Liberty Memorial Association

THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL (MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL) IS AMERICA'S LEADING INSTITUTION DEDICATED TO REMEMBERING, INTERPRETING, AND UNDERSTANDING THE GREAT WAR AND ITS ENDURING IMPACT ON THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL FULFILLS THIS MISSION BY: ESTABLISHING THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL AS THE FOREMOST INTERPRETER AND RESOURCE FOR INSIGHT INTO THE GREAT WAR AND ITS ENDURING IMPACT; PROVIDING FIRST-CLASS VISITOR AND VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE, AND DELIVERING INCREASINGLY ENGAGING AND ACCESSIBLE ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES; DEVELOPING AND ENRICHING PHILANTHROPIC RELATIONSHIPS AND PROGRAMS NECESSARY TO ENSURE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY; ESTABLISHING THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL AS A 'MUST-SEE' DESTINATION, AND SOURCE OF CIVIC PRIDE; AND ENGAGING AND INSPIRING KEY CONSTITUENTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE EXCELLENCE OF THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL.

MUSEUM & MEMORIAL OPERATIONS: SHORTLY AFTER WORLD WAR I ENDED, A GROUP OF KANSAS CITY LEADERS FORMED AN ASSOCIATION TO CREATE A LASTING MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO SERVED. IN 1919, A FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN RESULTED IN 83,000 RESIDENTS CONTRIBUTING $2.5 MILLION IN 10 DAYS (MORE THAN $35 MILLION IN CURRENT DOLLARS). IN 1921, A SITE DEDICATION FEATURED MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE FIVE MAJOR ALLIED COMMANDERS, THE FIRST TIME THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE IN THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME. FOLLOWING YEARS OF PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION, THE FACILITY OPENED IN 1926 TO A CROWD OF MORE THAN 150,000 PEOPLE, INCLUDING U.S. PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE. AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE LARGEST AUDIENCE A U.S. PRESIDENT HAD EVER ADDRESSED. AFTER DECADES OF UNADDRESSED DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, THE FACILITY TEMPORARILY CLOSED IN 1994. ONCE AGAIN, KANSAS CITY AREA RESIDENTS ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE AT THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE AND RAISED $102 MILLION FOR RENOVATIONS COUPLED WITH A MAJOR EXPANSION. AFTER ACHIEVING NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK STATUS AND DESIGNATION FROM CONGRESS AS AMERICA'S OFFICIAL WWI MUSEUM, THE EXPANDED FACILITY OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN DECEMBER 2006. CONGRESS ADDED A SECOND DESIGNATION IN 2014, EFFECTIVELY RENAMING THE ORGANIZATION THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL 50 STATES AND ALL SIX INHABITED CONTINENTS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE VISITED TO SEE THE WORLD'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE WORLD WAR I COLLECTION. AN INSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE, THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL IS KANSAS CITY'S GIFT TO THE WORLD. AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021, THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL EMPLOYS 39 FULL-TIME AND 8 PART-TIME STAFF. ADDITIONALLY, IN 2021 555 VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED OVER 57,026 HOURS OF SERVICE. VOLUNTEERS GREET GUESTS, PROVIDE EXPERT TOURS, PROVIDE GUIDANCE, SUPPORT SPECIAL PROJECTS, ASSIST WITH PROMOTION, ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS, AND HELP TO LEND A WARM, HUMAN DIMENSION TO MULTIFACETED STORIES OF WAR AND WORLD HISTORY. THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL RECEIVES FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SOURCES. DONORS INCLUDE A WIDE ARRAY OF INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS, AND FOUNDATIONS WHOSE SUPPORT HAS HELPED TO BUILD ENHANCED PROGRAMMING AND FUND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL. ADMISSIONS, FACILITY RENTALS, RETAIL, THE OVER THERE CAFE, AND OTHER INITIATIVES ARE ALSO SUCCESSFUL REVENUE GENERATING SOURCES. THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL IS PROUD TO BE RANKED BY NATIONAL SOURCES AS FOLLOWS:- AMONG THE TOP 12 MILITARY MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD BY CNN- AMONG THE TOP 5 MUSEUMS IN THE U.S. BY YELP- AMONG THE TOP 10 MILITARY MUSEUMS IN THE COUNTRY BY USA TODAY- AMONG THE TOP 25 MUSEUMS IN THE U.S. AND THE "NUMBER ONE ATTRACTION IN KANSAS CITY" BY TRIP ADVISORIN 2021, ATTENDANCE AT THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL, INCLUDING EVENTS HELD INSIDE THE MUSEUM AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING 47 ACRES WAS MORE THAN 580,000 (AN INCREASE OF 72% OVER FISCAL YEAR 2020), INCLUDING MORE THAN 173,000 PAID ADMISSIONS. IN 2021 GUESTS FROM 22 COUNTRIES AND ALL 50 STATES VISITED THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL. GLOBAL AUDIENCES FROM 51 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED LIVE IN DIGITAL FIELD TRIPS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING.

COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH: THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL IS THE NATION'S ONLY MUSEUM SOLELY DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE HISTORY AND EXAMINING THE EXPERIENCES OF THE GREAT WAR. THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL HOLDS THE WORLD'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF WORLD WAR I (1914-1919) OBJECTS, ARTIFACTS AND DOCUMENTS REPRESENTING EACH BELLIGERENT NATION THAT WAS INVOLVED. IT IS THE SECOND OLDEST COLLECTING INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD AND PRESENTS A COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL INTERPRETATION OF WORLD WAR I AND ITS ENDURING IMPACT.DURING THE CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION (2014-2019), THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL PARTNERED WITH KANSAS CITY'S FINEST CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL, AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GALLERIES AND INSTITUTIONS, TO BRING OUR PATRONS THE MOST ROBUST AND MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES TO DEPICT THE GREAT WAR AND ITS ERA. THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL HOLDS A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF MORE THAN 361,000 WORLD WAR I HISTORICAL OBJECTS AND ARTIFACTS, AND ACTIVE COLLECTING CONTINUES, WITH COLLECTION PRIORITIES RESPONDING TO IMMEDIATE RESEARCH AND EXHIBITION NEEDS, AS WELL AS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARISE. IN 2021, THE MUSEUM ACCEPTED 188 NEW ACCESSIONS INTO THE PERMANENT COLLECTION, EACH OF WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST ONE OBJECT, WITH SOME CONTAINING HUNDREDS OF OBJECTS. EXHIBITIONS OFFER INSIGHT ON THE BEGINNINGS OF THE WAR AND ITS GLOBAL NATURE-HOW AND WHY COUNTRIES WENT TO WAR, HOW ENTIRE SOCIETIES MOBILIZED, AND HOW THE WAR AFFECTED CIVILIANS AS WELL AS MILITARY PARTICIPANTS. THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL FEATURES SEVERAL TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS EVERY YEAR, AND ALSO PARTNERS WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS WITH EXHIBITION LOANS. 2021 EXHIBITIONS FEATURED: SNAPSHOTS, EMPIRES AT WAR: AUSTRIA AND RUSSIA, WAR REMAINS, VOTES & VOICES, WHY KEEP THAT?, 100 YEARS OF COLLECTING - ART, 100 YEARS OF COLLECTING AND SILK AND STEEL: FRENCH FASHION, WOMEN AND WWI.

GLOBAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES:FOR THE PAST DECADE, THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL HAS INITIATED A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES TO OPEN THE AVAILABILITY OF ITS RICH COLLECTION AND INTERPRETATION SKILLS TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE THROUGH ONLINE PLATFORMS. WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, IT WAS WELL PREPARED TO PIVOT AND EXPAND ITS OFFERINGS TO A GLOBAL DIGITAL AUDIENCE.THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL OFFERS A DIVERSE RANGE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS OPEN TO ALL AGES TO FORWARD OUR MISSION IN REMEMBERING, INTERPRETING AND UNDERSTANDING THE GREAT WAR AND ITS ENDURING IMPACT ON THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL HAS SEVERAL SIGNATURE SERIES THAT EXPLORE THE LEGACIES OF WWI IN DYNAMIC AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING WAYS INCLUDING ANNUAL SYMPOSIA, THE MRS. WILSON'S KNITTING CIRCLE PROGRAM AND THE PERSHING LECTURE SERIES. MANY PROGRAMS ARE PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE REGION AND COUNTRY'S VIBRANT CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS.PROGRAMS ARE CREATED TO EXAMINE MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES, EXPLORE BOTH HISTORIC AND PRESENT IMPACT AND ADDRESS DIVERSE AUDIENCES. COMMUNITY EVENTS ARE PROGRAMS BUILT TO HIGHLIGHT THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL'S UNIQUE SPACE AS "KANSAS CITY'S FRONT PORCH".FOR VIRTUAL LEARNERS, THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL PROVIDES A HOST OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WHICH INCLUDES DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS, WEBINARS, VIRTUAL TOURS, AND EDUCATIVE VIDEOS. THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO EXPAND CONTENT AND DIVERSIFY PLATFORMS, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIP WITH GOOGLE ARTS AND CULTURE TO MEET THE ONGOING NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF CORE AUDIENCES. PRIMARILY FEATURING RECORDINGS OF PUBLIC PROGRAM EVENTS, THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL YOUTUBE PAGE TRACKED MORE THAN 22.5 MILLION MINUTES WATCHED DURING 2021. ADDITIONALLY, THE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL LAUNCHED AN ONLINE COLLECTIONS DATABASE IN JULY OF 2013 WHICH ENGAGES LEARNERS AND RESEARCHERS OF ALL AGES THROUGH THE WEBSITE THEWORLDWAR.ORG. IN 2021, THE COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT DIGITIZED AND ADDED 3,492 RECORDS TO THE DATABASE, RAISING THE TOTAL TO MORE THAN 47,000 ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC ACCESS. THE SITE HAD 365,968 PAGEVIEWS IN 2021.