News
Recent News from the National WWI Museum and Memorial
8/22/17 — Send a Deserving Teacher on an Adventure: Nominations open Aug. 22 - Sept. 8
As teachers and students go back to school, the National World War I Museum and Memorial announced the launch of a contest today to Send a Deserving Teacher on an Adventure! From Aug. 22 to Sept. 8 nominate yourself, a colleague, or any educator who has positively affected the lives of students. The winning teacher gets an adventure to Kansas City that includes airfare, hotel accommodations and admission to the National WWI Museum and Memorial for two. Other prizes also available. Learn more ›
8/21/17 — Total Solar Eclipse Video at the Memorial
Curious what the eclipse looked like on the ground at the National World War I Museum and Memorial? Watch this time lapse video of the downtown Kansas City skyline as it goes from day to night and back again.
8/18/17 — Tower Closed on Monday, Aug. 21
Due to safety concerns associated with the solar eclipse, the Liberty Memorial Tower will be unavailable on Monday, Aug. 21. However, the public is welcome to view the eclipse from the Memorial Courtyard, which offers a striking view of downtown Kansas City.
8/16/17 — Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace: The Doughboys 1917-1918 - Exhibition Extended
Due to popular demand, this exhibition—which was scheduled to close on Aug. 20—has been extended through Sunday, Oct. 22. Michael St Maur Sheil’s portraits of WWI battlefields are featured in an outdoor photographic exhibition which tells of the healed scars of the First World War through our only remaining living witness: the fields of battle themselves. Once places of devastating violence, we now see landscapes of great beauty, testament to peace and remembrance. Now open March 31 – Oct. 22, 2017 Learn more ›
7/10/17 — National World War I Museum and Memorial Announces $300,000 Gift from William T. Kemper Foundation
The William T. Kemper Foundation has pledged $300,000 in support of the Museum’s effort to preserve precious objects and documents from the Great War as well as to make them accessible online. The grant also assists with expenses for additional staff and critical digitization equipment. Read the full press release ›
6/7/17 — National World War I Museum and Memorial Announces Gift from Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
The $1.9 million gift is one of the largest donations in Museum history and is focused on building the long-term financial strength of America’s official World War I museum and memorial. Read the full press release ›
6/1/17 — ROAD CLOSURES FOR HOSPITAL HILL RUN ON SATURDAY, JUNE 3
Due to road closures in the morning on Saturday, June 3, guests should access the Museum via Kessler Road (enter from West Pershing Road) and park in the West Visitors Parking Lot. Memorial Drive and the Memorial Mall will be closed during this time. Visit hospitalhillrun.com for more information about the closures.
6/1/17 — Donor Spotlight: Jack and Trudy Gabriel
What is your main motivation behind your efforts for the Museum and Memorial?
"To help establish an annual event that is entertaining and inspirational and will attract members of the community not previously involved."
Why do you consider the annual Night at the Tower so important for the Museum and Memorial?
