Memorial Day Weekend Discounts and Events, and War Remains Immersive VR, Among Featured Activities at National WWI Museum and Memorial

May 07, 2021

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Member News

KANSAS CITY, MO. – Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 28 – Monday, May 31, admission to the National WWI Museum and Memorial is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel, while general admission for the public is half-price all weekend.

The Flags of Forgotten Soldiers display returns Monday May 24 - Monday, May 31. This display of 140 U.S. flags will be in front of the Museum and Memorial. It calls attention to the fact that 140 veterans are lost to suicide every week. Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30, vintage military vehicles from World War II, the Korean War and Operation Desert Storm will be on display on the Southeast Lawn, in partnership with The Military Vehicle Preservation Association.

On Sunday, May 30, the first-ever Great Balloon Glow will take place on our 47 acres. Families are invited to picnic, listen to music and enjoy food from local food trucks beginning at 6 p.m. At 8:30, tethered hot air balloons will periodically light their propane to keep the balloons inflated and light up the night sky. This event is free to the public.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, there will be a free public ceremony at 10 a.m. with a keynote address from Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Eric Jacobson. Currently a command surgeon and assistant chief of staff, Lt. Col. Dr. Jacobson was formerly a battalion surgeon with multiple overseas deployments and was former director of medical operations at the Javits New York Medical Station, the temporary response to New York City’s COVID-19 Pandemic. The ceremony will be followed by a Bell Tolling Ceremony at noon and the Museum and Memorial’s biannual Walk of Honor brick dedication at 2 p.m.

War Remains, the immersive VR experience presented by “Hardcore History” legendary podcaster Dan Carlin, opens to the public on May 27. War Remains transports viewers to the Western Front of the First World War. It debuted at Tribeca Film Festival in 2019. Tickets for opening weekend and most weekends in June are sold out. If you would like to preview War Remains before it opens to the public, please contact kerwin@theworldwar.org.

Other events in May include a Virtual Battlefield Tour on Saturday, May 8 of the largest operation of the American Expeditionary Forces, the Meuse-Argonne. Battle Honours’ Clive Harris, historian James Taub and Dan Hill, director of Battle Guide Virtual Tours will take you onto the ground in France and provide a bird’s-eye view, enlivened by expert storytelling and history teaching. Tickets are $27.

Living the Great War weekend returns Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16. Living History Volunteer Corps and other World War I living historians will share their knowledge and invite the public to inspect their collections in a camp setting on the Museum and Memorial grounds.

Media interested in covering any of the Museum and Memorial’s offerings should contact Karis Erwin at 816-888-8122 or kerwin@theworldwar.org.

May National WWI Museum and Memorial events

About the National WWI Museum and Memorial

The National World WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and experiences of the war. The Museum and Memorial takes visitors of all ages on an epic journey through a transformative period and shares deeply personal stories of courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice. Designated by Congress as America’s official World War I Museum and Memorial and located in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the National WWI Museum and Memorial inspires thought, dialogue and learning to make the experiences of the Great War era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.