Kansas City is home to National World War I Museum and Memorial
Do you know why we observe Veterans Day on Nov. 11th instead of a different date? Did you know that Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day?
If you don’t, I’ll save you the research. Armistice Day marked the end of the “Great War,” or what we call World War I. The war officially ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – Nov. 11th.
The National World War I Museum is not located in Washington, DC.
It’s actually located in the heartland of America – Kansas City, Missouri.
The museum was a natural growth from one of the country’s best WWI memorials. The Kansas City WWI Memorial sits across from Union Station, just a few blocks from downtown.
The memorial is built on a hill, which provides a beautiful view of the KC skyline. It was originally known as Liberty Memorial.
Plans for the memorial started soon after the war ended in 1918. In 1919, about $2.5 million was raised over a 10-day period for the memorial.
The WWI Memorial itself consists of a spire, Assyrian sphinxes and two halls.
The spire is a tower that rises about 220 feet above the base. It has an observation deck at the top. In addition, four guardian spirits watch over the memorial from near the tower’s top. Each guardian is 40 feet tall.
Two Assyrian sphinxes stand on either side of the tower. “Memory” faces east toward France. It shields its eyes from the horror of war. “Future” faces west. It shields its eyes from an uncertain future.
Memory Hall hosts art pieces that depict the Allied nations, as well as tablets recognizing the area soldiers.
Exhibit Hall hosts limited run exhibits, as well as other pieces.
At the bottom of the memorial and grounds are wall cravings depicting man’s progress. The four major Allied generals are also honored on the wall.
The World War I Museum joined the memorial full-time in 2006.
The museum has thousands of items on display – from weapons and gas masks to flags and dinnerware.
All items on display are authentic from the time period.
As you enter the museum’s exhibit area, you cross a clear-floored bridge. Under the bridge sits a field of poppies. Nine thousand poppies are in the field, each representing 9,000 men and women who died in battle – for a total of 9 million military members.
Anyone who has gone to a grocery store over the years likely has seen veterans groups selling poppies for a small donation. This is how that tradition grew.
Before checking out any displays, watch the short film in the theater. It does a great job in explaining the social, cultural and economic conditions of the time and the acts that led to the start of the war.
Once the first snowball rolled, the avalanche of actions engulfed Europe. The United States managed to stay out the war until 1917. Though, our businesses profited by building most of the bombs, missiles and weapons used in battle.
The museum’s layout is quite interesting. Cannons, bombs, howitzers and vehicles are displayed throughout the gallery.
Uniforms from almost every country participating in the war are on display.
Trench warfare was a major component during this time. Armies dug ditches to fight from.
Thousands of men died from the trenches, when they would collapse. The mud was deep and engulfed men. They could lose boots and clothes in the muck.
The museum has a second theater that sits above a display depicting American soldiers walking across a muddy battle zone. Again, this is an impressive exhibit among impressive exhibits.
One thing I found interesting was that in 1916, Woodrow Wilson ran for his second term as American president with the campaign theme that he kept the United States out of the war. The United States joined the Allies in 1917.
Some numbers that we found interesting:
One – As in one of every three French males died during the war.
$4 million – That was the Russian debt for financing their portion of the war. Today, you would be talking billions of dollars.
The museum has a large display of nationalist posters encouraging people to support the war effort.
It was an interesting 90 minutes we spent at the museum. When visiting, I would say to plan for at least 90 minutes. I can see some people spending hours there.
The National World War I Museum and Memorial are a must stop when visiting Kansas City. The area is centrally located to downtown and other attractions, including Union Station, Crown Center Mall and Hallmark.
For more information on the museum and memorial, please visit the site at http://theworldwar.org/.
Disclaimer: Thank you to the Kansas City Visitors and Convention Bureau for the complimentary tickets to the Museum. However, all opinions and views are ours.
World War I Museum gallery:
