America’s National World War II Museum is Growing

World War II provides history with endless examples of humanity at its worst, but the era also exemplifies mankind in one of its finest hours – a time when everyone pitched in and anything was believed possible.

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans harnessed the “can do” spirit of the war years when it officially commemorated construction on the advanced-format 4-D Victory Theater and the Stage Door Canteen dining and entertainment venue.

The ceremony was held April 7, 2008 at noon amid construction equipment and WWII tanks, half tracks, jeeps, and heavy artillery. An impressive array of state and federal government officials, community leaders, World War II veterans and members of the national Board of Trustees, joined Museum officials in celebrating the commencement of construction.

“The National World War II Museum has a huge responsibility to pass the stories of the Greatest Generation on to the next generation,” said Governor Pete Wilson, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. “Fewer and fewer people are going to have the great privilege of hearing about the war directly from the men and women that lived it. Through recorded oral histories and cutting edge exhibits, we will preserve and present as much of that experience as possible.”

The Victory Theater will have regular showings of Beyond All Boundaries, a cinematic experience designed exclusively for the Museum by Director Paul Hettema, best known for his groundbreaking work with Universal Studios, and Executive Producer Tom Hanks, a longtime supporter of the Museum and its mission. Through an array of multi-sensory special effects, viewers will be taken on an immersive virtual journey that spans the entirety of World War II. The theater will be equipped with 4-D technology, a 180-degree screen, surround sound and atmospheric effects like steam from the jungles of Guadalcanal and snow in the Ardennes.

Adjacent to the Victory Theater, the Museum’s very own Stage Door Canteen will be a music, dining and entertainment venue that transports visitors back to a time when dancing, music and having fun were all an integral part of the war effort. The Stage Door Canteen will not only recapture the atmosphere where soldiers could forget their cares, but it will also pay tribute to the men and women that served the meals, sang the songs, danced with the soldiers and created a brief respite from wartime troubles.

The theater complex is scheduled to open in summer of 2009 and will further enhance the Museum’s position as a premier destination attraction. When the entire expansion is completed by 2014, the six-acre campus will include five additional exhibition pavilions, and the Museum will have more than tripled in size.

The Museum’s current site highlights the D-Day invasions at Normandy and in the Pacific as well as the Home Front experience. Can’t-miss artifacts include Higgins Boats, a Sherman Tank, and a recently acquired Douglass C-47 with an accompanying exhibition. In addition, a Nazi heavy water barrel (a relic from the race to create the atom bomb) was gifted to the Museum by the country of Norway. A changing exhibit space also houses special displays related to the Museum’s mission.

For more information, Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +18778133329″ or visit http://www.nationalww2museum.org/

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Courtesy of grouptravelblog.com