D-Day Museums

Hi Matt!

My husband and I were very moved by the Normandy American Cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach. The visitor's center there is also quite good. It was our first trip to Normandy and just driving through the countryside and small villages gave us so much understanding of the massive scale of the D-Day invasion and the fight for France in the months afterward.

Looks like you will drive right past it on your way to Utah Beach. :)

We spent quite a bit of time at the museum in Caen. Be aware it is not simply about D-Day. Beyond that, we spent much time outside at the sites Pont Du Hoc should be high on your list.

The Caen Memorial Museum is excellent but, as noted above, takes a long time and covers much more than the Normandy invasion. With the limited time you have, you might consider skipping it, especially since Caen has little else to see related to WWII.

Don't miss the Bayeux Tapestry, the 11th-century version of those other museums, commemorating the reverse-invasion from Normandy to England. It's also a reminder that history is written by the winners. Along with good accompanying exhibits, it takes a couple of hours.

I didn't particularly care for the Caen Museum. As indicated it's a "Peace" Museum so not strictly about WWII. It just didn't click with me - and I like military and WWII museums. It's got some twisted girders from the Twin Towers. I did like going down to the German bunkers but it's just a small part of the presentation. I'd spend time in/near the beaches than further inland at Caen.

I did like the small museum at Arromanches regarding the Mulberry Harbors - small and the old fashioned type of museum. I think you can do this small museum in an hour or so, then maybe another 15 minutes on the equipment they have positioned outside.

TBH, I'd spend more time at the "places" than in the museums. I, too, was moved by the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach as well as the beaches themselves. I liked St-Mere-Eglise (did not go into the museum there) even though the parachutist is on the wrong side of the church tower. Very poignant to see it there. Also Pointe-du-Hoc and there are some still fairly intact bunkers up near Longue-sur-Mer.

Do watch The Longest Day before you go.

I was extremely disappointed in the museum in Caen. It is more of a peace museum with broad themes. I contrast, I thought the museum in Bayeux was outstanding in the depth of its coverage of both the fighting on D-Day and also the breakout in Normandy. I can't comment on the museum in St. Mere Eglise because (regretfully) it was closed when I visited.

I agree with Pam's suggestion to spend more time in places than in the museums of Normandy. I haven't been to the museum in Caen, but the Airborne Museum in St. Mere Eglise and the Utah Beach Museum do run together in my memories - the places themselves are much more vivid.

The most compelling D-Day museum in my memory is the one at Pegasus Bridge.

@EstimatedProphet...I didn't go into the Pegasus Bridge museum as I was on a tour and it was a quick extra stop the guide was working in BUT I thought that the area was really, really interesting. To see how close they got those flipping unwieldy gliders to the actual bridge was shocking. Then when you go back and watch the movie (really, I DO realize The Longest Day was NOT a documentary, lol) and the relief column comes marching in with the bagpipes wailing...well, just sends chills.

To see the Peace Museum in Caen in its entirety would take about a full day. The Bayeux Museum takes more like 2 or 3 hours as I recall. I liked both but agree that you simply don't have enough time to include the Peace Museum. And it is very true that Bayeux has considerably more of tourist interest, aside from the museum, than Caen does. Caen is now a modern, industrial city. You might even run into traffic tie-ups trying to reach the museum; that's pure speculation on my part, but Caen is a sizable city whereas Bayeux is a town.

My recommendation is that--unless you are very knowledgeable about the invasion--you take a full-day small-group tour of the invasion sites rather than just driving around. The do-it-yourself approach is fine for museums and memorials, but I felt the other sites would have been much less meaningful to me without the input of the driver/guide. My tour (Overlord) allowed almost enough time at the Airborne Museum in St-Mere-Eglise if one wolfed down a prepared sandwich sitting on a bench rather than going to a restaurant or creperie for lunch. I could have saved a few more minutes if I'd had the foresight to take lunch with me rather than having to buy the sandwich in St-Mere-Eglise.

The Airborne Museum has the artifacts, and the explanatory material has been translated into English, but it isn't particularly modern. The Bayeux Museum gives a more comprehensive look at the invasion.

Matt - Instead of driving to the D-Day sights from Bayeux, you would get a lot more bang for your buck by taking a 1 or 2 day tour offered by Overlord or any other of the small-group tour guides based in the area.

Matt,

I've mentioned this in another post recently, but if you're in the vicinity of Mont-Saint-Michel, and plan to drive up toward Caen, a short detour about 6 miles south on D776 to Pontorson and then east about 9 miles on D30 would take you to the town of Saint-James and the Brittany American Cemetery just outside town. Worth a stop if you're in the area and have an interest in the Normandie landings.

You can then jump on A84 (you'll have passed over it on the way from Pontorson a couple of miles west of Saint James) and head north towards Caen.

And I'll add a dissenting opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Caen Memorial Museum. True, its scope is wider than WWII but to me, that was an advantage, not a distraction.

Note: there's a slightly shorter way from Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-James via D80, but it's a narrower road and I would think less easy for someone unaccustomed to driving on rural French roads to navigate.

