Press Release

The National WWI Museum and Memorial and KC RiverFest will join forces for an Independence Day Celebration and fireworks display like never before. In partnership with Cumulus Radio, the public is invited to celebrate our nation’s independence at the Stars and Stripes Picnic on Saturday, July 2.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial serves as a fitting place to give honor and special recognize to the individuals who sacrificed their lives while serving their country. Admission to the Museum and Memorial is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel, while general admission for the public is half-price all weekend (Friday-Monday, May 27-30).

Special exhibition highlights the central role of African Americans in advocating for their rights following the end of the Civil War to the end of World War I.

This May, the American Veterans Traveling Tribute (AVTT) returns to the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Memorial with the AVTT Traveling Vietnam Wall. The Wall was last at the Museum and Memorial in 2015 and drew crowds of over 50,000 in just four days.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial announced a gift of $1 million from Brad and Libby Bergman to create a dedicated open storage and learning space. When coupled with a new staircase from the main level, these improvements will allow the Museum and Memorial to showcase thousands of objects currently in secure storage and provide the opportunity for visitors to see behind the scenes of museum operations.

The Museum and Memorial announces grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to conduct a two-week residential Summer Institute for 28 K-12 educators. The Institute, World War I in the Middle East, will be held at the Museum and Memorial on July 10-22, 2022.

In commemoration of Veterans Day, the National WWI Museum and Memorial serves as a fitting place to honor those who have served — and continue to serve — our country. To recognize these men and women, admission to the Museum and Memorial is free for veterans and active duty military personnel from Thursday, Nov. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 14. General admission for the public is half-price.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial announced that the virtual reality experience War Remains will be extended through Dec. 31, 2021. War Remains was gifted to the Museum and Memorial by Gigi Pritzker and Madison Wells, and has sold out virtually every day since it opened in May.

Empires at War: Austria and Russia examines the conflict on the Eastern Front, an aspect of the war often less surveyed but with cataclysmic results for the millions affected. Although the Museum and Memorial has been collecting internationally since 1920, material culture from the Eastern Front of the war has been difficult to acquire. The commemoration of the Centennial of WWI brought opportunities to reengage the international community and enrich the collection, shedding new light on the enduring impact of war on the Eastern Front.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial announced today the appointment of Patricia Cecil as the organization’s first Specialist Curator for Faith, Religion and WWI.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial serves as a fitting place to give honor and special recognize to the individuals who sacrificed their lives while serving their country. Admission to the Museum and Memorial is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel, while general admission for the public is half-price all weekend (Friday-Monday, May 28-31).

The National WWI Museum and Memorial will reopen Liberty Memorial Tower and the Edward Jones Research Center after more than a year of being closed due to the global health crisis.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial’s Memorial Courtyard will be temporarily closed to members of the public beginning Monday, April 5 while necessary improvements are made.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial announced the launch of a new education tool featuring nearly 500 GIFs on giphy.com that highlight the enduring impact of the First World War. These GIFs provide a small glimpse into daily life during the war and show how much — and how little — has changed in the past century. This is the largest cache of Great War GIFs to have been created.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial announced a major gift from the Sunderland Foundation to update the Museum’s main gallery, public spaces and courtyard. These updates are part of the Museum and Memorial’s multi-year strategic plan and will provide greater opportunities for immersive experiences as well as increased viewing space for the collection. The generous gift totals nearly $10 million.