"The creation of Night at the Tower offers the opportunity to attract new interest in the Museum in an amazing and entertaining way. It brings valuable, additional funds, acquaints people with the Museum and may motivate them to become more involved." Read more ›
5/29/17 — Memorial Day lessons: A ‘nation of immigrants’ became a world power in World War I
Read a recap of the Museum's Memorial Day activities and watch video from the day, courtesy of The Kansas City Star. Read the article ›
5/17/17 — In the Spotlight: The Loos Football
Temporarily on display in the Main Gallery, the Loos Football is on loan from the collections of the London Irish Rifles Association. The football (soccer ball) holds a special place in World War I history. The Battle of Loos was the largest British attack of 1915, during which the 1st Battalion of the London Irish Rifles (LIR), a volunteer rifle regiment of the British Army, distinguished themselves. Learn more ›
5/3/17 — Wylie Gallery Beam Signing
Donors and volunteers signed the first steel beam to be placed in the new Wylie Gallery at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. With 4,000 square feet of space, the Wylie gallery will have the capacity to showcase traveling exhibitions from partnering museums around the world, and to further present the wealth of artifacts currently held in the Museum's collection. Learn more ›
4/10/17 — Wilson's War Proclamation, On View in the Exhibition Revolutions! 1917
On loan from the National Archives and available to the public for the first time in more than 50 years, President Wilson's War Proclamation joins many rarely-seen objects in the exhibition Revolutions! 1917, which focuses on the revolutions—political and cultural— that left their mark on the year 1917 and the war that was still raging worldwide. Learn more ›
4/7/17 — The World May Little Note, but Kansas City Still Remembers
This article on time.com by David Von Drehle looks at the importance of World War I and its centennial commemoration to Kansas City. Read the article ›
4/7/17 — New exhibition, Revolutions! 1917, now open
The Centennial exhibition showcases the incredible events that occurred worldwide from America’s official entry into the war and Russia’s upheavals from an Imperial state to Bolshevik rule. The stalemated battles on the Western Front and in other theaters and troubles on the home fronts also led to societal changes, mutinies and revolts. Exhibition open April 7, 2017 – April 8, 2018 in Exhibit Hall. Learn more ›
4/6/17 — Watch In Sacrifice for Liberty and Peace, the Centennial Commemoration Ceremony and the Colloquium on YouTube
America's national ceremony commemorating the centennial of the United States' entry into the Great War is streaming on YouTube on April 6, 2017. Viewers can also watch the afternoon panel discussions moderated by Robert Dalessandro and David Ignatius. Watch the Ceremony › and Watch the Colloquium ›
4/2/17 — Parking Advisory for April 2,4 and 7
Due to preparations for the National WWI Centennial Commemoration, Sunday, April 2 - Friday, April 7 the U-shaped Drive on the Memorial Mall will be inaccessible, limiting parking. On April 2 and 4, all guests visiting the Museum are encouraged to park at the Hallmark parking lot at East 27th St. and Grand Blvd. Shuttles will run from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on those days to bring visitors from that lot to the Museum. There is no charge for parking or the shuttles. Parking along Kessler Road is also an option, though there is no shuttle service. On April 7, guests are encouraged to use the parking lot at Union Station ($5 for four hours or less; $8 for more than four hours). Complimentary shuttle service from the West Yards Garage at Union Station to/from the Museum will be available from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Parking will also be available on Kessler Road, though there is no shuttle service. The Museum will be closed to the public on April 5 and 6. Learn more about the ceremony ›
4/1/17 — C-SPAN's American History TV broadcast from at the Museum
C-SPAN's American History TV presented live coverage from the National World War I Museum and Memorial to mark the centennial of U.S. entry into World War I. Watch the video on c-span.org ›
3/31/17 — New outdoor exhibition, Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace: The Doughboys 1917-1918, now open
Michael St Maur Sheil’s portraits of WWI battlefields are featured in an outdoor photographic exhibition which tells of the healed scars of the First World War through our only remaining living witness: the fields of battle themselves. Once places of devastating violence, we now see landscapes of great beauty, testament to peace and remembrance. Open March 31 – Aug. 20, 2017 Learn more ›
3/21/17 — New exhibition, Vive l’Amérique, now open
