National WWII Museum, The Boeing Center, New Orleans

[rrobertscv]

Went to the National WWII Museum this past week and man was it crowded. To me the best thing of the whole place was the new "4D" film "Beyond Boundaries", very well done and you can see the Tom Hanks touch. I have been to the D-Day museum before and it has not changed, more of a teaching museum for the public, than a artifact museum, sure wish it was different. We really need a WWII artifact museum, just my opinion. One thing that really disapponted me, this museum really puts the light on Higgins and his boat, when I came years ago the Higgins boat was the first thing you saw when you walked in, I thought it was a great part of the museum. Right now when you walk in there is a huge display, of all things, a NFL exhibit. It has a place, but not in the museum, to me it diminishes the integrity of the whole museum and it had very few people even taking the time to look at it. They do have a great exhibit of U.S. POW's of the 3rd Reich. The Boeing Center just opened a couple of weeks ago and it is really nice, also, they are really coming along with it. In one of my pics you will see a wall of pictures, it is of the Medal of Honor winners. It is interactive with a electronic board where you can pick a man and learn his story, it also shows where the mans picture is listed on the wall.

[rrobertscv]

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[rrobertscv]

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[rrobertscv]

[rrobertscv]

[gwb123]

Thanks for posting this. Somewhere on youtube there is a video of the museum hanging these aircraft (there were different ones previoiusly displayed). Considering the value of these aircraft, watching them being hoisted about and being assembled mid air is not for the faint hearted.

[Red Ball Express]

Here is the video of the aircraft being hoisted. I hope to go there next summer! I went last year and i want to go again soooo bad!

Ryan

[Bill47]

That is a great museum, a "must" for any WWII student.

Bill

[willysmb44]

That is a great museum, a "must" for any WWII student.

For a die hard collector or a 'seen it all' type of person, I think it's a museum worth visiting once, but even then with serious caveats. This was already discussed in detail here: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/164842-national-ww2-museum-new-orleans-opinions/page

[Bill47]

For a die hard collector or a 'seen it all' type of person, I think it's a museum worth visiting once, but even then with serious caveats. This was already discussed in detail here: http://www.usmilitar...s-opinions/page

 

 

Your point is well taken, but I think it depends on who is going to a museum and what they're looking for. The best World War II museum I've ever been to is the one in Diekirch, Luxembourg. I spent much of a day in there, but then again I've spent much of my life reading about the war, its battles, equipment, etc. IMHO, the average museum-goer would be better off going to the New Orleans museum, where he can get a quick over view of the war, see some pretty good artifacts (at least I thought the helmets on display were very good), listen to some period broadcasts, music, etc., in the background, visit the bookstore, and be gone. So it depends upon who we're talking about.