Normandy Victory Museum
Hedgerows hell Museum
The Normandy Victory Museum welcomes you in the heart of the Cotentin marshes, in Carentan in Normandy. In twenty scenes, in the middle of an exhibition of more than 10 000 authentic collectibles, our museum invites you on a moving journey alongside those who have lived and who have made history. Whether soldiers or civilians, national heroes or everyday heroes, we pay tribute to them.
Focus on an event marking the history of the Second World War, the battle of the hedges or Hedgerows Hell.
We are in low season, the museum is open every week-end from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (ticket office closes at 4.30 p.m.)
WARNING ! Due to the confinement, the museum is closed to the public from October 30 to November 30 included. Reopening scheduled for December 5, except in the event of new government measures
Reasons for a visit
The hedgerows hell, a major fact of the Liberation
More than 20 realistic and sound-tracking scenes
Nearly 10 000 collectibles and vintage vehicles
Intense and original immersive experiences
Located on the A10 Airfield, a former American Airfield
Constantly renewed temporary exhibitions
Events organized or hosted by the museum
Currently at the museum
Temporary exhibition
Women in war
The Normandy Victory Museum inaugurates this year a new permanent exhibition within its collections. The Hedgerows hell is at the heart of the museum journey and constitutes the very identity of the structure. With the aim of enriching the site even more, the museum team and collectors have decided to include new themes. Among them, the role of women during the Second World War will occupy a prominent place at the end of the visit. Already partially implemented, the part devoted to the role of women has been reviewed and corrected in order to address its subject more comprehensively.
Events
July 18, 2020 – Film screening
“Equipes Nationales – Ils sont gentils les gosses”
Free!
We invite you to discover this moving film which traces the journey of young rescuers during the German occupation in the city of Le Havre. Using testimonies and archives, the team reconstructed the little-known story of these young Normans who worked with courage and altruism. Henriette Leprovost who was one of these heroic rescuers, will be present
Visit the Normandy Victory Museum
Practical information and offers
The museum shop
WW2 souvenirs and specialties
The Normandy Victory Museum has also it’s militaria shop, in which you can buy much more than DDay souvenirs. These are replicas of WW2 collectibles, re-enactment outfits, models and educational games for children. There is also a large selection of books about World War II. Popular writings but also specialized and technical titles. Books, videos, magazines are available to broaden your knowledge and understanding.All these military objects are for sale in our shop or on our website (being redesigned).
Beyond DDay, a historical blog
In Normandy, the Second World War did not stop on DDAY. In the months that followed, la Manche still experienced fierce battles: the Battle of the hedges (Hedgerow Hell), the offensive of la Haye du Puits, the battle of Saint-Lô, Operation Cobra, the breakthrough of Avranches. Why were so many cities razed to the ground? How did the allies regain control? And what was the daily life of locals during these weeks in wartime before the Liberation?
Our blog is regulary enriched with specialized and didactic articles written by our team of historiens and enthusists. We also give the floor to specialists of the Second World War but also to locals who paid a heavy price for the landing.
Lee Miller, the model, the woman and the war
Muse of the greatest artists of her time, Lee Miller embodied the feminine ideal of the 1930s. During the war, she proved to be an outstanding reporter at the time of the liberation of the camps. Photographing the enemy seems liberating for this bruised woman whose life and work are still intimately linked.
Sophie Scholl and the “White Rose”, a female symbol of German resistance
On February 22, 1943, three German students from the University of Munich were executed. They are accused of acts of high treason and subversive propaganda for repeatedly distributing leaflets. Among them, Sophie Scholl, a young woman barely 20, became a symbol of resistance and courage against Hitler’s murderous madness.
Behind the barrels of a cellar, three helmets found bear witness to the horror of the fighting
Discovered under a barrel, still covered in dust, these three helmets are riddled with impact from the fighting. We can recognize a camouflaged German helmet from a Heer unit, an SS helmet with some remains of camouflage as well as a heavily damaged American light helmet.
What you think of the Normandy Victory Museum
Thank you !
Nos visiteurs sont nos meilleurs ambassadeurs. Ils mettent l’accent sur ce qui leur a plu, les a touchés, les a intéressés et c’est toujours un régal pour nous de les lire et de leur répondre. Vous aussi, laissez vous surprendre et partagez votre point de vue avec les découvreurs, les amoureux d’histoire…