After more than 10 years, I revisited the World War II Museum again recently. My first visit was likely around when it opened in 2000 as the D-Day Museum. My grandmother is a charter member, and I know she insisted we visit. But I didn’t save that ticket. I visited again in 2004, while I was in college. It was still the D-Day Museum then. The museum is in New Orleans because of the Higgins Boats, which were manufactured and tested in New Orleans and were essential to the D-Day landing at Normandy. Stephen Ambrose is also often given a lot of credit for the location of the museum.

I visited again in 2013 (after the Freedom Pavilion was opened) with my husband’s grandfather. He was a World War II veteran with an amazing story of his time in Europe. From a tiny town in Mississippi, Grandad did not hesitate to tell us that he was drafted and did not want to leave for the war. But he loved to tell us stories of the things he wanted to remember. Like the time he coincidentally met up with his brother on the battlefield in Europe.

For this visit, I used the Culture Pass from the library. In the decade since my last visit, the museum has expanded considerably. I raced through the first part, the old part, so that I could see what’s new. The most notable expansion is the Liberation Pavilion where the Holocaust and the Monuments Men are remembered.

Holocaust

A major criticism of the World War II Museum before was that there was little to no mention of the Holocaust. This does feel like trying to discuss the Civil War without slavery. The latest expansion, opened in November 2023, aims to solve this omission.

There is now a replica of the attic where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding in the museum, personal testimonies from Holocaust survivors, replicas of the bunks in concentration camps, and an interfaith chapel in the museum, among many other moving artifacts to remind us that the world we live in was fundamentally shaped by World War II.

Monuments Men and Women

The area dedicated to the Monuments Men has replicas of priceless works of art to tell the story of the special people who worked to return to their rightful owners the art and objects that were stolen by the Nazis. This work is now done by a foundation as many works have never been located. Update 2024: Another piece found and returned.

Conclusion

I spent two and a half hours in the museum, and I basically ran through the first part that I’ve been to several times without reading anything. There is almost no way to do the National World War II Museum quickly. However, it covers all aspects of World War II now, so you could easily go to only the exhibits that interest you most. All are very in depth and well done. Many are interactive. The explanations are nuanced. War is messy, and this museum tries to make sense of the strategic efforts of the military leaders while constantly reminding us how much life was lost and how much was the result of luck. The personal stories alongside the hand drawn military maps and mass printed propaganda posters are all important details to remember.

I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to visit whenever I want because I could never take it all in at once. If you’re interested in anything related to World War II, this museum is an essential stop.

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