The National World War II Museum

Dr. Stephen Ambrose, University of New Orleans Boyd Professor of History, founded The National World War II Museum Foundation in New Orleans in 1991. The Museum, which opened on June 6, 2000, is the only museum in the United States that addresses all of the amphibious invasions or "D-days" of World War II, paying tribute to the more than one million Americans who took part.

The National World War II Museum opened its doors on the 56th anniversary of the Normandy invasion that liberated Europe. It is located in New Orleans, Louisiana because it was here that Andrew Higgins built the landing craft used in the amphibious invasions; the landing craft which President Eisenhower believed won the war for the Allies. The Museum stands as our country's tribute to the men and women who made the invasions in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific theaters successful. It presents their stories to an international audience, preserves material for research and scholarship, and inspires future generations to apply the lessons learned from the most complex military operation ever staged.