Join us as The National WWII Museum honors all of our nation’s veterans and celebrates their service through an engaging series of commemorative programs. The Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony and related programming will pay tribute to veterans past, present, and future while highlighting their incredible stories of service. With the exception of the Victory Belles show, all Veterans Day events are free and open to the public, and all veterans are invited to attend.
The Museum’s 2021 Veterans Day programming is generously sponsored by AARP Louisiana and Navy Federal Credit Union. Please register at the link above to let us know whether you plan to attend the Commemoration Ceremony in person (see COVID-19 protocols below) or tune in online to the virtual livestream.
Free Admission for All Veterans:
On Veterans Day, all veterans, regardless of conflict era, will receive a free Museum Campus Pass to tour our exhibit galleries. Complimentary admission is for the Museum only; ticket purchase is required for Beyond All Boundaries ($7) and Final Mission: USS Tang Submarine Experience ($7). WWII veterans receive free admission every day to the Museum’s exhibit galleries, Beyond All Boundaries, and Final Mission. NOTE: Free admission is for servicemembers only and does not include family or friends. If you have any ticketing questions, please visit the Guest Services desk.
COVID-19 Event Protocols:
Per City of New Orleans requirements, proof of COVID-19 vaccination (at least one dose) or a negative COVID-19 PCR/antigen test (taken within 72 hours) is required for entry to all Veterans Day events (applicable to all guests 12 years of age and older) as well as the Museum’s food and beverage outlets (including American Sector Restaurant & Bar and Jeri Nims Soda Shop), BB’s Stage Door Canteen shows, private rentals, and indoor public events. When not actively eating or drinking, guests are encouraged but not required to wear a mask indoors. For more information, please visit https://www.nationalww2museum.org/know-before-you-go.
Schedule of Events for Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11:
- 10:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. CT
Musical Performance by the Preservation Hall All-Stars
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Preservation Hall is a storied French Quarter music venue founded in 1961 to protect, preserve, and perpetuate the spirit of traditional New Orleans Jazz. Master musicians from Preservation Hall will perform 1940s-era music to welcome guests attending the Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony.
- 11:00 a.m.–12 p.m. CT
Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and
Livestreaming online
The Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony, jointly hosted by The National WWII Museum and the Mayor's Military Advisory Committee, will honor our nation’s veterans and celebrate the unique qualities of the American spirit demonstrated through their service. This year’s ceremony will highlight the significance of wartime correspondence among veterans and their loved ones, with special guest Linda Hope sharing correspondence between a G.I. and Bob Hope: her father and a legendary entertainer who dedicated his career to bringing laughter to US troops at home and abroad. The ceremony will conclude with a special announcement about the Museum’s future plans to continue sharing the inspiring stories of the WWII generation in innovative ways. Please register here to let us know if you plan to attend in person or online.
- 12:00 p.m.–12:30 p.m. CT
Musical Performance by the Preservation Hall All-Stars
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Preservation Hall All-Stars musicians will perform wartime musical selections in celebration of all generations of US servicemembers.
- 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. CT
Knit Your Bit: Scarf Distribution to Veterans
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center
Museum staff will distribute free Knit Your Bit scarves to veterans of all eras. Learn more about our Knit Your Bit program, now in its 15th anniversary year, at https://www.nationalww2museum.org/programs/knit-your-bit
- 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. CT
The Victory Belles Veterans Day Performance
On-site at BB’s Stage Door Canteen
Tickets are $15 for general public; free tickets are available for veterans through the Bob & Dolores Hope Tickets for Troops Fund. The Victory Belles vocal trio will perform the music of the 1940s supported by the Bob & Dolores Hope Tickets for Troops Fund. Click here to learn more about the performance and reserve tickets.
- 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. CT
Meet the Author: “Dear Bob...Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War II”
On-site at US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center (5:00 p.m. Reception, 6:00 p.m. Program)
Livestreaming online (6:10 p.m. CT Program)
Author Martha Bolton will discuss her book Dear Bob… with panelists Linda Hope, daughter of Bob Hope and Chair/CEO of the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, and the Museum’s Kim Guise, Senior Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs. Click here to learn more about the event and to register to attend in person or online.
Continue celebrating with us on Friday, Nov. 12
- 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. CT
Victory Ball Presented by Ray and Jessica Brandt Family Foundation with support from Henry and Karen Coaxum and Bob and Sheryl Merrick
On-site at The National WWII Museum; check-in at the Event Entrance on Magazine Street. VIP Champagne Reception begins at 6 p.m. for sponsors; main event starts at 7 p.m. The 2021 Victory Ball will be a lavish reception featuring cocktails and culinary creations by The American Sector Restaurant & Bar, live music, entertainment, and dancing, as well as unlimited access to the Museum’s pavilions and exhibit galleries. Tickets begin at $50 with all proceeds benefitting the Museum’s preservation efforts and public programming. Visit victory-ball.org for more details and to purchase tickets.
Honor Your Hero This Veteran’s Day
The National WWII Museum pays tribute to servicemembers of all generations on Veterans Day. We’d like to join you in honoring a veteran in your life on this special day. We invite you to submit a photo of your veteran hero. The photo of your loved one will be added to a slideshow that will be shown exclusively at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans on November 11, 2021. Click here to submit your image. The deadline to submit images for inclusion in the slideshow is November 1, 2021.
Special thanks to AARP Louisiana and Navy Federal Credit Union for generously sponsoring the Museum’s 2021 Veterans Day programming.
