National WWII Museum Awaits New Venues for Student Tours to Enjoy

Student travel groups will enjoy three new venues that will open No.v 6-8 during a star-studded weekend at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, making the first phase of a $300-million expansion to  be completed by 2015. Grand opening events will feature such celebrities as Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw.

The 250-seat Victory Theater will be home to Beyond All Boundaries, a multi-sensory cinematic experience. Using an array of special effects, rare archival footage, voices of Hollywood stars and an advanced format 4-D technology, it will provide an immersive journey that spans the global scope of World War II, from the bombing of Pearl Harbor to epic battles and final victory. Audiences will feel the tank treads rumbling across North Africa’s deserts, brush snow from their cheeks during the Battle of the Bulge and flinch as anti-aircraft fire tries to bring down their B-17 on a bombing run over Nazi Germany. Some of the life-sized props will rise from the floor or descend from the ceiling.

The Stage Door Canteen will be a sentimental tribute to 1940s entertainers who boosted the troops’ morale on the home front and abroad. Its one-hour production will feature swing dancers and an Andrews Sisters-style girl group that dances and sing to Big Band tunes. “Stars” will participate in a War Bond drive just as they did in the ‘40s, while a 15-minute film recalls the era’s popular culture and greatest performers. Food and drinks will be served. Besides the signature show, some of New Orleans’ best musicians will perform at the Canteen, which will segue into The American Sector, a casual restaurant featuring the creative American cuisine of Louisiana celebrity chef John Besh, a veteran of the Gulf War. The restaurant is named for the historic area of New Orleans where the museum is located.

For more information, visit the museum website.