When the U.S. entered WWI in April 1917, a school teacher in the Montmartre district of Paris asked his students to write essays and express in drawings how this would affect their lives. A century later, Le Vieux Montmartre Historical Society loans 30 of these drawings and two essays on this subject to be on exhibit the first time anywhere in the world. Exhibition open March 21 – Oct. 15, 2017 in Ellis Gallery. Learn more ›
2/21/17 — New exhibition, Posters as Munitions, 1917, now open
Soon after the outset of World War I, the poster was recognized as a means of spreading national propaganda with unlimited possibilities. It could impress an idea quickly, vividly, and lastingly. Posters as Munitions, 1917 showcases the depth and breadth of the collection through a series of works on exhibition for the first time at the Museum. Learn more ›
2/15/17 — The Museum Refreshes Field of 9,000 Poppies
One of the most popular and compelling aspects of the Museum, the field of 9,000 poppies simulating commonly found areas in locations such as Flanders, Belgium greets visitors as they enter the Museum. Guests walk across the Paul Sunderland Glass Bridge overlooking the field. Each of the poppies represents 1,000 combatant deaths during World War I (9 million total). Read the press release › and Watch a timelapse of the transition on YouTube ›
2/8/17 — National World War I Museum and Memorial to Host Official United States World War I Centennial Commemoration Event
The National World War I Museum and Memorial is honored to host America's national ceremony commemorating the centennial of the United States' entry into the Great War. Produced by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, the ceremony, In Sacrifice for Liberty and Peace: Centennial Commemoration of the U.S. Entry in World War I, will be held on April 6, 2017 at the Museum. Learn more ›
2/1/17 — National World War I Museum and Memorial reveals new logo
The Museum’s new logo, called “Intersections,” is meant to encourage questions and stimulate debate about World War I, its meaning, and its ongoing impact. Learn more ›
1/17/17 — Which Poster Would You Choose? Public Invited to Vote for WWI Poster to be Featured Alongside Upcoming Exhibition
With the February launch of a new special exhibition, Posters as Munitions, 1917, the National World War I Museum and Memorial is offering an opportunity for everyone to choose a WWI poster to be featured in the exhibition by voting for their favorite. Voting begins Tuesday, Jan. 17 and runs through Tuesday, Jan. 31. Vote Now ›
1/9/17 — Donor Spotlight: William Chrisman and Truman High School Classes of 1965
In 1964 William Chrisman High School in Independence, Mo., had a senior class of about 800 students. The next year, the classes were split with the other half of students establishing Truman High School. Both school's classes of 1965 have held shared class reunions for the past 40 years. The classmates explored the idea of commemorating the deceased veterans of the class after the Truman class of 1967 purchased Walk of Honor brick in memory of its veterans. Read more ›
1/4/17 — National World War I Museum and Memorial Breaks Annual Attendance Record For Third Consecutive Year
For the third consecutive year, the National World War I Museum and Memorial broke its annual attendance record as announced today. The Museum’s 2016 attendance reached more than 300,000, breaking the previous record of 280,000 set in 2015. Read more in the press release › or read the article in The Kansas City Star.
12/27/16 — Local soccer community commemorates WWI Christmas Truce
On Christmas Day 1914, the brutal battles of World War I temporarily subsided, as soldiers laid down their arms to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Combatants from opposing sides ventured into "no-man's land" to exchange gifts, sing carols, and play soccer. Every year on Dec. 26, Sporting Kansas City and the Museum celebrate this incredible moment of humanity with The Truce Tournament. Read a recap of this year's soccer tournament courtesy of Sporting KC › or view the Photos on Facebook ›
12/24/16 — World War I museum to gain new exhibit space, part of $6.4 million upgrade
"Creation of the Wylie Gallery, named for the Jack F. and Glenna Y. Wylie Charitable Foundation, is part of a $6.4 million package of improvements both in the underground space and above on the memorial grounds." Read more about the expansion in The Kansas City Star ›
12/20/16 — New article online: Christmas During World War I
Christmas observances occurred throughout World War I, even on the battlefield. Likely the best known incident would be the “Christmas Truce” which happened on the Western Front at Christmas, 1914. It was a spontaneous truce, where enemies one minute were in the next exchanging gifts and shared moments of Christmas. Read more ›
12/08/16 — Last Surviving ‘Doolittle Raider’ Recalls Crucial World War II Mission
David Von Drehle of TIME magazine recaps our Dec. 7 event, 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor: Conversation and Commemoration, during which Doolittle Raider veteran, Lt. Col. Dick Cole, USAF (Ret.), and Dr. Dennis R. Okerstrom, author of the acclaimed book Dick Cole’s War, reflected on the impact of Pearl Harbor and the present day meaning of WWII. Read the TIME article › and Watch the event in its entirety on YouTube ›
