DAY TRIP: The National World War II Museum is a national treasure

Day trekkers should set a course for wonder, excitement and 945 Magazine Street in New Orleans. With the upcoming 70th anniversary of the historical D-Day landing of WWII and the 14th anniversary of the treasure that is The National World War II Museum, a day trip is a must and should be in order. Any of the staff members at the museum will brag that the New Orleans museum is the seventh-ranked museum in the United States and 14th-ranked in the world based on attendance statistics.
The $27 admission per person is a small price to pay considering the price paid by the men and women who served in both theaters of the great war. However, any tourist worth his salt should be prepared and inclined to spend another $25 to park near the museum. It’s easy for a day tripper to waste time finding a good parking spot as the wonders of history unfold at the landmark near the cross streets of Magazine and Andrew Higgins Boulevard. Again, a small price to pay considering the price of freedom over fascism.
The recommended time to enjoy The National World War II Museum is three hours, according to the museum’s website. The museum is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. This means that any Tri-Parish history buff – who wants to plan a day trip – could realistically leave for New Orleans after church on Sunday at noon and arrive at the gates of the museum at 3 p.m., depending on the traffic after exiting into Baton Rouge from Hwy. 190. Two hours should be enough time for the solo museum visitor. However, when introducing women and children into the mix, another hour must be added and two hours may not be enough time.
The city is known for its cuisine. There are literally hundreds of culinary masters in a city like New Orleans and there is always a great place to eat. The National World War II Museum is no exception. The food served at the museum is anything but typical or standard food-court fare.
The museum offers gourmet on-site dining at The American Sector – which is a Chef John Besh restaurant. The American Sector also serves vintage cocktails, a heaping helping of yesteryear with the inside decor and, interestingly enough, french fries served in a can. However, with soaring gas prices, day trippers on a budget should be advised that it’s always a good option to sample Master Chef Dave Thomas’ value menu at a Wendy’s restaurant is located less than 500 yards from the museum.
Sandwiches are recommended as New Orleans is a world-renowned sandwich city, famous for the Muffaletta and the Po-Boy. Coffee and sandwich lovers who want to eat like a local would not regret a visit to The Reservoir Cafe on Magazine Street, less than a mile from The National World War II Museum. The Reservoir Cafe in the Lower Garden District should be famous for their toasted roast beef and brie sandwich, topped with sliced apples and French bread.
First impressions of the museum start off as an expansive, three-story flight in the wild, blue yonder as World War II aircraft hang suspended over the heads of entering visitors.
Looking up while purchasing tickets to the museum, the day tripper will notice an American DC-3 military transport plane and a British Spitfire fighter plane. These planes are only the appetizer for the main course to come in The US Freedom Pavilion: Boeing Center within the tour.
The tour itself begins with a lighted, artistic and striking display of three flags: the Japanese rising sun, the American stars and stripes and the German-Nazi. Within each of the flags are small, pewter figures of soldiers marking the number of total lives lost during the war, Japan suffering the most. With this, The National World War II Museum basically starts at the end of the war with the acknowledgement of the total loss of life during the time of the war.
As the tour progresses in it’s early stages, the tourist can get a feel for the start of the war and how it came about. Once the museum and the war is in full swing, it is easy to feel the claustrophobia of the war as living quarters of soldiers of land and sea are on display.
The dim lighting within the exhibits gives the aura of darker days as the exhibit trails like the war itself, often leading the tourist into a dead end. This amazing museum, whether by design or not, can make one feel like they are in the middle of the war as the pedestrian tourist and civilian can only wonder where and in which direction this war may be leading them.
Rare and restored historical film footage give some insight into the grim realities of the war. And while the closed-circuit television screens air the digitized film reels from the 1940s, the tourists are braced for a big-screen experience – which can be added to the day tripper’s list of things-to-do as The Solomon Victory Theater. The on-site theater with hourly screenings promises a 4-D experience much like an IMAX experience and it does not fail to deliver.
There’s a reason why more than 3.5 million people have passed through the doors of this museum since it opened in 2000. In fact, 85-percent of the total visitors to the museum are from outside of Louisiana – which receives a favorable economic impact. The city of New Orleans also benefits in the fact that 30 percent of the museum visitors cite it as the reason to visit The Big Easy, according to National World War II Museum statistics. The more than 212,000 square-feet of the museum has exhibits, theaters and restaurants has resulted in making it the number-one ranked attraction in The South by AAA magazine readers.
Though there is no specific or concrete exhibition, the glory of victory and the anguish of defeat are at the heart of the museum. There can be no better location for such a display than the city of wonder that is New Orleans.
Without spoiling the museum for the aspiring day tripper, it should be noted that the National World War II Museum is an eye-opening experience from the equipment to the weapons to the ultimate sacrifice of the war.
The perspective gained by young people visiting the museum could be priceless, but the museum is an attraction to be appreciated by people of all ages and nationalities.
The day trip visitor should be prepared to bring cash or credit cards as every additional feature like the dining, the film and the gift shop will nip at the day tripper’s wallet.
But if one happens to come across the occasional WWII veteran loitering or visiting at the museum, it should be known that it was he who paid the price for our admission.