LOUISIANA MEMORIAL PAVILION:

From the beaches of Normandy to the sands of Iwo Jima, the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion exhibits tell the stories of dozens of amphibious landings—including the Normandy Invasion—and the thousands of men and women who made Allied victory in World War II possible.

The Joe W. and D.D. Brown Special Exhibits Gallery features rotating exhibits that draw on the Museum’s own collections, as well as relevant traveling exhibits from leading institutions around the world.

Galleries:

The Louisiana Memorial Pavilion Atrium features rotating macro-artifacts from the Museum’s collection—including a Douglas C-47 and a fully functional, replica LCVP—and special exhibits.

The Union Pacific Foundation Train Station is a five-minute re-creation of the tearful farewells and joyous, but bittersweet, returns of the 16 million men and women who went off to war. It also serves as the starting point for the Dog Tag Experience.

Opened June 2017 in the 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 Home Front, drawing on personal narratives and evocative artifacts to highlight facets of WWII-era American life through an experiential narrative.

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

Climb the stairs and you will understand what the Allies faced in Normandy—Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. Explore these deadly fortifications awaiting the Allies, view the weapons, uniforms and gear of the Germans and Americans, and meet the commanders of Operation Overlord. Help Eisenhower make his decision to crash into Normandy in an Allied glider. Count to 5,000 as you marvel at the variety of ships used in this largest and most complex amphibious assault in history.

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

Step off your Higgins boat and into the surf of Omaha Beach. The artifacts and stories of individual soldiers here put a human face on the most decisive day of the Second World War — June 6, 1944. Hear from the men who fought for Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches. Climb Pointe-du-Hoc with the Rangers. Fight your way through Hedgerow country. And, finally, take a moment to contemplate the ultimate cost of victory.

The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery, located on the second floor of the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, hosts traveling exhibits and special, temporary exhibits created by curators from The National WWII Museum's Collections department. Learn about the exhibits that are currently on view and are upcoming.