National Museum of the Pacific War facts for kids
 |
|
Admiral Nimitz Museum
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | February 24, 1969 |
|---|---|
| Location | 340 East Austin Street Fredericksburg, Texas United States |
| Type | Maritime museum |
The National Museum of the Pacific War is located in Fredericksburg, Texas. This town was the childhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He was a very important leader during World War II. Admiral Nimitz was in charge of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
The museum is built on six acres of land. It includes the Admiral Nimitz Museum. This part of the museum is inside the old Nimitz Hotel. It shares the story of Admiral Nimitz's life, from his early years to his amazing naval career. It also tells about the history of the old hotel itself.
Contents
The Nimitz Hotel's Story
Charles Henry Nimitz was the grandfather of Admiral Chester Nimitz. He was a German merchant sailor, born in Bremen, Germany. In 1844, he moved to the United States. He settled in Fredericksburg in 1846 with the first people who lived there.
In 1848, Charles Nimitz married Sophie Dorothea Mueller. They had twelve children, and nine of them grew up. Charles Nimitz built the Nimitz Hotel in 1852. In 1906, he gave the hotel to his son, Charles H. Nimitz, Jr.
People in town called it the Steamboat Hotel. This was because its front looked like the bow of a ship. The hotel had its own saloon and a place to make beer. It also had a ballroom that was used as a theater. There was a smokehouse and a bath-house too. Many famous people stayed at the hotel. These included Horace Greeley, Johnny Ringo, President Rutherford B. Hayes, General Robert E. Lee, and General Ulysses S. Grant.
Admiral Chester William Nimitz was born on February 24, 1885. His father, Chester Bernard Nimitz, passed away before he was born. His grandfather, Charles, was like a father to him for his first five years. In 1890, his mother married his father's brother, William Nimitz. They moved to Kerrville.
When Chester was a teenager, he got into the United States Naval Academy. He finished seventh in his class. Chester Nimitz became the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Forces in World War II. Fleet Admiral Nimitz passed away on February 20, 1966. The Nimitz Hotel was recognized as an important historical place in 1989.
Exploring the Museum
The Admiral Nimitz Foundation started in 1964. Its goal was to create a museum honoring Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He was a hero from Fredericksburg.
The hotel owned by Nimitz's grandfather was made to look like it did originally. In 1968, the Texas government officially named it the Admiral Nimitz Museum. At first, the museum was only about Admiral Nimitz.
In 2000, the whole place was renamed the Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site – National Museum of the Pacific War. Now, it focuses only on the battles of World War II in the Pacific Ocean. You can see parts of the USS Pintado (SS-387) submarine at the main museum entrance.
Pacific Combat Zone
The Pacific Combat Zone is a special area. It looks like a battlefield on a Pacific island. You can see a Quonset Hut, a PT boat, and a Japanese tank. There are also palm trees and machine gun spots. The museum holds "Living History" events here throughout the year. During these events, people act out scenes from the war.
The Veterans' Walk of Honor and Memorial Wall are in the Memorial Courtyard. The Quonset Hut in the Pacific Combat Zone is now used for the museum's STEAM Lab. This lab helps kids learn about science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
Japanese Garden of Peace
On May 8, 1976, the Japanese government gave the museum a special gift. It was the Japanese Garden of Peace. This was to celebrate Fredericksburg's 130th birthday. The garden was designed by Taketora Saita. It is a copy of the private garden of Gensui The Marquis Tōgō. He was a main Japanese Navy commander in the Russo-Japanese War. Admiral Nimitz really admired Marquis Tōgō. He had even helped create a memorial for the Japanese admiral before.
Plaza of the Presidents
The outdoor Plaza of the Presidents was opened on September 2, 1995. This was 50 years after Admiral Nimitz accepted Japan's surrender. This happened on the USS Missouri (BB-63) battleship. The plaza honors ten United States Presidents who served during World War II. These include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. It also includes John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.
George H.W. Bush Gallery
George H. W. Bush opened the $3 million gallery named after him in 1991. This gallery has a Japanese midget submarine. This submarine was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. You can also see a Japanese "Rex" floatplane and an American North American B-25 Mitchell bomber. The land for the Bush Gallery was bought in 1991. Money for the gallery was raised privately.
Former President George H. W. Bush said that his "terrifying experiences" in the war helped him grow up. He often wondered why he survived when others did not.
On December 7, 2009, the museum had a big event. It was the Grand Reopening of the George H. W. Bush Gallery. The second floor now holds the Nimitz Education and Research Center. Former President George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush were there. Texas Governor Rick Perry also helped cut the ribbon. Many survivors of the Attack on Pearl Harbor attended. About 5,000 people came to the ceremony.
The museum is also home to the PT boat PT-309. Your admission ticket lets you visit both museums.
See also
- Imperial War Museum – London, England
- Marine Corps War Memorial – Arlington County, Virginia
- Museum of La Coupole – German-built V-2 launch site in Pas-de-Calais, France
- Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression – Beijing, China
- Museum of The History of Ukraine in World War II – Kiev, Ukraine
- Museum of World War II – Natick, Massachusetts (Closed in September 2019)
- Museum of the Great Patriotic War – Poklonnaya Gora, Moscow, Russia
- Museum of the Second World War – Gdańsk, Poland
- National D-Day Memorial – Bedford, Virginia
- National World War I Museum – Kansas City, Missouri
- National World War II Memorial – National Mall, Washington, DC
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – National Mall, Washington, DC
- American Heritage Museum – Stow, Massachusetts
- The National WWII Museum – New Orleans, Louisiana
- List of museums in Central Texas
- List of Texas state historic sites
- List of maritime museums in the United States
