World War II Museum in New Orleans readies for next exhibit

Thousands travel yearly to the National World War II museum in New Orleans wanting a closer look at wartime life.

Staff at the museum said their new exhibit, "Road to Berlin," is scheduled to open next month. They said it will attract even more people when it does.

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Well we're in Tunisia at the Battle of Kasserine Pass where we got our hats handed to us, said Owen Glendening, the museums associate vice president of Education and Arts.

Glendening is referring to a replica of portions of North Africa, which is one of nine brand new displays at the Road to Berlin exhibit. Visitors start there and proceed through another eight rooms where they'll see different artifacts, equipment, terrains and even multimedia displays that allow them to follow along the journey.

It was a global effort. It was the good guys versus the bad guys," Glendening said. "In these galleries, we remember what was at stake, which was everything -- our way of life, our democracy and our freedom."

Senior vice president of Capital Programs Bob Farnsworth said this is a project that is several years in the making. He added its a part of the master plan for the museum that includes a parking garage, hotel and future additions to the war exhibits.

Everyone at the museum feels like it's a tremendous honor to be a part of what we're creating, Farnsworth said. Were building not just a history museum in the South, but one of the great museums in the world.

Glendening said this display, like those that will come in the future, is highly detailed and includes audience interaction technology. He said those touches set them apart from a regular war museum and draw in younger visitors

We all have a personal connection to World War II, Glendening said. Everybody can find one, but the more distant we get to that down through the generations, the more important it is to sustain that story. Thats what I think we're doing here.

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World War II Museum in New Orleans readies for next exhibit