National WWII Museum

State: Louisiana. Type: Smithsonian Institution-affiliated museum in New Orleans' Central Business District, 945 Magazine Street. Opened June 6, 2000 as the National D-Day Museum; designated by the U.S. Congress in 2003 as America's official National WWII Museum; renamed in 2006. Co-founded with historian Stephen Ambrose as a driving force. Received over 700,000 visitors in 2017.

The National WWII Museum opened on June 6, 2000 (the 56th anniversary of D-Day) as the National D-Day Museum, founded with historian and author Stephen Ambrose as a key driving force after a conversation in which retired General Dwight D. Eisenhower told Ambrose that Andrew Higgins, the New Orleans-based inventor of the landing craft used at Normandy, "won the war for us." Congress officially designated it America's National WWII Museum in 2003, and it took its current name in 2006. Located in New Orleans' Central Business District partly within the historic 1888 Weckerling Brewery building, the museum has expanded steadily since, adding pavilions including the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center in 2013 and the Liberation Pavilion in 2023. Its collection spans restored aircraft such as a B-17E, P-51D Mustang, Spitfire, and C-47, along with tanks and other vehicles, interactive exhibits, submarine simulations, and immersive 4-D films, making it one of the most visited paid attractions in New Orleans and a Smithsonian Institution affiliate.

The museum sits at 945 Magazine Street in New Orleans' Central Business District, on Andrew Higgins Drive between Camp Street and Magazine Street, a short distance from the French Quarter and Garden District.

New Orleans has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters, within the Atlantic hurricane season of June-November. Because the museum's exhibits are entirely indoors and climate-controlled, weather has minimal effect on a visit here.

Since the museum is fully indoors, it can be visited comfortably in any season; weekdays and non-holiday periods are generally less crowded than weekends. Visiting outside the peak of summer may make walking between the museum and nearby French Quarter or Garden District attractions more comfortable.

The museum's origin traces to a 1964 conversation in which General Dwight D. Eisenhower told historian Stephen Ambrose that Andrew Higgins, whose New Orleans company built the LCVP landing craft used in the D-Day invasion, had effectively "won the war for us." That exchange inspired Ambrose to help found what opened on June 6, 2000, as the National D-Day Museum. In 2003, the U.S. Congress designated it America's official National WWII Museum, and it adopted that name in 2006, broadening its scope beyond D-Day to the full American experience of World War II. The museum incorporates the historic 1888 Weckerling Brewery building and has grown through a series of major pavilion openings, including the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center in 2013 and the Liberation Pavilion in 2023, alongside earlier and later expansions. It holds Smithsonian Institution affiliate status and has grown from roughly 406,000 visitors in 2010 to nearly 700,000 by 2016-2017.

Visitors explore multiple pavilions covering the Home Front, the European and Pacific theaters, and post-war liberation and legacy themes, view restored aircraft (including a B-17E, P-51D Mustang, Spitfire, and C-47) and armored vehicles such as Sherman tanks, and can add on the immersive "Beyond All Boundaries" 4-D film or Final Mission submarine experience for an extra fee. Interactive oral-history stations and a themed 1940s-style restaurant/nightclub (the American Sector and BB's Stage Door Canteen, per the museum's own branding) round out a visit.

Key pavilions include the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center (opened 2013), housing large aircraft displays, and the Liberation Pavilion (opened 2023), covering the war's end and its aftermath. The museum's core galleries trace the D-Day landings, broader combat theaters, and the American home front, incorporating the historic 1888 Weckerling Brewery building into its campus.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the nearest major airport, with rideshare, taxi, and shuttle service into downtown. The museum sits in the Central Business District within walking distance of the Garden District streetcar line and a short rideshare or walk from the French Quarter.

Per the museum's official visitor information, it is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and closed on Mardi Gras Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

Per the museum's official pricing: adult general admission is $37, seniors (65+) $34, students (K-12/college) $27, military with ID $27, children under 5 free, and WWII veterans and museum members free. The "Beyond All Boundaries" film or Freedom Theater add-on is $9 each, or $12 for a combo, per the official site.

The museum recommends allowing at least half a day; a full day is realistic for visitors who want to see all pavilions and add the 4-D film or submarine experience.

The museum sits in New Orleans' Central Business District/Warehouse District, an area with a concentration of hotel brands ranging from convention-style properties to boutique hotels, all within walking or short rideshare distance of the museum, the French Quarter, and the Garden District streetcar line.

The museum operates its own on-site 1940s-themed restaurant and canteen-style venue, per its official branding, and the surrounding Warehouse/Arts District has a dense concentration of restaurants and cafes typical of downtown New Orleans, within easy walking distance.

The Garden District and its historic mansions and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 are reachable via the nearby St. Charles Avenue streetcar line. The French Quarter, including Jackson Square and Bourbon Street, is a short rideshare or walk away across Canal Street.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the closest airport. The museum is served by the RTA streetcar line along the nearby St. Charles/Loyola corridor and city buses, and its official parking garage sits at 1024 Magazine Street, with rates from $8 for up to one hour to $50 for 12-24 hours; the garage cannot accommodate motorcycles or vehicles over 6'8" tall, per the official site.

As an indoor museum campus in a busy downtown district, standard urban safety practices apply when walking to and from parking or nearby streets, especially after dark. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable shoes for a large, multi-pavilion campus, a light jacket for air-conditioned galleries, and a form of payment for the parking garage or add-on experiences (the 4-D film, submarine experience) are practical to bring.

Booking tickets online in advance and arriving near opening time can help beat crowds, especially during peak tourist season. Because the museum spans several large pavilions, allowing a full day lets you add the "Beyond All Boundaries" film or submarine experience without rushing. The official parking garage has height and vehicle-type restrictions, so oversized vehicles should use nearby surface lots instead.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The museum's own visitor line is 504-528-1944, or info@nationalww2museum.org, per its official site.

The National WWII Museum - https://www.nationalww2museum.org

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This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.