Musée du débarquement Utah Beach
Museum built on the beach of the June 6, 1944 landing, with a ten-sequence route, a B-26 Marauder bomber and vehicles.
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About the museum
Utah Beach was the first beach attacked by the Allies on the morning of June 6, 1944; more than 23,000 American soldiers landed there during the day. The museum opened on June 6, 1962, on the initiative of Michel de Vallavieille, then mayor of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, who had gathered objects to pay tribute to the men of the landings.
The building was extended several times: an octagonal room for a model in 1964, a screening room in 1984, a panoramic room between the beach and the museum in 1994, and then a major renovation in 2011 with a hangar and a room for temporary exhibitions.
Today the 3,000 m² permanent exhibition follows ten sequences, from the German coastal defenses and the Occupation in the Cotentin to the Utah Beach artificial harbor and the advance towards Cherbourg. An authentic B-26 Marauder bomber is displayed in the hangar, and a documentary film retraces the operation. Several memorials stand around the museum.
Highlights
- Permanent route in ten sequences over 3,000 m²
- Authentic B-26 “Marauder” bomber in the hangar
- Film “La Plage de la Victoire”
- Memorials around the museum and access to the beach
- Collection of vehicles, equipment and testimonies
Permanent exhibition
- Exposition permanente en dix séquences – A chronological route covering the German coastal defenses, the Cotentin under the Occupation, the Allies’ strategy, D-Day at Utah Beach, naval, air and land forces, the link-up of the landing sectors, the advance towards Cherbourg and the artificial harbor.
- Founded
- 1962
- Visitors per year
- approx. 200,000 (2024)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €9Job seekers, teachers, military personnel, veterans, companions of people with disabilities, holders of the Pass Cotentin and certain partner rates |
| Children & teens | €6.50free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 15: €6.50; free for children under 6. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree for people with disabilities on presentation of proof; the companion receives the reduced rate. |
| Students & apprentices | €7.50 |
| Groups (20+ people) | €7.50 per personAdult groups; one free companion per 20 people; free bus driver. |
| Families | –Reduced children’s rate of €5.50 (ages 6–15) for families of two parents and three paying children. |
| Indoor guided tour of 45 minutes (supplement) | €2.50 |
| Indoor and outdoor guided tour of 1 hour 30 minutes (supplement) | €5 |
Also free for residents of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, group escorts, bus drivers, tourism professionals and WWII veterans. Tickets are booked online.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility; only a few outdoor areas are not. Tourisme et Handicap label for motor disabilities, two elevators, reserved parking spaces, and a wheelchair lent at reception (an ID document is kept during the visit).
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
School programs and workshops for pupils from CE2 to 3e; no detailed family offer is published.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gare de Carentan
Carentan SNCF station, the nearest, is 17 km away. The museum is on the Vélomaritime cycle route; a bike rental is in Carentan, 2 km from the station.
By car
Free parking
Free parking on site, on the right as you arrive.
- Accessible parking
From Caen: RN13 towards Cherbourg, then D913 to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, then 5 km to the beach. From Cherbourg: RN13 towards Caen, then D70 to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, then 5 km to the beach. EV charging point in Blosville (Total station, 11 km away), as well as in Carentan and Sainte-Mère-Église.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Restaurant
Independent restaurant on the site. Small dogs are welcome if carried in a bag.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Recommended visit duration: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Indoor guided tour of 45 minutes, or a 1 hour 30 minute visit including the monuments and the beach, in French and English, by reservation; individual visitors book by phone and pay on the day of the visit. School offer for grades CE2 to 3e, with workshops on building parachutes and making caps (calots). |
