The Utah Beach Landing Museum offers an immersive and captivating experience, capturing the scale of Operation Overlord. Located on the Normandy beach where the American forces landed, it’s packed with treasures. You’ll discover an impressive collection of authentic objects, military vehicles and soldiers’ personal effects.
In this article, you’ll find some useful tips to help you prepare for your visit and have a wonderful time!
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Why visit the Utah Beach Landing Museum?
Is the Landing Museum worth it? Our opinion:
Absolutely! This museum offers a rich, immersive experience. It provides a better understanding of the scale and importance of Operation Overlord. It’s a place where history comes alive and where the memory of the events of 1944 is honored in a remarkable way.
It’s one of the best things to do around Utah Beach!
As we explored the various spaces, we were particularly impressed by the quality and diversity of the objects on display. From authentic military vehicles to soldiers’ weapons, uniforms and personal items, each piece tells a story. It gave us a better understanding of the historical context, military strategies and atmosphere of the time.
Finally, the museum’s location, on the very beach where the American forces landed, lends a unique authenticity and emotional depth. As we walked through the grounds, we felt a deep respect for the soldiers and gratitude for their courage.
Our favorite moments
We really enjoyed visiting this museum. Some of our most memorable moments:
- The discovery of the B-26 Marauder model G aircraft. One of the museum’s masterpieces. It is virtually identical to the one piloted by Major David Dewhurst. It testifies to the importance of aviation in the success of D-Day.
- We were also moved to see the personal objects that belonged to the soldiers.
- We really enjoyed understanding the different strategies and operations of Overlord through illustrated maps and veterans’ accounts. This has given us a better understanding of the details of this important episode in history.
History in brief
We learned that the Utah Beach Landing Museum was inaugurated in 1962 in the small Normandy commune of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. Its aim is to commemorate one of the key sites of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The museum is located on the very beach where the American forces landed, making it a highly symbolic and moving place.
The initiative to create this museum came from Michel de Vallavieille, mayor of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. We discovered that his father, Raymond de Vallavieille, was seriously wounded during the German occupation. Michel de Vallavieille wanted to pay tribute to the American soldiers and perpetuate the memory of the events that took place on this beach.
The 80th anniversary of D-Day is a great opportunity to visit this museum!
STAYING NEAR THE D-Day beaches
Option 1: Bayeux
The most practical option, in our opinion, is to base ourselves in the town of Bayeux. We recommend..:
- Hotel Domaine de Bayeux in an 18th century mansion – see prices, photos and availability
- see all top rated accommodations in Bayeux
Option 2: in the countryside
In the countryside around the D-Day beaches, you will find beautiful buildings with a lot of charm: farms, manors…
- Hotel Domaine d’Utah Beach – prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Ferme de la Rançonnière – prices, pictures and availability
Option 3: next to one of the beaches
If you’re looking for a seaside holiday or are fascinated by one of the beaches, you can choose a more specific hotel:
- Hotel Villas d’Arromanches in Gold Beach Beach – prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel La Sapinière in Omaha Beach Beach – prices, pictures and availability
Access and map: Musée du Débarquement, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont
Where is the Utah Beach Landing Museum?
- In the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont
- Driving time from Valognes: 30min
- Driving time from Cherbourg: 40min
- Driving time from Bayeux: 45min
Here is a map to help you find your way:
How to get there?
From Utah Beach, you can easily walk to the museum in less than 5 minutes. Access is easy, it’s all flat.
On the other hand, if you’re coming from further afield, the easiest way to reach the museum is by car.
- By train: the nearest railway station is Carentan. It’s a 20-minute drive to the museum.
- By bus: the local bus network around the museum is poorly developed, and the nearest public transport stops are several dozen minutes’ walk from the museum.
- By car: to get to the museum, you’ll have to drive through the countryside and small villages, but you shouldn’t expect any particular difficulties.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Parking
Free parking is available close to the museum.
Useful tips: duration, schedules, eating…
Best time to visit
For a quiet visit, we advise you to avoid the busy summer vacation season. Prefer a visit in the morning, if possible on a weekday, to get a head start on the exhibition and take the time to discover it in a quiet setting.
