National World War I Museum and Memorial

National World War I Museum and Memorial

The National World War I Museum and Memorial is located in Kansas City, Missouri. Opened to the public as the Liberty Memorial museum in 1926, it was designated in 2004 by the United States Congress as America’s official museum dedicated to the war. The museum was closed in 1994 due to safety concerns, because aging had produced problems with drainage and the original construction.

About National World War I Museum and Memorial in brief

Summary National World War I Museum and MemorialThe National World War I Museum and Memorial is located in Kansas City, Missouri. Opened to the public as the Liberty Memorial museum in 1926, it was designated in 2004 by the United States Congress as America’s official museum dedicated to the war. Visitors enter the exhibit space within the 32,000-square-foot facility across a glass bridge above a field of 9,000 red poppies, each one representing 1,000 combatant deaths. The declared mission of the museum and memorial is to be dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The museum was closed in 1994 due to safety concerns, because aging had produced problems with drainage and the original construction. It reopened in December 2006 with an expanded, award-winning facility to exhibit an artifact collection that began in 1920. In 1935, bas reliefs by Walker Hancock of Jacques, Beatty, Diaz, Foch and Pershing were unveiled.

In 1961 the monument was rededicated by President Harry S. Truman. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on September 20, 2006. It included a substantial renovation with a cost of USD 170,000 in December 2011. After several months of dormancy, the flame was lit atop the tower on February 1, 2013, and the overall renovation was completed in February 2013. It is located on the site of the original memorial underneath the Edward Jones Research Center underneath theoriginal memorial. It has been named the nation’s official WWI museum by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate of Representatives of the State of Missouri. The Museum is open to the general public and the public is invited to view the museum’s artifacts and displays. It also has a library with a collection of more than 2,000 books, maps, and other memorabilia.