Thanks for the Replies everyone. My original comment was focused on the museums only, I plan on spending the first 1/2 on my day in Bayeux seeing the tapestry, Normandy museum, and Cathedral, before heading towards St. mere Eglise (Airborne Museum, Winters Statue, and maybe the church in Angoville-au-Plain if time permits). The 2nd day I was planning on starting at Utah beach, then to Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach & Cemetery, and maybe Longues-sur-Mer is there is time in between. I didn't think I would have time to see the Arromanches museum and the Caen museum for the last sight of that day. If Caen was the better museum that would make the argument to visit that instead of Arromanches. So those are really the 2 places/museums I am on the fence about.
I do consider myself an expert of the area, as I saw Saving Private Ryan..... twice! All kidding aside, I am fairly knowledgeable about the areas, and the details of the battles. I thought about doing a guided tour, but we are already paying for a car rental and I feel that would be wasted if I hopped on a guided tour as well. Also I feel like the guided tours would likely not hit all the sights I would want to see, as my time in the area is limited. I would be limited to the sights that they would visit.

Don't miss the Bayeux Tapestry, it is a 900 year old story of the Norman conquest of England. Also, read the short book 1066.

Another voter against the Caen "Museum." I know RS adores it, but I thought it was a waste of the better part of a day, and just tried to be making political statements. The Airborne Museum and the Utah Beach Museum are both great! I haven't gone in a few years, but the Overlord museum has an amazing collection of WWII vehicles, and it is right outside of the entrance to the Normandy American Cemetery. The Bayeux Tapestry museum is wondeful, but it isn't about modern or WWII Military. Pegasus Bridge museum is great and wouldn't take up much time. But it is a hike from the American sector and only covers a part of the British military on D-day—although an incredible battle in it's own right. They are re-doing the Arromanches Museum. I don't know what it will be like, but I liked the old one, and definitely covers a different aspect of the Battle for Normandy. I hope to visit the Cherbourg museum on my next trip (maybe June?).

Lots of good advice but I agree with Pam, Prophet and Jeff. You’re already seeing museums in Bayeux, St. Mere Eglise and Utah. If it’s me, I’d go to a ‘place’ with a smaller museum like Arromanches or Pegasus Bridge (with Pegasus my preferred of the two). Depending on your time could try to stop in Arromanches to see the Mullberry Harbor, skip the museum and head to Pegasus. If you’re a museum guy, go to Caen. Whatever you choose you can easily run out of time.

Nice to see one mention here of the Canadian invasion museum as Canadian troops were in the thick of the battle. More about it here:

https://www.junobeach.org/

It is modern in design and in its mixed-media approach to content. The project was built through private initiative although there is some federal financial support. Its attempt to comment on other Canadian military actions struck me as distracting but that's just one opinion. The museum is worth considering for a fuller view of D-Day.

We took a full day tour of the D Day areas but like most tours, some of the places we only spent 20 minutes and barely scratched the surface. Fortunately we had our own car so we returned to the American Cemetery at Coleville-Sur-Mer above Omaha Beach and spent several hours. Be sure to look up the graves of the Niland brothers, buried side by side, and the basis of the movie, "Saving Private Ryan". The grave of the commander of the the 4th Division that he led ashore on Utah beach, General Teddy Roosevelt, is marked with a special cross indicating he was a Medal of Honor winner for his exploits on D Day. We spent the full day at the D Day sights and we even got a photo standing with a British D Day veteran, who modestly told me he "got pinked" on D +2 and was evacuated and seemed sorry his war only lasted a day and a half. D Day beaches are hallowed ground for Americans, British, Canadians and those from Poland, South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Greece, France, New Zealand, Norway, and Czechoslovakia, that comprised the 156,000 Allied troops on D Day.

I agree with Southam, the Canadians deserve way more honour for their contribution to the campaign. They did a lot of extremely hard work outside the spotlight like clearing the heavily defended seaports more north of Normandy along the Atlantic and North Sea coast. Those seaports were vital for bringing that massive amount of supplies on land and crucial for winning the war. Indeed for a fuller view the museum of Juno Beach is worth considering as it was an Allied invasion after all.

Because the OP was asking about museums, and I wasn't personally blown away by the Juno Beach Museum, I didn't mention it. However, if you want to include visits to cemeteries, the Canadian one in Reviers above Juno beach is one of the prettiest and most contemplative. I personally visit it on every trip to the D-day area.

We also visited the Juno , Gold and Sword beaches. The British museum was fascinating. The artificial ports called mulberries allowed arms and shipments to arrive in Normandy.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is one of the most admirable government agencies in all of what used to be the British Empire. It supervises World War I and II graveyards for British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealanders, Africans, many Indians and the others that fought together. All the graves are scrupulously attended and sensitively landscaped, often with certain rose bushes. Every graveyard is carefully indexed so a visitor can look at the log and see exactly where to walk to visit the grave of a long-dead ancestor. There is plenty of on-line information too at https://www.cwgc.org/

I have seen at least 10,000 graves (including a military funeral for a lost soldier who was identified decades later) and I am always
moved by the tender respect shown to their resting places.

