Monday, May 27

10 a.m.

Join us for one of the Museum's most meaningful traditions! 

2013 & 2014 Battlefield Tours

“We have traveled a lot and taken many tours; this was one of our best.” 

-Kelton and Marilyn Smith, on the Museum’s 2012 European battlefield tour

Building on the success of its inaugural battlefield tour in 2012, the National World War I Museum is offering two more exclusive tours for Museum members.

In Fall 2013, travel from the fortress city of Liege to the spectacular battlefields of the Vosges Mountains on a memorable 10-day tour of the Western Front. On the August 2014 tour, journey through the dried-up gullies and quiet beaches of Gallipoli in a comprehensive walking tour that incorporates the initial landings of April 25, 1915, through to the eventual evacuation in January 1916.

All tours are hosted in conjunction with specialist tour operator Battle Honours Ltd in the UK. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

Hand-drawn and Painted Envelopes Donated to Collections

Visitors to the Museum can now view a rare set of hand-decorated envelopes that the Museum received as part of a donation from Steve L. Myers and Tim Myers of Yankeetown, Fla., and their mother, Nancy Myers Hopkins of Warrington, Penn.  The artful envelopes were sent from John Ross Myers, a professionally trained artist who created designs for a print shop and painted theatrical scenery for vaudeville shows, to his son Walter L. Myers, a private in the 5th Balloon Company, Signal Corps branch of the Air Service.

The illustrations include patriotic symbols of U.S. eagles and shields with U.S. and Allied flags, comic army life scenes, and martial images, such as a tank going over a ridge in No-Man’s land. The envelopes are a unique addition to the Museum’s collections, as there are thousands of examples from the Great War of personal correspondence with their envelopes, but few are decorated with anything more than a simple line drawing doodle.

Visitors to the Museum can view the envelope artwork in the collection cases near the interactive tables in the west side of the Main Gallery.

Sunday, June 2, 2013
2 p.m.

Did you know H.G. Wells, an English science-fiction writer, contributed an idea that was developed further by the Trench Warfare department and used in the last years of the war?

The Dillingham Family Sponsors Park Bench

A view unlike any other in the city is what Mr. John Dillingham and his family can expect when sitting on the bench they have sponsored at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial.  Mr. Dillingham describes the family’s decision to sponsor the bench on the park grounds as a “family legacy.”  One of his proudest moments will be when his grandchildren can stop by their family’s bench during field trips to the Museum, hoping that this special connection will instill a deep bond with the Museum. 

Mr. Dillingham has a long and meaningful history with the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, serving as a past Chair of the Board of Trustees and leading the initiative to restore the Memorial.  He intends to pass this legacy of volunteering along to his children and grandchildren, and hopes his sponsorship will motivate others to follow suit and become champions for the Museum. 

The Dillinghams’ commitment to the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial has truly turned into a family affair.  The Museum is deeply appreciative of the Dillinghams’ contribution and invites you and your family to start your own legacy through a bench sponsorship.  For more information, please contact Angela Tangen at atangen@theworldwar.org or call 816-888-8106.

Experience the Great War Era Through Music

Explore how the music of the Great War era supported patriotic engagement at home and rallied the troops abroad through a new exhibition in Memory Hall.

View colorful sheet music from the Museum’s archives and scroll through historical recordings on an iPad. Or, sit down at a 1912 upright piano and play one of the era’s biggest hits yourself!

Included with Museum admission and free for member, Harmonies of the Homefront is open through Oct. 27, 2013. 

Family Guide Available Online, In Museum Store

Help your child explore the National World War I Museum with a free Family Guide!

The 14-page booklet sends children on a scavenger hunt through the Museum’s world-class collection. From aerial combat and life in the trenches to insignia, propaganda, and the role women played in the war, kids will learn about a variety of interesting WWI topics.

Download and print the Family Guide today, or ask for a free copy at the Museum Store during your next visit.

The Family Guide is made possible through a generous contribution of the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.