National Museum of the Pacific War
When one looks at an atlas, Texas seems the least likely state in the union to have had a major impact on the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War. Yet Fredericksburg, Texas, despite being over 650 miles from the Pacific Ocean, had a major impact on that conflict, and today is home to the National Museum of the Pacific War.
When the Japanese attacked the United States unexpectedly at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the United States Navy, along with the rest of the country, was unprepared to go to war. Ten days after the attack, Chester W. Nimitz, a native Texan born in Fredericksburg, Texas, was selected Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, with the rank of Admiral.
The battle in the Pacific during World War II saw some of the most brutal fighting the world has ever seen. The names Okinawa, Guam, and Iwo Jima are synonymous with some of the bravest and most heroic acts every undertaken by the U.S. military. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese finally surrendered, and it was Admiral Nimitz who accepted the surrender on behalf of the United States on board the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
In 1967 the National Museum of the Pacific War opened in Fredericksburg, Texas. Originally slated to be a museum dedicated solely to Admiral Nimitz, the Admiral agreed to let the museum use his (name as long as it was dedicated to all who served in the Pacific war. For its entire existence the museum has been housed in the old Nimitz hotel, a cultural hub of the Texas hill country for decades which had been founded and run by the Nimitz family.
Today the National Museum of the Pacific War is the only institution of its kind in the continental United States that is focused solely on the Pacific battles in the Second World War.
The six-acre complex houses several different galleries and exhibits. Including:
The George Bush Gallery
A 23,000 square foot gallery named after the 41st president of the United States the Bush Gallery allows the visitor to walk through exhibits composed of personal effects, aircraft, and other pieces of history of those who fought in the Pacific. The exhibits form a timeline allowing you to progress through the Pacific War almost as if it was frozen in time.
The Admiral Nimitz Museum
The Nimitz Museum exhibit is dedicated purely to Admiral Chester Nimitz. This exhibit follows his life and is packed with photos of the Nimitz family and artifacts from their history. A 13-foot replica of the Aircraft Carrier that bears his name is the crown jewel of this exhibit.
The Plaza of Presidents
The Plaza of Presidents is a series of ten monuments which honor the ten United States Presidents who served in World War Two. Each stone monument has a bronze plaque which details that president’s service.
The Veteran’s Walk of Honor
Part of the Museum complex is a courtyard bordered by limestone walls that date back to the 19th century. These walls make up the Memorial Wall which holds plaques honoring different individuals, ships, or units which served during the Pacific War. Plaques may be purchased through a donation to the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.
The Japanese Garden of Peace
The Garden is a gift from Japan to the United States in honor of Admiral Nimitz. The garden is modeled after the garden of Admiral Togo, Nimitz’s counterpart for Japan.
The Pacific Combat Zone
The Pacific Combat Zone is as close to being transported in time over sixty years as is possible without a time machine. Guided tour groups lead the visitor through various scenes of the Pacific War. Along the way visitors are on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier, alongside the only combat veteran restored PT boat, and a landing area on a Pacific Island with machine guns, mortars, and supporting aircraft blazing.
The Center for Pacific War Studies
The Museum’s archives contain more than 10,000 Pacific War photos, a vast collection of private papers, many official documents and manuscripts, and a research library containing more than 3,000 volumes.
Fredericksburg, Texas
When the Japanese attacked the United States unexpectedly at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the United States Navy, along with the rest of the country, was unprepared to go to war. Ten days after the attack, Chester W. Nimitz, a native Texan born in Fredericksburg, Texas, was selected Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, with the rank of Admiral.
The battle in the Pacific during World War II saw some of the most brutal fighting the world has ever seen. The names Okinawa, Guam, and Iwo Jima are synonymous with some of the bravest and most heroic acts every undertaken by the U.S. military. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese finally surrendered, and it was Admiral Nimitz who accepted the surrender on behalf of the United States on board the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
In 1967 the National Museum of the Pacific War opened in Fredericksburg, Texas. Originally slated to be a museum dedicated solely to Admiral Nimitz, the Admiral agreed to let the museum use his (name as long as it was dedicated to all who served in the Pacific war. For its entire existence the museum has been housed in the old Nimitz hotel, a cultural hub of the Texas hill country for decades which had been founded and run by the Nimitz family.
Today the National Museum of the Pacific War is the only institution of its kind in the continental United States that is focused solely on the Pacific battles in the Second World War.
The six-acre complex houses several different galleries and exhibits. Including:
The George Bush Gallery
A 23,000 square foot gallery named after the 41st president of the United States the Bush Gallery allows the visitor to walk through exhibits composed of personal effects, aircraft, and other pieces of history of those who fought in the Pacific. The exhibits form a timeline allowing you to progress through the Pacific War almost as if it was frozen in time.
The Admiral Nimitz Museum
The Nimitz Museum exhibit is dedicated purely to Admiral Chester Nimitz. This exhibit follows his life and is packed with photos of the Nimitz family and artifacts from their history. A 13-foot replica of the Aircraft Carrier that bears his name is the crown jewel of this exhibit.
The Plaza of Presidents
The Plaza of Presidents is a series of ten monuments which honor the ten United States Presidents who served in World War Two. Each stone monument has a bronze plaque which details that president’s service.
The Veteran’s Walk of Honor
Part of the Museum complex is a courtyard bordered by limestone walls that date back to the 19th century. These walls make up the Memorial Wall which holds plaques honoring different individuals, ships, or units which served during the Pacific War. Plaques may be purchased through a donation to the Admiral Nimitz Foundation.
The Japanese Garden of Peace
The Garden is a gift from Japan to the United States in honor of Admiral Nimitz. The garden is modeled after the garden of Admiral Togo, Nimitz’s counterpart for Japan.
The Pacific Combat Zone
The Pacific Combat Zone is as close to being transported in time over sixty years as is possible without a time machine. Guided tour groups lead the visitor through various scenes of the Pacific War. Along the way visitors are on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier, alongside the only combat veteran restored PT boat, and a landing area on a Pacific Island with machine guns, mortars, and supporting aircraft blazing.
The Center for Pacific War Studies
The Museum’s archives contain more than 10,000 Pacific War photos, a vast collection of private papers, many official documents and manuscripts, and a research library containing more than 3,000 volumes.
Fredericksburg, Texas