I was on r/s tour that went to Normandy for one day, but I picked up a book "Following in the footsteps of heroes D-DAY June 6th 1944" written by 2 guides, stuart Robertson and Dale Booth. They tell you which town to make home base and to rent a car. It's a self guided tour and has a map of the battle fields and all the museums in the area, well worth getting it, you can get it on line.
You can hire any one of them, they have a car, get the book and go through it to give you more of an idea of what you want to see and do.

Don’t miss the memorial to fallen journalists just across the road from the Bayeux museum. I’ve not been to the Caen museum, but the bulk of feedback I’ve read over the years recommends passing on it.
Without a doubt you need to allow at least a couple of hours for strolling the American Cemetery (although if you’re from Canada or Britain or elsewhere, focus on those affiliated beaches, of course) and Omaha Beach. I love the Arromanches museum and being able to see the remnants of Mulberry Harbor.

And if you can squeeze it in, stop by the La Fiere bridge, where 224 US paratroopers died to take and hold it. ..but first read or listen to a detailed account of the four-day battle .. https://www.amazon.com/Better-Place-Die-Robert-Murphy/dp/1929307004

And if you can squeeze it in, stop by the La Fiere bridge, where 224
US paratroopers died to take and hold it. ..but first read or listen
to a detailed account of the four-day battle ..
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Place-Die-Robert-Murphy/dp/1929307004

This!

Many visitors fail to visit this place or learn this story, of which Official US Army historian SLA Marshall said "La Fière is probably the bloodiest small unit struggle in the experience of American arms."

On the anniversary of D-day every year, there is a major event where both reenactors, and tons and tons of current U.S. and allied nations' paratroopers jump into this area. The town of Sainte-Mère-Église is not to be missed on a Normandy D-day visit.

One other consideration... after we toured the US Cemetary we went to the German Cemetary. Very moving and reminds you that both sides suffered and that a lot of those kids probably really had no choice. By the time of D Day Germany was "drafting" teens into their armed forces!

This is a very good recommendation. However, the Germans and Brits each have several cemeteries in Normandy. The German one right off of the N13 Highway in La Cambe gets the most visitors due to it's proximity to other sights, and its visibility from the major road. But if you venture out a little further, I find the one in Orglandes even more contemplative, prettier, and much less visited. If you go to the the aforementioned La Fiére causeway, it is only another 10–12 minutes by car—with lots of battle sights to see en route. This is definitely the road less traveled in Normandy. To understand a small part of the scale of the German losses, the German Cemetery in Orglandes holds over 10,000 graves—most are six to a marker, and very many are simply labelled "an unknown soldier." The one in LA Cambe German War Cemetery holds over 20,000 dead. To put this in perspective, the American Normandy Cemetery holds just under 10,000 dead.

In Bayeux, make sure you visit the Bayeux Tapestry, c.1066. Doesn’t take long and is amazing.

One note when comparing the cemeteries. Remember that Americans had the options to have their loved ones remains returned home. So not everyone who fell in Normandy is buried in Normandy. Germany of course was in total financial ruin after the war and I don’t believe that option was given to those families. I’m not sure to be honest about other countries, if they had that option or not. I haven’t ever really investigated that

Your list is perfect but skip the Caen museum and instead see the aircraft exhibits at Pegasus Bridge (the first action on D-Day was British glider landing within feet of its target here) and/or the excellently preserved guns and fortifications at Merville Battery Museum. These two sites are just a few miles apart. And I think if you are really rushed you can get value out of a 90-minute visit, but obviously more rewarding to take more time. The Bayeux museum was especially cool for us ... we learned a huge amount about the Battle of Normandy following D-Day.

We were in Normandy in November 2019 and spent 2 full days touring the beaches/museums. We really enjoyed the Overlord Museum, which is not on your list but is very good. We also went to the Airborne museum, Utah beach museum, and 360 cinema in Arromanches.

My oldest son is a huge WWII history buff, and my husband stops to read EVERY plaque. My younger son and I cruise through pretty quickly. I think we spent about 1.5-3 hours at each place. We chose NOT to do a guided tour because I know we would have only 45 minutes in some museums. I think we spent the most time at the Overlord museum, although it is smaller than the others. They’ve packed a lot into a small area and it’s really well done.

As a side note, we were there over Thanksgiving week, which is VERY off season. We had difficulty finding ANY restaurants open in the villages near the beaches. We found out that most places close completely for a few months. Even though websites said they are open. Plan to bring a picnic or snacks just in case.

You asked about your 3rd day and which of the two museums, Caen or Arromaches. We’ve been to both multiple times on our own and with guides. If I had to choose between the two I’d choose Arromaches. The museum, with its windows facing the beach, is built on site of the impressive Mulberry Harbor. You can still see remnants of the sunken ships and floating harbor in the water. There are displays, a movie of the building of the harbor, its installation and implementation immediately after D-Day. There is a large, interactive diorama that you can observe while gazing out into the harbor at the remaining ships and floating roads. We found it to be so moving to be able to see the location where this engineering happened and have the museum fill in the details for us.

I thought the Caen museum was great.