Airborne Museum

Located in the heart of Sainte-Mère-Église, the Airborne Museum offers an immersive experience into the events of D-Day, focusing on the American paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Through five modern, interactive buildings, visitors can board a replica C-47 Skytrain and a WACO glider, view authentic military equipment, and engage with realistic reconstructions of the Normandy landings. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and events throughout the year, providing a comprehensive understanding of the airborne operations during World War II.

Planning your visit

Sainte-Mere-Eglise was the first town in France liberated on D-Day, and it is famous for one image: John Steele, a paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne whose parachute snagged on the church steeple, leaving him hanging above the fighting in the square. A dummy and parachute still hang there.

The Airborne Museum, opened in 1964, covers the American airborne operations of 5 and 6 June 1944 across five buildings. Visitors board a genuine C-47 Skytrain — the aircraft that carried the paratroopers — and a WACO glider, both displayed with full interiors. Operation Neptune puts visitors inside a recreated night drop, moving from the aircraft through the hedgerows into the town.

The airborne divisions dropped in darkness, scattered widely, and fought in small improvised groups for days, which the museum conveys well.

It sits inland from Utah Beach, and combines with the beaches and cemeteries.

Bookable options are admission tickets. Current availability is listed below.