National WWII Museum New Orleans: General Admission Ticket

Five Pavilions, Thousands of Artifacts: The National WWII Museum on Your Time

You walk in with a general admission ticket and explore the National WWII Museum's five pavilions at your own pace, with no time limit or guide. The museum covers both European and Pacific theaters through interactive exhibits, aircraft displays, oral-history kiosks, and thousands of artifacts. On-site dining is available separately. Plan for at least a few hours, though many visitors stay longer.

Step-by-step itinerary

• Enter museum with admission ticket
• Explore Campaigns of Courage exhibits
• Visit Road to Berlin galleries
• Visit Road to Tokyo galleries
• Use interactive oral-history kiosks
• View personal and digital artifacts
• Take break at American Sector Restaurant
• Enjoy entertainment at BB’s Stage Door Canteen

The Experience

Five pavilions rise in front of you on a six-acre campus in downtown New Orleans. Inside, the National WWII Museum—designated by Congress as the official U.S. WWII museum—holds thousands of artifacts, personal histories, and interactive exhibits that walk you through the European and Pacific theaters chronologically. You move at your own pace. There's no schedule, no group, no guide telling you when to move on. If a display stops you for twenty minutes, that's the whole point.

The core of the National WWII Museum experience lives in two immersive galleries: Road to Berlin covers the European Theater, and Road to Tokyo covers the Pacific. Both use environmental design, period newsreels, narrated videos, and oral-history kiosks where you hear firsthand accounts from people who were there. Aircraft hang overhead. Personal letters and uniforms sit behind glass. The museum doesn't just show you what happened—it builds the space around you so you're standing inside the story, not reading about it from a distance. How long you stay is entirely up to you; some people spend three hours, others spend the whole day.

If you need a break or want to eat, the American Sector Restaurant + Bar is on-site, and BB's Stage Door Canteen recreates a 1940s entertainment venue with period music and performers—both are separate purchases, but they're there if you want them. The campus is wheelchair accessible, and you'll want moderate fitness to move between pavilions and up stairs in some galleries. Your admission ticket gets you in; everything else—timing, which galleries you linger in, whether you eat—is yours to decide.

What’s included

Your admission includes entry to all five pavilions and the main exhibition galleries at the National WWII Museum, including the Road to Berlin and Road to Tokyo immersive galleries, interactive exhibits, aircraft displays, and oral-history kiosks. Food and beverages at the American Sector Restaurant + Bar and BB's Stage Door Canteen are at your own expense.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessible

Operated by National WWII Museum

Is this one for you?Right for anyone wanting to spend time with WWII history without a fixed schedule or group—you control how long you stay and which galleries you linger in, which is what makes a six-acre museum feel manageable in one visit.

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Top questions

How long does it take to see the whole National WWII Museum?

There's no set duration. Most visitors spend 3–5 hours, but you can stay as long as you want. Your ticket doesn't expire.

Is the National WWII Museum wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the museum is wheelchair accessible. Some galleries do include stairs, so check with staff about specific routes if you have mobility concerns.

What's included in the general admission ticket?

Entry to all five pavilions and the main exhibition galleries. Food, drinks, and the BB's Stage Door Canteen entertainment venue are separate purchases.

Can I eat at the museum?

Yes. The American Sector Restaurant + Bar is on-site. BB's Stage Door Canteen also serves food and drinks in a 1940s-style setting. Both are at your own expense.

Do I need a guide, or is this self-paced?

Completely self-paced. You explore independently at whatever speed you choose. Oral-history kiosks and information displays guide you through the narrative.

Where is the National WWII Museum located?

Downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, on a six-acre campus.

What's the difference between the European and Pacific galleries?

Road to Berlin covers the European Theater chronologically; Road to Tokyo covers the Pacific Theater. Both use the same immersive design with exhibits, videos, and artifacts.