As it prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary in June, the National WWII Museum is expanding its downtown New Orleans campus yet again, officially breaking ground on Tuesday for a new facility that will be used to design and create new exhibits and host educational events.
The Floyd Education and Collections Pavilion, as the two-story complex is known, will be located at 1042-60 Magazine St. next to the museum’s new archives and research center at the intersection of Magazine and Poeyfarre streets, museum leaders said.
Unlike other recent expansions, the Floyd Pavilion will not house exhibits for public viewing. Rather, it will be used as a workspace, where museum staff can design and create exhibits. It will also be used to store the museum’s ever-growing collection of artifacts, including tanks, jeeps and other large vehicles.
“As the Museum enters the next chapter in its history, the Floyd Pavilion will ensure this history is kept alive, relevant and accessible for learners of all ages and backgrounds,” said Stephen J. Watson, president and CEO of the museum.
The total cost of the 34,000-square-foot building is $12 million and was made possible through a $7.5 million gift from Timber and Peggy Floyd, longtime supporters of the museum.
The second floor of the new pavilion, called the Sanderson Leadership Center, will be used to host seminars and leadership training sessions that the museum will offer to corporate and nonprofit executives, civic and military leaders, and students and educators.
The educational programs will be designed around events and lessons of World War II and the training rooms will be custom-built, “immersive” spaces that will enable participants to experience the themes they are exploring.
“We are deeply grateful to the Floyds for their generosity and commitment to educating future generations about the history of World War II,” said Watson. “This gift will have a significant impact as our institution strives to teach and inspire new audiences.”
Continued Growth
Tuesday’s groundbreaking comes as the National World War II Museum prepares to mark a quarter of a century in operation and has expanded across several Warehouse District buildings to create a campus of exhibitions, research, restaurants and a hotel.
Initially known as the D-Day Museum, the facility opened on June 6, 2000 and was the brainchild of historians Nick Mueller and Stephen Ambrose. It was rechristened the National WWII Museum by an Act of Congress in 2004.
More than two decades and $420 million later, the museum has grown into one of New Orleans’ most popular tourist attractions, with more than 780,000 visitors a year.
The six-acre campus includes seven pavilions, each covering different aspects of the global conflict. These include the Liberation Pavilion, which deals with the end of the war and the Holocaust; the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, covering the home front; Campaigns of Courage, with over 19,000 square feet of space showing the jungles, beaches and mountains where battles were fought; and the Hall of Democracy, focusing on education.
The Floyd Pavilion is the latest of several facilities and exhibits made possible by Timber and Peggy Floyd, whose support of the museum began in 2015, when the couple purchased a commemorative brick in honor of Peggy Floyd’s father, Nicholas Dragisic, Sr., who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during the war.
“I am overjoyed at this opportunity to support the growth of The National WWII Museum’s crucial educational mission and help increase access to its indispensable programs and exhibits,” said Peggy Floyd.
Timber Floyd’s father, Jay Floyd, and four uncles also served in World War II.
Since their first gift, the Floyds have supported the annual Family and Military Appreciation Block Party; the newly reimagined “Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II” special exhibition; and the installation of 473 commemorative pavers on the Museum’s Col. Battle Barksdale Parade Ground as a permanent tribute to World War II’s Medal of Honor recipients.
© 2025 The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate.
Visit www.nola.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
© Copyright 2025 The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.