  Fortunately, I had mentioned to a friend that I was hoping to visit the National World War II Museum, and she advised, “Make sure you get a dog tag and follow a soldier through the war.”

I would have completely missed this station at the top of the stairs while trying to figure out which building, room, or hallway to enter first had she not given me the advice.

The Dog Tags at the National World War II Museum

I was a little confused by the dog tags at first, but as I explored the museum, following a soldier was one of the coolest parts. The dog tags are just like getting an activated key card to a hotel room.  Only you choose the branch of the military, the European or Pacific War, and then a soldier.  Or you may even pick a civilian.

Had I really understood how it worked, I would have selected at least three dog tags as they only work in certain areas of the museum.  I would have followed a soldier in Europe, a soldier in the Pacific, and after seeing all the remarkable black and white photography, I would have followed a photographer too.

The dog tags work at approximately five stations in each specific area.  For example, having been to Palau and diving in the Solomon Islands and seeing much of the World War II wreckage, I wanted to know about a marine in the Pacific, and that is who I selected.  Once I got to the Pacific War exhibit, I could tap my key card or dog tag on the numbered stations and listen to what my soldier experienced…the stench of death, the length of the battles, the weather, the fear…Just whatever he felt like talking about.

However, once I got to the European War exhibit, I didn’t have a soldier to follow as the European War had its own exhibition hall on a different floor and my soldier hadn’t fought in France. It was so interesting to hear about soldiers’ experiences, however, that I returned to the entrance and got another dog tag! This is a big reason why I would return to the museum…just to follow their stories.

My marine in the Pacific, E.B. Sledge, was from Alabama and turned out to be a professor and author.  He wrote a book, With the Old Breed.  I’ll have to read it now!

The Exhibits

So, with your dog tags in hand, head to the area that most interests you.  Many visitors start out to the left after walking up the stairs to learn the causes of the war and to see the pre-war timeline.  I learned a lot of this while visiting the Documentation Center in Nuremberg, and appreciated the reinforment at this WWII Museum. The timeline continues from America entering the war all the way to D-Day and the dropping of the atomic bomb.  This area provides a very good overview America’s participation in the war.

While I visited, there was also a special, traveling exhibit about how Japanese Americans were treated during the war.  Uniquely, last summer in Wyoming, I had just been to Heart Mountain National Historic Landmark which was once a Japanese camp and now a museum that was very informative. Consequently, I sped through the National World War II special exhibit, crossed the sky bridge and entered the Pacific War floor.

The Pacific War

The exhibit included everything from a jungle atmosphere, to vehicles, to movies, to displays, to information signs.  If you didn’t want to read about a particular event, you could watch a movie about it.  The museum was so well done, appealing to all ways of learning.

Because my grandfather flew the Burma Hump, I enjoyed learning about that part of the war as it is often overlooked despite it being the most dangerous, noncombat supply transport mission ever flown.  And it was very important in keeping the Japanese engaged in battles with Chinese and American forces to keep them out of the Pacific.

The European War

Of course, the European exhibit was just as fascinating.  Despite having read countless historical fiction books about World War II, I was unaware that fake parachuters were dropped as a decoy when preparing for Normandy.  One was on display.  The black and white photos of D-Day were also astounding.  I can’t imagine the chaos, fear, and bravery.

Other Exhibits

The National World War II Museum also recognizes the holocaust and has a theater which airs survivors’ heart wrenching stories.  It made me choke up just as I did while visiting Auschwitz.

As mentioned there is an entire exhibition hall devoted to the Pacific War, an entire exhibition hall devoted to the European War, a room about the atomic bomb that was like watching the movie Oppenheimer, a room on the stolen art that was like watching the movie Monuments Men, and much much more!

Another extremely interesting, hands on exhibit listed American companies and how they participated in the war effort by using their manufacturing facilities to produce items needed by the military. You could click on mega brands like Mars, Kodak, and GE to see what they were making before the war and what they switched to producing to support the soldiers during the war.

Another section touched on the Nuremburg trials. And finally, a giant exhibit hall featured World War II aircraft hanging from the ceiling. Also, there was a third-floor observation deck for close up viewing.

In Conclusion

I really can’t say enough about the National World War II Museum.  This write up only touches the tip of the iceberg.  I feel like the museum, at least from the American perspective, hasn’t left a page unturned.  It covers so much detail, and my six hour visit only scratched the surface.  I highly recommend making time to see this museum while in New Orleans. ETB

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