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6 Military Museums to Visit This Memorial Day and Year-Round

Plan a trip for an immersive experience into important battles throughout U.S. history

a b twenty five aircraft known as devil dog on display at the u s air force museum as part of the doolittle tokyo raiders seventy fifth anniversary
B-25 bombers are part of the impressive collection at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. ​​
Kevin Lush
By

Larry Bleiberg,

 
AARP
Published May 08, 2023

Military museums honor and teach. They celebrate the soldiers who have defended our country and help us understand the challenges they faced.​

The following six museums offer a glimpse into significant battles through important artifacts and often use innovative interactive exhibits to tell their story. 

This Memorial Day — and throughout the year — plan a visit to these awe-inspiring institutions to marvel at supersonic jets, follow the path of a soldier into battle and even visit a once-secret missile silo. 

a m three a two bradley fighting vehicle on display in the changing world gallery in the national museum of the united states army
This M3A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle is displayed in the Changing World gallery at the National Museum of the United States Army.​​
National Museum of the United States Army, Duane Lempke

National Museum of the United States Army, Fort Belvoir, Virginia

From the American Revolution to the liberation of Afghanistan, this museum tells the daring and dramatic history of the nation’s oldest military force. Located near Washington D.C., the $430 million attraction wows visitors with immersive exhibits and more than 1,300 artifacts, including a “Huey” helicopter from the Cold War and the M4 “Cobra King” tank used in the Battle of the Bulge.

Elaborate dioramas put museum guests in the middle of battle. One section shows World War II soldiers climbing down a troop ship cargo net. Another area is devoted to more recent history, including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Separate areas salute Medal of Honor winners and other notable soldiers. The museum also offers science-based interactive exhibits for kids and battlefield simulators for thrill seekers, offering a glimpse at urban warfare or a chance to join a bombing run with the Tuskegee Airmen. General admission is free; tickets must be reserved in advance.

the control room at the titan missile museum
Visitors get an intimate look at the technology that helped deter a nuclear war at the Titan Missile Museum near Tucson, Arizona. 
Titan Missile Museum

Titan Missile Museum, Green Valley, Arizona

During the Cold War, thousands of soldiers manned underground bunkers around the country, poised to launch nuclear missiles at the Soviet Union and its allies. Today only a few of these sites are open to visitors, including a once-secret silo south of Tucson.

A 45-minute guided tour takes visitors below the Arizona desert to visit the launch control center, where from 1963 to 1982 Air Force combat crews served 24-hour shifts. A visit literally puts guests in the seat of the airmen who would have been required to turn launch keys and start what would likely have become World War III. ​

The museum also features a Titan II, a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile that could fly up to 9,000 miles in 30 minutes to strike its target on the other side of the world. While it has been disabled, the 103-foot weapon remains in its silo, seemingly poised to take flight. Note: Visitors must be able to climb up and down 55 stairs to reach the bunker. Admission is $16.50 for adults, $15.50 for seniors. Reservations strongly recommended. 

joseph thomas and his father harry thomas look at flowers left in front of a memorial for fallen navy seals at the national navy seal museum in florida
A memorial is dedicated to fallen Navy SEALs at the National Navy SEAL Museum and Memorial in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Alamy

National Navy SEAL Museum and Memorial, Fort Pierce, Florida

The Navy’s Sea, Air and Land Teams (SEALs) operate in the shadows. Except for historic events like the killing of Osama bin Laden, their work often remains secret. But you can get a glimpse of their heroic and exhausting work at this museum, located on the training ground of the original Navy combat divers.

The elite unit found fame during World War II, sneaking onto enemy beaches to clear defenses and make way for U.S. troops. Outdoor displays show some of the obstacles they faced as they came ashore. 

Other artifacts reflect more recent events, like the Black Hawk helicopter used in 2012 to rescue hostages in Somalia, and the model of the Pakistan compound where SEALs killed bin Laden in 2011. A heartfelt memorial celebrates combat dogs, the canines that assist SEALs by finding safe passage through mined areas and pursuing enemy soldiers. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for visitors age 65 and older.

the national museum of the pacific war in fredericksburg texas
Surprisingly, the National Museum of the Pacific War is located in the Hill Country of Texas.
Alamy

National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas

You might be surprised to find a museum dedicated to the Pacific Ocean battles of World War II in the Hill Country of West Texas. But that’s where U.S. Pacific Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz grew up and called home. ​

Visitors learn about Nimitz and the enormous task he faced battling Japanese forces. The extensive museum, built around Nimitz’s grandfather’s frontier hotel, includes 55,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space and roughly 1,000 artifacts. One gallery takes visitors to the steamy island of Iwo Jima, where U.S. Marines battled and memorably announced their victory by raising a flag over Mount Suribachi.

Other amazing artifacts include one of the five Japanese HA-19 submarines that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. There’s also an atomic bomb casing, identical to that of the Fat Man bomb used at Nagasaki, Japan, and a 48-star U.S. flag secretly sewed and hidden by POWs and triumphantly displayed when they were liberated. Admission is $24 for adults, $16 for visitors age 65 and older.

a sikorsky c h three e or black mariah on display in the southeast asia war gallery at the national museum of the u s air force
The Sikorsky CH-3E on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. ​​
Ken LaRock

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio

The world’s largest and oldest military aviation museum holds an impressive must-see collection of hundreds of historic aircraft and missiles displayed in hangars.

In a museum located in the Wright brothers’ hometown, you can expect plenty of aircraft on display, and it’s easy to geek out over the hardware. The collection includes a 1909 Wright Military Flyer replica and early World War I bombers. It’s hard to believe these seemingly simple machines led to other aircraft like the massive bombers, also on display here, that flew at three times the speed of sound.

Virtual-reality games let earthbound guests experience something close to the thrill of flight. But even those not enthralled with aeronautics will be drawn to the historic displays, including the Memphis Belle, a World War II bomber that inspired a movie and a documentary, and the Air Force One jet that flew former President John F. Kennedy’s body back to Washington after his assassination. Admission is free.

the national infantry museum and soldier center just outside fort benning in columbus georgia
The National Infantry Museum is located outside of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. ​​
Alamy

National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia

Infantry face one of the military’s toughest jobs. These ground troops specialize in close combat — the dangerous, exhausting task required to win battles and seize territory.

The museum, located at the home of the U.S. Army’s Infantry School, takes visitors to the front lines, which are dramatically re-created in its signature exhibit, “The Last 100 Yards.” As guests enter the galleries, they pass life-size dioramas depicting key battles in U.S. history from Yorktown to Antietam to Iraq. Sound and lighting hint at the tension, noise and confusion soldiers face in actual battle. It’s one of three dozen immersive walk-through and interactive exhibits at the sprawling site.

A powerful memorial dedicated to the global war on terror features a steel beam taken from the ruins of the World Trade Center attack. ​

For history and movie buffs, a giant screen theater shows military-themed films and documentaries ($10 for adults, $9 for seniors). Admission is free; $5 donation suggested. 

Virginia native Larry Bleiberg is past president of the Society of American Travel Writers, a frequent contributor to BBC Travel, USA Today and other publications and is the creator of CivilRightsTravel.com.​ ​

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