History of the Museum

A museum on the theme of the Second World War and the Normandy Landings

The NORMANDY VICTORY MUSEUM is one of the must-see museums in Normandy on the theme of the Second World War and the Normandy landings. If it is worth a diversion, it is because it deals in detail with the Battle of the Hedgerows, which took place throughout the summer of 1944 in the Normandy bocage. An event that deserved to have an entire museum dedicated to it because it was so important, so strategic, and left such a lasting impression on the memory of the locals and the soldiers involved in the battle. This is where the history of the museum begins.

It all began in 2016

Three men driven by the same passion: the history of the Second World War

The Normandy Victory Museum was created in 2016 by three history enthusiasts: Patrick Fissot, history teacher and author of several books, including “D-Day, 70 jours pour libérer la Manche” (D-Day, 70 jours pour libérer la Manche). Christophe Beaussire, entrepreneur and Nicolas Bellée, chartered accountant. Three collectors animated by the same desire, to make known the Battle of the hedges, major event of the Second World War which marked so much their department and to pay homage to those who fought courageously to deliver the Manche dpt from the German yoke, military as well as civil.

A personal historical heritage at the service of visitors

Patrick Fissot and Nicolas Bellée are already great collectors when they join forces for this great museum project. Their respective personal collections are impressive and between 2004 and 2014, they put together a few large temporary exhibitions that earned them recognition from the community and the public. Building on these successes, they began to mature a museum project in 2015.

In 2016, they were joined by Christophe Beaussire, entrepreneur, and also a passionate collector of military vehicles. He owns a building in the town of Catz (Carentan-les-marais) which will be the ideal place to install the collections of the three men and make them available to a large public.

The Normandy Victory Museum is therefore a private museum that operates without public funding

… 2017

Inauguration of the Normandy Victory Museum in the presence of General Poppas

On May 19, 2017 after long months of effort, the museum opens to the public and it is on June 02, 2017 that the inauguration of the Normandy Victory Museum will take place in the presence of General Poppas, commander of the 101st American Airborne Division. A presence rich in symbolism as we know the importance of this airborne division which liberated the city of Carentan in June 44.

… 2018, 2019

The museum seems to have won over its visitors

The work and the passion of a whole team paid off and the figures show a public conquered by the theme of the museum and the way of presenting this important period of the local history during the Second World War.

• 2017: 10,000 visitors
• 2018: nearly 20,000 visitors
• 2019: nearly 30,000 visitors, including a growing number of schoolchildren.

… 2020

A sudden standstill and a battle to face

This beginning of 2020, will have shown us how fragile man is and how great he can be in adversity. The Covid crisis was an ordeal such as our generation and that of our children have never known. It allowed us to touch a small part of what our elders experienced during the Second World War and forbade us to give up.

That year, the museum was not able to reopen as planned at the end of March, but we continued to work: improvement of the museum’s scenes, development of the exteriors, enrichment of our collections, postponement of conferences, organization of virtual ceremonies such as “Les clochers de la Liberté” (The bells of Freedom) or “The June 6 Drive”.

We also redesigned the website and set up an online reservation system that allowed us to welcome the public as soon as we were authorized. Unfortunately, the health situation forced us to close again and reduce our team, but we continued to prepare for the reopening: this time redesigning our e-commerce site (so you can find all the products sold in the shop online), fitting out and decorating the museum entrance, and finishing off the Greenfield room, which is designed to host cultural events and professional and private meetings.

… 2021

Welcoming back our visitors

On our side, projects continued to bloom. The store has been redesigned. The Greenfield Room was completed and since then, it has been used for a variety of business and private events.

Portraits of Veterans” exhibition

This exhibition by Florent Plana, tour guide and author of nearly 900 interviews with World War II veterans, was set up in 2021. In addition to the photo portraits and written testimonials, there are now videos installed in various places in the museum. In addition, Florent regularly travels to the United States to interview other veterans and “bring them in” to the Normandy Victory Museum

Florent Plana website : WW2 Veteran’s Memories

Figures :

In 2020/2021: despite the crisis, visitor numbers have held up thanks to French and some European tourists, and we’d like to thank them for that.

… 2022

The museum celebrates its fifth anniversary

The museum has evolved a lot since 2017 and the constantly increasing number of visitors and their enthusiastic reviews show us that we have been able to meet your expectations and confirm to us that it is necessary to always improve and surprise our visitors. That is why in 2022 we have installed two new scenographies.

An authentic landing barge and a testimonial film

It’s a big and audacious job to bring an authentic landing barge into our little museum! But it has entered and is now integrated into the tour. Walkers are invited to go inside and then to sit down to watch a few minutes of film made especially for the museum. In an original format, mixing archive images and animations, we discover the testimony of Bill Parker, one of the first soldiers to have landed at Omaha Beach. A realization that makes the film accessible to all spectators.

