National Museum of the Pacific War

National Museum of the Pacific War The National Museum of the Pacific War is the nation's most comprehensive account of WWII in the Pacific theater.
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This world class museum is dedicated to telling the human story of those who served in the Pacific during WWII.

▶️ Out now on YouTube!Author Ian Bertram shares stories of the USS Boise from his book On Board the USS Boise in World W...
09/17/2026

▶️ Out now on YouTube!

Author Ian Bertram shares stories of the USS Boise from his book On Board the USS Boise in World War II: The Battles and Secret Missions of the Light Cruiser CL-47. This month’s webcast explores the ship’s experiences during World War II, including its role at Guadalcanal and the missions carried out by the men who served aboard.

🗓️ September 16, 2026
💻 Virtual Webcast
🎟️ Free

🔔 Subscribe for updates on when new webcasts are posted!

▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WavqtlJQl4c

One wreath can make a difference.This Wreaths Across America, our goal is to place 1,500 wreaths in remembrance of those...
09/17/2026

One wreath can make a difference.

This Wreaths Across America, our goal is to place 1,500 wreaths in remembrance of those who served. A $17 sponsorship helps honor a life, a legacy, and a name that should never be forgotten.

One wreath. One act of remembrance. One more name remembered. ❤️

🔗 Sponsor a wreath: https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/event/wreaths-across-america

Sip, explore, and discover history from a new perspective. 🍷✈️Wings & W**e returns September 26 for an evening of curate...
09/16/2026

Sip, explore, and discover history from a new perspective. 🍷✈️

Wings & W**e returns September 26 for an evening of curated w**e pairings and a closer look at four remarkable artifacts from the Museum’s collection.

Follow Curator of Collections Christine Hicks through the George H.W. Bush Gallery and Pacific Combat Zone as she shares the stories behind the B-25 Bomber, F4F Wildcat, TBM Avenger, and Type 96 Anti-Aircraft Gun.

📅 Saturday, September 26
🕠 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
🎟️ Space is limited.

🔗Link in to purchase tickets: https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/event/wings-w**e-3

**e

On this day in history, 15 September 1944, American troops land on the island of Peleliu. The battle of Peleliu lasted f...
09/15/2026

On this day in history, 15 September 1944, American troops land on the island of Peleliu. The battle of Peleliu lasted for weeks, and saw the bloodiest fighting seen in the Pacific War to that point. The Japanese had switched defensive tactics, which would extract a heavy toll on the invaders. The Japanese moved to a “defense in depth” strategy, instead of trying to destroy the Americans on the landing beaches, and dug deep into caves and concrete fortifications. The Marines and soldiers on Peleliu had to shoot, bomb, and torch the enemy out of their positions one by one, and often found themselves having to backtrack to destroy again a position they had already taken out of action. Men spent days in a vicious struggle trying to advance a few yards. The horrors of Peleliu left thousands of casualties and hundreds of survivors scarred both mentally and physically. What the Americans did not know was that this was only the beginning of a new Japanese strategy that would persist for the rest of the war.

Sources:
“With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa” by E. B. Sledge
Unauthorized History of the Pacific War
National Museum of the Pacific War
Image: Marines on the landing beaches of Peleliu, September 1945. U.S. Marine Corps photograph from the Marine Corps Association.

For this week's , we are highlighting everyday life at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, in September 1944 through the Henry...
09/15/2026

For this week's , we are highlighting everyday life at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, in September 1944 through the Henry J. Cates, Jr. Collection

By September 1944, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, looked very different from the battlefield it had been two years earlier. These photographs offer a glimpse into everyday life at Milne Bay. Rather than scenes of combat, the photographs show places where the servicemen lived and worked, from tents and camp buildings to the tropical landscape surrounding the base.

Milne Bay had been the site of a pivotal Allied victory in 1942, when Australian and American forces successfully stopped a Japanese attempt to capture the strategically important bay. By 1944, it had become an established Allied base supporting operations across the Southwest Pacific.

Interested in more? Visit the Portal to Texas History, available on the museum's website at the Center for Pacific War Studies.

