Airborne Museum Sainte-Mere-Eglise

The Airborne Museum is located in Sainte-Mère-Église and focuses on the American paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions who were dropped into Normandy during Operation Overlord. It stands directly across from the Church of Sainte-Mère-Église, where paratrooper John Steele famously became caught on the steeple during the night of June 5 to 6, 1944, an event portrayed in the film The Longest Day. The museum provides valuable context for understanding the early airborne operations and the liberation of one of the first towns secured during the D-Day landings.

The museum houses a collection of over 4,500 World War II artifacts, with an emphasis on equipment, uniforms, and personal items used by paratroopers and German forces during the Normandy campaign. Key exhibits include a restored Waco CG-4A glider, the Douglas C-47 transport aircraft Argonia, and more than 100 mannequins dressed in period uniforms.

A 25-minute film provides historical background on the preparations for D-Day and the liberation of Sainte-Mère-Église. The museum combines traditional displays with multimedia elements, aiming to give visitors insight into the experiences of airborne troops during the early stages of the Normandy invasion.

As the museum is located in the centre of Sainte-Mère-Église, visitors can also explore the historic town square, where remnants of the fighting can still be seen today. Metal bars with bullet damage remain in place, and the town features several information panels with historic photos that show how the area looked during and after the landings. These displays offer additional context and make the museum visit part of a broader exploration of the town’s wartime history.