Faced with these questions, Alexandre Renaud, a pharmacist and mayor of Sainte-Mère-Eglise at the time of the Liberation, took steps to create a museum. From 1956 to 1958, he sent letters to the American and French authorities in an effort to raise the funds needed to build a memorial building. In these years dedicated to the reconstruction of the nation, the task was tough, but despite everything, an available plot of land was found near the Place du 6 juin in the heart of the village, the highly symbolic site of the 82nd Airborne parachute drops.
This choice location called for innovative museography, culminating in the display of a glider that took part in D-Day operations. Mr Renaud submitted this request to the 82nd Air Base in May 1957. The Americans were enthusiastic about the idea, and put a lot of energy into finding this extremely rare piece.
1959 saw the appointment of Dr Jean Masselin as Mayor of Sainte-Mère-Eglise. He took charge of the project to create the museum.
In the early 1960s, the new mayor was delighted to hear almost providential news: the American army had just located a glider wreck, a 1943 Waco CG4A in a sorry state of repair. The wreck was entrusted to the Salis workshops in La Ferté-Alais, near Paris, for restoration. The association for the ‘Permanent Exhibition of Airborne Troops’ (law 1901) was created and took over the running of the future museum. The foundation stone was laid on 6 June 1963 by a distinguished guest, the US ambassador to France, General Gavin.
The parachute-shaped building was inaugurated on 6 June 1964 in the presence of Generals Ridgway and Taylor. The great adventure of the museum could finally begin!
Between 1975 and 1977, an aviation and parachuting enthusiast made an exceptional but somewhat cumbersome donation to the members of the museum association. It was a real transport plane, and not just any old transport plane: the famous Douglas C-47 Skytrain. A legendary aircraft that took part in the parachute drops over Sainte-Mère-Eglise on the night of 5-6 June 1944. The association decided to reserve a special place for it in its park, and launched the construction of a second building with a roof in the shape of a Delta wing, which was inaugurated on 6 June 1983.
Over the years, the museum has adapted and, in order to better meet visitors’ expectations, the association launched the construction of a third building in the shape of an aircraft wing, entitled “Operation Neptune”. For its inauguration on 5 June 2014, many veterans, including Don Jakeway, veteran of the 82nd AB, and General Nicholson of the 82nd AB, were present.
In May 2015, work began on a fourth building, the Ronald Reagan Conference Centre, which will join Operation Neptune.
In May 2016, the Airborne Museum opened this new building, which will house a large 120-seat cinema, temporary exhibitions, conferences and seminars.
In 2019, the shop and ticket office have been enlarged and refurbished to provide a beautiful space for our visitors.
The reception area is now more spacious, making it easier to welcome large groups and reducing waiting times at the ticket office. The shop has also been given more space to showcase a more diverse range of products.
In October 2020, the Airborne Museum began the first phase of the project to renovate its spaces. The museum was able to count on support from Europe (ERDF funds) to the tune of €1.5 million and from the Normandy Region to the tune of €420,000 in order to finance this project worth around €3.3 million.
In May 2021, the museum unveiled the redevelopment of the hall in the Neptune building, highlighting new museum areas: wartime medicine, temporary cemeteries, civilians during the Liberation, the construction of Remembrance and Remembrance, and finally the aftermath of Normandy.
In October 2021, the C-47 building revealed its new visitor route. The legendary C-47 aircraft now sits proudly at the heart of a spectacular and immersive scenography.
The year 2024 marks a new milestone for the museum, as to celebrate its 60 years of existence and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a 5th building has been added. This one is entirely dedicated to the American gliders of the conflict. The old WACO building has been renovated and a brand new permanent exhibition devoted to the Occupation and the Resistance in the Sainte-Mère-Eglise area has been installed there. Lastly, the museum grounds have been completely refurbished, planted with greenery and enhanced with a snack area, and new vehicles are now on display in the open air.