A P-47 Thunderbolt, in the museum

It was part of the recognizable elements of the museum. the P-47 which was parked outside, also entered the museum. It was actually a life-size model, made by an artist, Patrik Letouzé, and we were worried about its conservation. That’s why we installed it indoors, protected from the elements. From now on, the P-47 is highlighted in a crash scene in the middle of the Normandy countryside. This painting was created by several members of the museum’s team who were able to stage it with subtlety and respect for historical details.

Roll-out of free smartphone visitor application

The entire course can now be followed on a smartphone. Each scene has a Qr code that you just have to flash to read or listen to the description in different languages. The application also offers additional content for the most curious of our visitors and some small games to entertain the youngest.

Easy to use: the visitor just has to scan a Qr code which leads him directly to the application then he is guided. Headphones are recommended for listening to audio notes.

A new activity: historical tours in a Second World War vehicle

Florent Plana (WWII Veteran’s Memories) is once again working with the museum, offering two guided tours around the museum (bookable on his website).

The first tour, ‘In the footsteps of the 9th Air Force’, takes visitors in small groups in a vintage military vehicle (Dodge WC 51) to the A10 Airfield for a 40-minute guided tour. The second tour, ‘In the track of the 101st Airborne’, follows in the footsteps of the 101st Airborne around Carentan on a 1h15 guided tour.

Figures :

2022 saw a return to pre-Covid attendance levels. A great relief for everyone.

… 2023

A new decoration for the “Liberated Avranches” scenography

Our decorator, Frédéric Rauline, created a dummy facade entirely by hand representing a typical building in La Manche during the Second World War. We have integrated authentic elements collected in the field by our historian Patrick Fissot.

Visitor app now in six languages

The tour application is now available in six languages: French, English, Dutch, German, Italian and Spanish. Audio content is available in French and English (other languages coming soon).

“Jean Gabin, la guerre c’est pas du cinéma”. An exceptional exhibition that we were proud to host from 1 April 2023 to 20 May 2024.

An exhibition recounting the incredible career and commitment of the icon of French cinema, Jean Gabin, during the Second World War. Dozens of personal items were on display, along with previously unpublished photos and archives, as well as a tank like the one he led. The exhibition was punctuated by a number of events, including a visit from Jean Gabin’s son, Mathias Moncorgé. Find out more about the Jean Gabin exhibition here.

Figures :

By 2023, the museum had reached cruising speed, and we were close to 40,000 visitors. But there’s no question of resting on these encouraging figures! A big year was in store to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

… 2024

A long-awaited embellishment: the new façade of the Normandy Victory Museum

Improving the museum’s exterior had become essential to encourage visitors to step inside a museum they often tended to overlook. Just a few weeks before the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, a new façade was installed. This majestic entrance has been a favorite with visitors ever since.

An ever-improving visitor experience!

Inside, our team has been hard at work, led by our historical specialist Patrick Fissot, creating new scenes to further enhance the tour.

A great turnout for the 80th anniversary of the Landings!

Attendance records were broken all over the region, and the Normandy Victory Museum was delighted to welcome so many visitors.

Figures :

In 2024, almost 60,000 visitors came to discover the museum. This figure was boosted by the return of foreign visitors, particularly from the USA, but also from Europe, thanks to major events such as the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. (The website recorded a record 87,000 unique visitors).

Encouraged by these figures and the positive feedback from our visitors, the museum team is continuing to improve its museum itinerary and come up with new activities for our visitors.

… 2025

Improvements continue

After a complete facelift, the exteriors now benefit from an embellishment. Embankments have been built and plantings installed to enhance the site, make it more attractive and recall the museum’s theme: the battle of the hedgerows.

A new exhibition

From February 8 to November 2, 2025, the museum will be hosting a high-quality exhibition. “Intoxiquée ! La jeunesse sous la botte nazie” (Intoxicated! Youth under the Nazi boot) is a traveling exhibition organized by the Alsace-Moselle Memorial in Schirmeck. We are presenting the 40 panels as well as many other items: floats, costumes, archives, objects, etc. on loan from the museum and several partners. Find out more on this page.

Our team

The founders: Patrick FISSOT, Christophe BEAUSSIRE, Nicolas BELLEE

• Godefroy BEAUSSIRE (Director of the museum)
• Aurélien BAUDOUIN (Cultural projects manager and shop manager)
• Lucie Vimond (Reception agent and shop manager)
• Jonathan VIGNERON (Reception agent)
• Cécile JEANNE (Website creation and management, digital and print projects)
• And our interns and seasonal workers.