While the National World War II Museum is in the midst of a $300 million expansion, it only has enough exhibit space to display some two percent of its 100,000 artifacts. The rest are being stored or restored (largely by volunteers) in the museum’s warehouses. Fortunately, the museum realized how fascinated the public would be with its hidden trove; its most popular tour now is its “Behind the Lines” warehouse walk. For more information on the tour and the museum, visit the museum’s website. Meanwhile, for a sneak peek at the museum’s warehouses and storage closets, click the image to begin the slideshow.
For more behind-the-scenes photos from the National World War II museum, pick up the November/December issue of World War II.