12/08/16 — World War I and Its Aftermath, July 16–22, 2017
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, in partnership with the Museum, presents World War I and Its Aftermath, July 16–22, 2017, a teacher seminar with historian Jay Winter. Examine the origins, scope, and consequences of World War I, with a particular emphasis on the revolution in violence between 1914 and 1918, the obliteration of the distinction between military and civilian targets, the failed peace settlement, and the patterns of remembrance. Learn more and apply on their website ›
11/28/16 — CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT MUSEUMS
Anniversary Week: Dec. 6-11, 2016
In December 2006, the newly built National World War I Museum opened to international acclaim. Ten years and more than 2 million visitors later, the Museum celebrates the 10-year anniversary. One of the world’s great museums, this Kansas City-area funded and national icon is saying “Thank you.” Between Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Sunday, Dec. 11 the Museum offers free admission to the general public and an array of activities. Read The Kansas City Star's coverage of anniversary week ›
11/08/16 — Donor Spotlight: Kemper Family
The Museum's most recent donor spotlight takes a look at the Kemper Family and their support of the Museum from inception through today. Read more ›
10/25/16 — New Exhibition Open: Wacht im Osten: German Encounters with the East in World War I
The Museum's new exhibition Wacht im Osten ("Watch in the East") is now open from Oct. 25, 2016 – March 12, 2017 in the Ellis Gallery. When the German army advanced into the western territory of the Russian Empire (Poland, Lithuania, Belarus) in the spring and summer of 1915, the German soldier encountered a physical and cultural environment quite different from what he previously experienced. Wacht im Osten explores this encounter between the German soldier and the land and people he found himself trying to understand. Read The Kansas City Star's preview of the exhibition ›
10/08/16 — New article online: Letters of Lieut. Raymond B. Penniman
Lieut. Raymond B. Penniman was just one of countless young men who fought in the Battle of the Somme. He was reported missing on October 8, 1916, joining over a million other casualties of that conflict. His letters and those of his family were donated to the Museum in 2013. They document the final months of his life, as well as his family’s struggle for answers in determining what happened to him. Read more ›
9/19/16 — National World War I Museum and Memorial to be Featured on Jeopardy!
The National World War I Museum and Memorial will be featured prominently on the Friday, Sept. 23 episode of the Emmy Award-winning television game show Jeopardy!. Read more in our press release ›
9/15/16— National World War I Museum and Memorial Named One of Top 25 Museums in the United States by TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, named the National World War I Museum and Memorial among the top 25 museums in the United States for the third consecutive year as part of its 2016 Travelers’ Choice awards. The National World War I Museum and Memorial, which houses the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects in the world, earned a No. 23 ranking from TripAdvisor among the more than 35,000 museums in the U.S. Read our press release ›
9/10/16 — Follow our 2016 Battlefield Tour Online
Following previous successful ventures to the Great War battlefields of the Western Front, Gallipoli and the German soldier’s experiences on the Western Front, the National World War I Museum and Memorial will explore the Italian Front during its 2016 Battlefield Tour. Join us each day this week as Museum Curator of Education Lora Vogt provides a glimpse into the Museum's latest tour of the WWI Front in Italy, in our 2016 Battlefield Tour Journal ›
8/10/16 — Road Closures for Susan G. Komen Race on Sunday, Aug. 14
On Sunday, Aug. 14, Pershing Rd. from Broadway Blvd. to Main St. will be closed until 11 a.m. and Main St. from 31st St. to Pershing Rd. will also be closed. Please access the Museum from Wyandotte St. via either 31st St. or 29th St during this time. Click here to see a map of the race route.
7/18/16 — Parking Advisory and Road Closures for Cultivate Festival Thursday, July 21 - Saturday, July 23
Wyandotte Street will be closed on July 23 and Kessler Road will be closed July 21-23 due to the Cultivate Festival at Penn Valley Park. Please access the Museum on Memorial Drive via Main Street during these times. The Museum will be charging $10 per car to park on the Museum grounds on Saturday, July 23. For those who visit the Museum, that $10 will be applied toward admission. (For example: If you park and pay $10, an adult admission ticket to the Museum would cost you $4 instead of $14.)