📸:
1) Army base in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
2) Lt. Burton driving a truck in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
3) Four servicemen at a Milne Bay swimming platform

🇺🇸 Celebrate Freedom Week and the 239th birthday of the U.S. Constitution with us!Join the National Museum of the Pacifi...
09/14/2026

🇺🇸 Celebrate Freedom Week and the 239th birthday of the U.S. Constitution with us!

Join the National Museum of the Pacific War for a FREE afternoon of family fun celebrating the founding principles and documents that have shaped our nation.

Hosted in the Nimitz Ballroom, the celebration will feature arts and crafts, games, trivia, a photo booth, birthday cake, and more!

📍 Nimitz Ballroom | 340 E. Main Street
🕚 2:00–4:00 p.m.

Come celebrate with us!

🐘🐕 Animals of the Pacific WarAnimals served in many different roles during wartime.Lin Wang, an Asian elephant with the ...
09/10/2026

🐘🐕 Animals of the Pacific War

Animals served in many different roles during wartime.

Lin Wang, an Asian elephant with the Chinese Expeditionary Force from 1943–1945, helped transport supplies and build roads before later retiring to the Taipei Zoo.

Dogs also supported military efforts by carrying messages, locating wounded soldiers, and patrolling. The British established their first War Dog School in 1917, and these working roles continued into World War II.

From elephants to war dogs, animals played unique roles in the history of wartime service.

🔥Experience the Battle of Saipan through our living history at the Pacific Combat ZoneOn June 15th, 1944, American Marin...
09/09/2026

🔥Experience the Battle of Saipan through our living history at the Pacific Combat Zone

On June 15th, 1944, American Marines rushed ashore on the tropical island of Saipan. What they didn't yet know was that they were in for one of the most grueling campaigns seen in WWII, including the largest banzai charge of the entire war.

Come see our battle reenactment program featuring our Company K volunteers demonstrating actual WWII weapons and equipment!�
🕚Programs at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
📍Pacific Combat Zone
🎟️Online ticket purchases are highly encouraged. Seating is first come first served.

⚠️Due to loud noises and simulated combat effects, this program is not recommended for small children, pets, or those with heart conditions

🔗https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/event/battle-reenactment-road-to-victory-saipan

Before boldly going where no one had gone before, Gene Roddenberry took to the skies over the Pacific. ✈️During World Wa...
09/08/2026

Before boldly going where no one had gone before, Gene Roddenberry took to the skies over the Pacific. ✈️

During World War II, the future creator of Star Trek served as a B-17 pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps. Flying from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, Roddenberry took part in combat missions across the South Pacific, including operations against Japanese positions at Bougainville and during the Munda campaign. He piloted aircraft including the B-17 Yankee Doodle and ultimately flew 89 combat missions, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal.

But flying was only part of his story. 📝 While serving in the Pacific, Roddenberry began seriously pursuing his interest in writing, submitting pieces to newspapers and magazines and selling stories to aviation publications.

Those early efforts marked the beginning of a writing career that, decades later, would take audiences from the skies over the Pacific to the final frontier. 🖖

Happy Star Trek Day!

For this week's , we are highlighting the Battle of Saipan through these photos from the Roy Tashnek Collection. Begin...
09/08/2026

For this week's , we are highlighting the Battle of Saipan through these photos from the Roy Tashnek Collection.

Beginning on June 15, 1944, U.S. Marines landed on the beaches of Saipan, launching a brutal three-week battle for control of the island. American forces faced fierce Japanese resistance as they fought their way inland through rugged terrain, fortified positions, and caves.

The capture of Saipan was a major turning point in the Pacific War. Its airfields placed the Japanese home islands within range of American B-29 Superfortress bombers, bringing the war one step closer to Japan.

Interested in more? Visit the Portal to Texas History, available on the museum's website at the Center for Pacific War Studies.

📸:
1) United States Marines inspecting a wrecked Japanese Kawanishi H8K on Saipan
2) Destroyed sugar mill in Saipan
3) Japanese boats burning in Tanapag Harbor in Saipan

Address

311 E. Austin Street
Fredericksburg, TX
78624

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18309978600

Website

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