We’re happy that the resurgence of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina has included the rebound and growth of the National WWII Museum, a great Crescent City attraction of obvious interest to visitors far beyond Louisiana.
In March, the museum welcomed a total of 44,807 visitors, the most ever in a one-month period, and over 1,000 more than its record month in March 2010.
“As New Orleans continues its resurgence, more and more visitors are flocking to the Crescent City, and we are proud to be another compelling and growing destination among the region’s offerings,” said Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, the National WWII Museum’s president and CEO. The museum’s U.S. Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center is scheduled to open next winter and will showcase large artifacts that were integral to the Allied victory during World War II, as well as interactive visitor exhibits and experiences. Campaigns of Courage is scheduled to open in winter 2013, housing two galleries that explore the Allied campaigns in Asia, across the Pacific and in Europe.
The final phase of the museum’s plan for a $300 million expansion calls for the construction of The Liberation Pavilion, which will focus on the closing months of the war and immediate postwar years, and will include an expansive special exhibits gallery. It’s slated to open in 2014. A proposed hotel and conference center as well as a parking structure, if built, will complete the master plan.
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world — why it was fought, how it was won and what it means today. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and later designated as America’s National WWII Museum, the museum is a welcome addition to Louisiana’s cultural landscape.
For information about the museum, call (877) 813-3329 or (504) 527-6012 or visit http://www.nationalww2museum.org.
We wish the museum continued success, and even more visitors as this year’s vacation season begins in a few weeks.
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