7/5/16 — OPERATION: WAR FARE - Thursday, Aug. 4, Tickets Now Available
The country’s first annual WWI-themed cooking competition goes even more international in 2016. Operation: War Fare returns Thursday, Aug. 4 for a fun evening with an iron-chef style cooking competition. This year’s event features The Chew contributor, MasterChef Australia star and Dude Food author Dan Churchill, Kansas City native and chef/owner at New York City restaurant Speedy Romeo Justin Bazdarich, Grünauer’s Nic Bandelier and James-Beard nominated Room 39 owner Ted Habiger. Read More
6/15/16 — TAPS AT THE TOWER - June 19-25, 2016 at Sunset
The National World War I Museum and Memorial presents the third annual Taps at the Tower each evening at sunset (8:45 p.m.) from Sunday, June 19 – Saturday, June 25, 2016. People are invited to come and use the grounds each evening, have a picnic, play games and enjoy the outdoors. At sunset, people will gather at the Tower (Liberty Memorial) to experience Taps being played during a brief, moving ceremony. Read More
6/15/16 — The Modernists Present Their FIRST FLIGHT LAUNCH PARTY, June 24
Enlist in the The Modernists, the Young Friends of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, and enjoy food, cocktails, live music, a cigar lounge and a fabulous sunset view over Kansas City at the First Flight Launch Party, high atop the Three Points Bar at 1511 Baltimore Avenue in downtown Kansas City. Tickets are $55 for non-members and include drink tickets, complimentary appetizers and membership to The Modernists. Buy Tickets
6/1/16 — Road Closures for Hospital Hill Run Saturday, June 4
Due to road closures in the morning on Saturday, June 4, guests should access the Museum via Kessler Road (enter from West Pershing Road) and park in the West Visitors Parking Lot. Memorial Drive and the Memorial Mall will be closed during this time. See a map of the affected area or visit hospitalhillrun.com for more information about the closures.
5/9/16 — Parking Advisory & Museum Closed Saturday, May 14
The Museum will be closed on Saturday, May 14 in conjunction with the annual Rockfest concert. During the week, visitors to the Museum should allow for additional time to park due to concert-related construction in the area. Kessler Road will be closed May 9-17, so guests should access the Museum via Wyandotte St. or Main St. Additional parking options in the area include Union Station and Crown Center. For more information about Rockfest, visit rockfestkc.com.
4/29/16 — They Shall Not Pass | 1916 New Exhibition Opens May 6
Mud and mayhem, death and destruction, staggering unnecessary losses. All aptly describe the two pivotal battles of 1916, the Somme and Verdun. Read more
3/28/16 — The Volunteers: Americans Join World War I, 1914-1919 Opens April 5
American volunteer organizations contributed immensely to the well-being and welfare of the American men and women serving the American military in WWI, but also to peoples in the war-torn countries around the globe. Read more
3/15/16 — Images of the Great War: European Offensives 1914-1916 Opens March 29
World War I brought radical changes in society, art and culture. The exhibition focuses on the art and events of the first two years of the Great War featuring artists from eight different countries. Read more
2/3/16 — Recent Acquisition: Ottoman Empire Souvenir Snake
The Museum recently acquired a souvenir beaded “snake,” from the Ottoman Empire with black beads spelling out: TURKISH PRISONERS 1918. Read more
2/1/16 — Make Way for Democracy! Online Exhibition Debuts
Created in partnership with the Google Cultural Institute, Make Way for Democracy! portrays the lives of African Americans during the war through a series of rare images, documents and objects. Read more
1/28/16 — 2016 Battlefield Tour Announced
The Museum is inviting you to take the trip of a lifetime! The 2016 Battlefield Tour takes visitors on an epic journey to the incredibly scenic Italian fronts during the war. Space is limited, so reserve your spot soon! Read more