A ceremony was held Dec. 2 celebrated the opening of the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial. Local, national and international dignitaries addressed those who attended the ceremony. As final remarks were made and the doors were opened to the public for the first time since completion of the third and final phase of renovation, white doves were released.

A glass-floored bridge, beneath which are 9,000 poppies – each representing 1,000 military fatalities, leads visitors to the exhibits. What follows is an interactive museum experience including more than 49,000 artifacts. Interactive technology helps tell the story of the war through firsthand accounts.

The City’s Capital Improvements Management Office managed the design-build project under the guidance of the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, the Liberty Memorial Association Board, and Ralph Applebaum Associates. The completion of the facility was managed with ASAI Architects and Turner Construction.