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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Fredericksburg, TX: National Museum of the Pacific

We did not expect a First Class World War II / Pacific War Museum in the heart of Texas.  But that is exactly what it is:  top notch, very well done, interesting and worth every minute of our time there.

I am talking about the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.  It is also the hometown of World War II Navy Leader and Admiral Chester Nimitz.
The museum is really a collection of museums, galleries and displays in a magnificent 6-acre layout.  The H.W. George Bush Gallery houses the majority of the displays inside the main building.  We spent hours there.
I was impressed with the concise/comprehensive history displays that began with Asian history leading up to the early 1900's and into the 1040's.
The gallery had a variety of displays, recordings, video and memorabilia that was organized well and very comprehensive.
We took a break for lunch and went through another section of the gallery.
One thing I appreciated about the informational displays and photographs which was for me - new material.  Some World War II information is 'standard fare' but here they had quite a bit more.  Some battles for islands in the Pacific I had never heard of.  Very captivating.

Outside, there is a Plaza of the Presidents
and a Memorial Courtyard with a garden and surrounding limestone walls with hundreds of plaques (which I somehow failed to take any pictures of)

Next door and part of the complex is the old Nimitz Hotel which houses the modest Nimitz Museum.
It began as his grandfather's hotel and now holds artifacts of Frederickburg's most famous citizen.
That is all for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Thank you for viewing!

4 comments:

  1. Nice museum - thanks for the "armchair" tour!

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  2. It is a great museum, thanks for the flashback:)

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  3. I could spend hours there, but not so much for Loyce.. I think it is because we went to war as military folks that makes us have such an attraction............

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  4. We soooo wanted to visit that museum, seeing as our Uncle Jr. was on the USS Bennington and the USS Lexington in the theater of the South Pacific in WWII...Thank you for posting..We really need to get there!!!LOVE the Hill Country..We have a pic of Luckenbach too...The LBJ Ranch was a great tour too!!

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