FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 2, 2006

City officials tour construction at National World War I Museum

The doors to the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial will open to the public in December and reveal its collection of more than 49,000 artifacts and the latest in interactive technology that will tell the story of the war through the experiences of those who lived it.

City of Kansas City, Mo., representatives Councilwoman Bonnie Sue Cooper, 2nd District at large; Councilman John Fairfield, 2nd District; Councilman George Blackwood, 4th District; Councilman Jim Glover, 4th District at large; Councilman Chuck Eddy, 6th District; City Manager Wayne A. Cauthen and City staff on Tuesday saw recent construction progress that has been made on the National World War I Museum expansion.

"This is a complex project with many more design and building partners than usual," Cauthen said. "It is exciting to get a preview of the museum that will become a world-class attraction."

The first two phases of the restoration and construction, which have already been completed, dealt primarily with structural renovation and replacement of the dilapidated deck formation surrounding the monument.

Construction on the museum is in its third and final phase. This phase includes building the 30,000-square-foot core exhibit and 20,000-square-foot research center and archives, which are being built directly beneath the existing Liberty Memorial. In mid-July, the 80-foot-long Trench War Exhibit, one of the most dramatic pieces in the museum, was delivered and installation began.

The museum was officially designated the National World War I Museum by the United States Congress in 2004. That same year, Kansas Citians approved a bond issue to help renovate this world-class museum. The City and the Liberty Memorial Association have committed $20 million and $6.6 million, respectively, to the museum improvements. Kansas City's portion was designated through general obligation bonds.

The museum's designer is Ralph Appelbaum Associates, considered by many industry experts as the premier museum and exhibit designer in the world today. At the newly renovated museum, visitors will cross a glass bridge from the lobby to the main exhibit hall, where they will pass over a field of 9,000 red poppies, each one representing 1,000 military fatalities during World War I. Once inside the main exhibit hall, visitors will find high-tech exhibits that will provide them with an interactive and educational experience.

One such feature is the Portrait Wall, which will portray the personal sacrifices of those who served in World War I. An interactive video portrait gallery will enable visitors to explore databases to learn more about these people. Another highlight is the dramatic wide-screen Horizon Theater, which will show America on the threshold of war, and will give visitors an opportunity to experience what that meant at the time. This presentation is integrated with the Field Tableau, a full-scale depiction of "No Man's Land" and what Americans going to war were to face.

The Capital Improvements Management Office is the program manager for the third phase of the museum renovation and works in conjunction with both the Liberty Memorial Association and the City's Parks and Recreation Department.