A sandy coastline as far as the eye can see, the immensity of the sea in front of you and, strangely enough, a certain tranquility that is not without echoing what is supposed to have been the turmoil, noise and fury that broke out here 74 years ago. Here, it is Utah Beach, the name given by the Allies to the beach of the small town of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, the westernmost of those chosen for the landing on June 6, 1944. Emerging from the coastal dunes, the unmissable Utah Beach Landing Museum is undoubtedly the right place to better understand the importance of the events that led to the liberation of Europe. "Their sacrifice, our freedom": this is the slogan of the place, which sums up the goal here: memory, pedagogy, understanding. Opened in 1962, the Museum has never departed from its original rule, wanting to transmit history as completely as possible from the outset. And for 56 years, the bet has been largely met with 140,000 annual visitors
Utah: gateway to Cherbourg
The situation in Utah Beach is unique. Located on the east coast of the Cotentin, the beach was the nearest landing point to the deep-water port of Cherbourg, about 40 kilometres to the north. The importance of the latter for the landing of troops and equipment was vital. In the continuity of the other landing points, located further east, and a few kilometres from Sainte-Mère-Église, which was the site of the first parachutists, the place was of capital importance
Ten themes to better understand
The museography, in the main building, allows to go through each of the themes in chronological order. The German occupation in the region (which lasted no less than 1,457 days), but also the coastal defences - the latter being set up in a former Third Reich army blockhouse, in which a lieutenant named Jahnke lived - provided an opportunity to see the daily life on the spot at the time, as well as the gigantic defence infrastructures set up on the Norman coast. You will then enter a space dedicated to Allied strategy which, with the help of extensive explanatory maps, will detail the reasons that led the Allies, under the command of General Eisenhower, to choose Normandy to open the path to freedom. And then you are directly plunged into the turmoil of D-Day: if the first bombardments occur at night, it is at dawn that the first fighters arrive, after hours of waiting in barges, in the open sea, and one of the copies of which is presented in the Museum. It is here that the Museum's panoramic room allows you to have a breathtaking view of the beach, thus linking in a breathtaking way the events presented to you and the major place of the latter, which is open to you. The junction with the paratroopers who arrived a few hours earlier, then the details of the capture of the Cotentin, the Allies geographically cutting it in half at Barneville on the west coast, to better isolate the German defences of the port of Cherbourg and facilitate its capture, are also the subject of a space rich in explanations and documents
The artificial port of Utah
While the artificial port of Arromanches, located further east, is the most famous, probably because of the concrete caissons that remain, the one in Utah is well worth a tribute, which the Museum does not fail to pay. Indeed, it is here that decommissioned ships have been used as breakwaters. After the storm of June 19, 1944, it was the only one operational for several days and its importance was crucial. For a moment, one can easily imagine the immense traffic, with its tens of thousands of men, vehicles and equipment transiting through the beach of Utah
The story continues...
Among the thousands of individual stories, happy or tragic, that punctuated these decisive hours, some of them provided beautiful moments: for example, that of brothers David and Gene Dewhurst, son of American fighter David Dewhurst Jr., and of whom they discovered a photograph they did not know when visiting the place. Deeply affected, the two brothers helped to bring in a real B26 bomber, displayed in a glass extension of the Museum. And then the Utah-Beach D-Day Museum, there are also many temporary exhibitions, the screening of the film La plage de la victoire, guided tours that can include a guided walk on the beach, and many workshops for the youngest. It cannot be said enough: the Utah Beach D-Day Museum is the only one to cover, and in what way, the westernmost beach among those of the June 1944 operations. Here, silence has long since regained its rights and, in this immensity, this silence is like an echo of the tumult of liberation - of our liberation.
Smart info
When? When? Summer seems to be the right time to do so, but the other seasons are not lacking in charm, when the coast is deserted and the crowds are less crowded
Duration/Access. Allow 1h30 minimum for the visit, more if you go to the beach below. The Museum has the "tourism and disability" label, which allows it to welcome people with visual, mental, motor or hearing disabilities
Public. It is one of the assets of the place. The youngest ones are not forgotten, and the Museum, in addition to offering a museography adapted to all, offers workshops (making caps for example) in which the youngest are welcome.
History. The Museum was opened in 1962, with a first extension in 1964, a second in 1994 and a third in 2011.
The pluses. The totally preserved environment, which is exactly the same as that of 1944; the quality of the spaces; the accessibility via the RN13, less than ten kilometres away; the possibility of easily including a visit to the museum on a wider circuit
Getting there
Find your flight at the best price - Compare
Book your train tickets - Book
Rent your car at the best price - Compare
Useful
Open from 9:30 am to 7 pm from June to September, and from 10 am to 6 pm from October to May. Checkouts close one hour before the Museum closes.
Rates. Count 8 € per adult, 4€ per child from 6 to 15 years old, free for children under 6 years old, accompanying disabled people, WWII veterans, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont residents. Educational booklet for the youngest: 2 €. Full visit of the Museum and Utah Beach: 12 € per person, group rate: 10 € per person
Book your accommodation at the best conditions - Compare
Get a quote from a local agency for a custom trip - Request a quote
Find a cultural or sporting activity - Find
