National WWII Museum opens final permanent exhibit hall

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans opened its final permanent exhibit hall November 3.

The Liberation Pavilion explores the end of WWII, the Holocaust, the postwar years, and the war’s continuing impact today.

The three-story pavilion houses two floors of exhibit space, featuring personal experiences, artifacts, and immersive settings.

There is a third-floor theater offering audiences a new cinematic experience.

The pavilion is used to understand the relevance and significance of World War II by highlighting the cost of victory and lasting legacies throughout the world.

“Can you imagine, simply and easily, what would have happened if American and her allies did not take up the responsibility – not to conquer, but to liberate,” said Tom Hanks, a long-time supporter of the museum. “It has been said, just recently last night by one of my table mates. One of the veterans of the Great War said this: ‘We did not defeat the enemy, we just took away their guns.'”