I consider myself a bit of a history junky. It was a subject that I definitely enjoyed in school. Growing up with a father who was a Vietnam Veteran and a history lover led to extra history lessons for me. There were many nights in my youth where we were watching the history channel documentaries on different war eras. My most recent recent trip to New Orleans with my father gave us an extra dose of history when we decided to visit the National World War II Museum.
This museum is a multi building complex. If this is on your to do list, make sure you allot at least 5 hours. That may seem like a long time but it flies and the exhibits are so inclusive. There are a few different ticketing options but my suggestion is to go big. I purchased the tickets that included the movie and submarine experience as well. Keep in mind these are timed events so you will have to select your preferred times. We were suggested to start across the street from the main museum entrance near the Boeing Center to start with the movie and submarine experience. The movie is narrated by Tom Hanks and is absolutely amazing. The theater is panoramic and also has props that pop up in addition to what is on screen. This movie set the tone for the experience and should not be missed. The submarine experience was in the Boeing building where you were given a card with a sailor’s ID on it as well as your listed battle station. This is an interactive event where you get assigned your station in the submarine during a battle. At the end of the simulation, you get to find out if your sailor survived. Below I have included a brief walk through of the major museum galleries:
On the same side of the street as the Boeing Center there is a separate building with two different exhibits “Road to Tokyo” and “Road to Berlin.” These were hands down my favorite parts of the museum. Each is exhibit is designed as a walk through on old European or Asian roads. They are decorated to resemble the different countries and areas that you are walking through. The themes were amazing. I have included two separate walk through videos of each exhibit:
I know that New Orleans is known for the French Quarter and some amazing food. This museum needs to be on your list for things to do in New Orleans. You could spend the day here with the restaurant options that are on site as well. It is handicap friendly and very interactive for kids. Make sure you bring your camera and get ready to learn something new. I know there were a lot of new lessons that I learned along with my father. I hope you enjoy the videos!