Length of visit and main difficulties
We didn’t notice any particular difficulties during our visit, apart from the stairs. The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility and has elevators. Only a few outdoor locations are not.
Please note that the museum is accessible to people with motor, hearing, mental and visual disabilities. If you wish to collect a wheelchair, please go to reception.
Advice on how to visit
Visiting directions are indicated in the museum and on the map. Let yourself be transported through the different spaces as the events are recounted.
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Visiting with children
We didn’t see any elements dedicated to young audiences in the exhibition. However, if you’d like to visit the museum with your children, feel free to download one of the educational booklets here. Made available by the museum, they help children of all ages to better understand the Normandy Landings through quizzes, questions and more.
Schedules and rates
The museum is open all year round at the following times:
- October to April: 10 am – 6 pm
- May to September: 9.30am – 7pm
Admission is €9 for adults and €5.50 for children aged 6 to 15.
Find out more here.
Guided tours
Guided tours lasting 45 minutes are available. If you choose this option, expect to pay an additional €2.50 on top of your ticket price.
Catering
It’s not possible to eat inside the museum, and the nearest major cities are more than 45 minutes away. Here are a few tables near the museum:
- Domaine Utah Beach – Chez Arsène, 6min drive,
- Chez Jeanne, 15min drive,
- Le Bistrot 44, 15 minutes by car.
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Start of the tour: Normandy under the Occupation
During our visit, we learned more about the living conditions of the Normans during the occupation. Requisitions, deprivations, intimidation and executions punctuated the 4 years following the arrival of the Germans in the region on June 18, 1940. Residents were also forced to accommodate enemy troops while putting on a brave face.
We observed ration coupons for food, textiles, heating fuel and shoes. We believe they are an excellent testimony to the living conditions of the population during the years of occupation.
At the same time, Jews were being mistreated in the camps, and we discovered one of the fruits of this horror in the exhibition. Warm boots worn by some German soldiers. Their felt was often made from human hair taken from the millions of Jews murdered in the extermination camps.
We also discovered newspapers announcing the entry into the war of the Allied armies, particularly the Americans. We understood just how much these announcements could bring incredible hope to French people struggling to cope with the occupation and its living conditions.
The resistance
Throughout the exhibition, we learned how hope for the end of the war, combined with hatred of the occupying forces, encouraged the development of resistance. We learned that due to the lack of relief in the Normandy region, the Cotentin resistance network specialized in passive operations. Particularly in intelligence.
Thanks to the clandestine radio on display in the museum, for example, we were able to see how the Resistance carried out espionage and information-gathering missions. Behind-the-scenes work that helped the Allies prepare for D-Day.
Understanding Allied strategy
The exhibition taught us that Allied plans called for 2 key objectives to guarantee the success of the operation: taking Caen – an essential communications axis – on the first day of the landings. And Cherbourg with its port, as soon as possible.
Then there are the 5 D-Day beaches you’re probably familiar with: Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword and Utah Beach. We liked the maps on display in the museum, which helped us to better understand and visualize Operation Overlord.
In all, the operation comprised 5 assault divisions and 3 airborne divisions. This represents thousands of aircraft, 4,500 ships and no less than 150,000 men. This made the Normandy Landing the largest amphibious operation in history.
We learned that naval units numbering several thousand ships played a leading role in the D-Day landings. As the exhibition progressed, we discovered what is known as the U Force. It provided for the coordination of at least 11 Allied countries. We were impressed by the sheer numbers involved: 865 ships responsible for bringing over 20,000 men to the Normandy coast on Day 1.
During your visit, you’ll notice that the cards on display to illustrate the strategies are very well done. They helped us understand in detail the strategy of Operation Overlord.
The museum displays models of some of the 865 different types of ship used in the operation. For example, we discovered the MTB n°96 fast torpedo boat of the Free French Naval Forces (FNFL).
We really enjoyed looking at the model ships. You’ll notice that they’re very detailed. This enabled us to better project ourselves into the events of D-Day.
Here, for example, is a reproduction of one of the 2 “Liberty Ships” that survived the war. This ship was tasked with bringing supplies to the beaches of Normandy.
