Into the Trenches
The National WWI Museum and Memorial is in the middle of a multi-year renovation to the Main Gallery — the most extensive renovations since opening in 2006! These renovations not only upgrade technology and tell new and interesting narratives from WWI, but they also create a richer and more immersive visitor experience. These upgrades are a vital piece in ensuring that stories of the Great War and its enduring impact will be shared for generations to come.
Several areas of the Main Gallery have already undergone renovations and have reopened to the public. Fall 2023 updates added nine interactive screens that transform the way that people connect with the lessons of WWI. Two additional feature films have also been added. A new Epilogue film surrounds guests with large-scale, floor to ceiling imagery, spoken word, sound design and music to provoke an understanding of the outcomes, continuing effects and challenges set off by the events of WWI.
This spring, the “Into the Trenches” exhibit was entirely reconstructed. Guests can now step inside the trenches and immerse themselves in five different trench settings. Cast figures and props, created using 3D scans of live models, have been added to enhance the experience as well as new films that highlight the true terrors of trench warfare.
The next phase of renovations will open in fall 2024, shortly before Veterans Day. Two of those projects are “Battlescape” and “Casualties.”
Battlescape
A newly produced immersive film will be projected onto the inner surface of a recreated battle crater, allowing visitors to access deeply affecting scenes that graphically depict the horrific reality of WWI artillery. Using narration, light and sound, guests’ senses will be heightened by what they see, hear and feel.
Casualties
A new, fully-themed display will give guests a peek into the workings of a field hospital and the realities and innovations of battlefield medicine during WWI. The field hospital, evocative of a bombed-out church that would have been repurposed for treating the wounded, will draw in guests to further investigate the scene. As the guest approaches the display, they are presented with stories from WWI, interactive displays and a visual representation of the chaos in a working field hospital. One scene, inspired by John Singer Sargent’s painting “Gassed,” shows a line of soldiers blinded by a gas attack following an uninjured guide into the field hospital for treatment.
Exciting upgrades to the Main Gallery and other spaces will continue through 2025. The Museum and Memorial will continue to remain open during all phases of construction, and guest impact will be minimal. Don’t miss your chance to be one of the first to see these state-of-the-art upgrades in person. To visit, purchase tickets online at theworldwar.org.
