The Utah Beach D-Day Museum

The Utah Beach Landings Museum, which opened its doors to the public in 1962, was built on the site of the former German strongpoint that was eliminated by the U.S. assault force on D-Day. It has been extended and renovated since and reopened its doors in 2011. The museum features a wide range of German and American war items related to the military engagements which took place during the D-Day landing on the morning of 6 June 1944 on Utah Beach.

The 4th U.S. Infantry Division and its 8th Infantry Regiment are especially emphasised, as they were the first to set foot on this beach. A reconstruction of the moments that made history is created around an American landing craft. Attention is paid in particular to the U.S. Corps of Engineers who cleared the beach of dangerous obstacles and fatal traps set up by the German forces.

War-related objects and pictures remind us that this beach also played a major role in the war of logistics. Indeed, the flat bottomed landing crafts could easily be driven ashore at low tide to unload their freight and transport troops before taking to the open sea at high tide. A space is also dedicated to the 101st U.S. Airborne Division which liberated the area of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont where the museum stands. Finally, the museum features a rare Martin B26 G ‘Marauder’, an American twin-engined medium bomber. This plane is the central exhibit of the museum, as no more than six of them can be found in the world. It stands as a reminder of the crucial contribution of Allied Air Forces, and as a salute to their victories during and following the Utah Beach landing.