The air force
The exhibition also taught us about the importance of the air force in Operation Overlord. They helped make the D-Day landings a success. Indeed, the museum points out that the Allies took advantage of their air superiority against German forces on D-Day.
During your visit, you’ll discover the portraits of servicemen who distinguished themselves in the skies over Normandy. For example, we discovered the story of American Major David Dewhurst. Piloting a B-26 aircraft, he contributed to the liberation thanks to a judiciously executed operation. At this point in the visit, we realized that victory was the fruit of multiple successes accumulated by the different crews.
We found it very interesting to be able to observe, decades later, the bomb labels dropped by B-26 aircraft. It also makes us realize the violence that must have befallen the Normandy coast on D-Day.
Don’t miss one of the museum’s highlights: a B-26 Marauder G model. The one on display is virtually identical to those used by the US 9th Army during the bombing of Utah Beach.
We discovered that the aircraft had been repainted in the colors and insignia of the 553rd Bombardment Squadron. This is one of the four units of the 386th Bombardment Group to which Major David H. Dewhurst belonged. Dewhurst, mentioned above. We enjoyed observing the details of the plane. For example, the number on the daggerboard, corresponding to the major’s serial number.
Ground forces
The visit showed us the conditions under which soldiers trained and fought on D-Day. We learned, for example, how difficult it was for the Germans to cross the flooded marshes behind the dunes. We enjoyed observing the equipment soldiers used to resist enemy attacks. This gas mask, for example, provided protection against possible chemical weapons.
We also enjoyed discovering the different types of vehicles that enable Allied forces to move around the territory more efficiently.
D-Day, June 6, 1944
The reason we enjoyed our visit to the D-Day Museum was the ease with which we were able to understand the events. Indeed, many elements are explained visually, and D-Day is no exception. The anti-tank wall behind which the soldiers took shelter just 30 minutes after the start of operations is recreated in the exhibition.
We also found the accounts of former soldiers recounting their experiences of D-Day and the bombings poignant. This kind of testimony helps us to remember and honor the memory of those who fell for Freedom.
The tour will also give you an insight into key battles such as the Battle of Brécourt. This is mapped and explained with photos and soldier portraits. This has given us a better understanding of this highly significant episode. It facilitated the landing and, in particular, the advance of the troops inland.
End of visit: remembering the soldiers who died for the Liberation
The duty of remembrance also means remembering that the soldiers who distinguished themselves in battle were first and foremost men with families, passions, friends and so on. The personal effects on display helped us to feel closer to the protagonists of this great battle.
We looked at vinyl, baseball equipment, chocolate bars, magazines… So many things to escape the daily grind of war.
We came away from the visit with a better understanding of what was at stake at this key moment in our history. We also feel we’re now better able to honor our duty of remembrance, having gained a better understanding of the issues and illustrious figures involved in the D-Day landings, as the visit progressed. If you’d like to remember the soldiers who fell during Operation Overlord, why not visit one of the main D-Day cemeteries?
Frequently asked questions
Where does the name Utah Beach come from?
Utah Beach, one of the Normandy landing beaches on June 6, 1944. Its name comes from the code names assigned by the Allies to the Normandy beaches where Operation Overlord took place. Utah Beach was named after the U.S. state of Utah, following a convention of naming U.S. beaches after U.S. states.
What is the name of the 5 D-Day landing beaches?
The 5 Normandy landing beaches on June 6, 1944 are:
Each of these beaches was assigned to specific Allied forces: Utah and Omaha to the Americans, Gold and Sword to the British, and Juno to the Canadians.
What else can you see near the Utah Beach Landing Museum?
For a complete immersion in the history of D-Day, you can visit the beach and memorial at Utah Beach. We also liked theAirborne Museum and the Azeville Battery.
To find out more, read our article What to do in Utah Beach: our 9 ideas!
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Normandy
Inspiration destinations
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Practice
- Where to stay in Normandy – best places and hotels
- See our tips for renting a car at CDG airport, Orly airport, Beauvais airport, Caen, Rouen, Bayeux…
SHE MADE THE TRIP Claire
