New Orleans boasts two war museums, right across the street from one another. One is the official United States World War II Museum. It is huge and modern, with 5 buildings, massive high-tech presentations, and fully restored airplanes hanging everywhere. The other is the Confederate Civil War Museum. It is the oldest museum in the state, and is essentially one large room with a small hallway to the side that contains a few overflow exhibits. Most of the exhibits are memorabilia donated by Confederate officers and enlisted men after the war. In this era of political correctness, it stands as a subdued reminder that in wars bravery, honor, and pain are not forgotten by the families of the losing side of a war.
I am thankful that we were urged by several people to come here, and particularly to see the World War II museum. There is a multimedia movie, complete with vibrating seats, huge props and fake snow that will amaze you. It is narrated by Tom Hanks. When it ended, several people, including us, in the packed house simply said “Wow,” then broke into applause. Called “Beyond All Boundaries,” it is not to be missed.
The day we went, this guide was giving a narrated tour of the Normandy exhibits. It was excellent. 
Restored planes are everywhere. 
In the building sponsored by Boeing hangs this bomber, which crash-landed in Greenland. It was disassembled, shipped to the US and painstakingly rebuilt. 
Seats below are for an interactive movie, where they depict critical decisions during the war, and ask you to vote what you would do. I sided with the commander once and against him once. 
Real equipment in beautifully prepared movie-style sets lends a reality to the process. 
This is the story of the Battle of the Bulge, where you re-live the story. 
The submarine adventure is dark, so picture is grainy. Each person has a card with a sailor’s ID and goes to his battle station for a re-enactment of their final battle. Both our sailors died. 
The Confedrate Museum opened on this site in 1891. 
Here is an “old school” and underappreciated museum in every regard. 
What do you do when you are about to burn a house with this beautiful piano? Take it with you into battle, of course. It traveled with an artillery unit.