The National WWII Museum: Road to Berlin European Theater Galleries

In 2014, Solomon Group completed one of its most ambitious museum projects to date: the Road to Berlin: European Theater Galleries at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Spanning nearly 9,000 square feet within the Campaigns of Courage pavilion, the exhibit immerses visitors in the European front as the Allies advanced toward Berlin.

Immersive Storytelling Through Craft

Working alongside exhibition designers Gallagher & Associates, Solomon Group was tasked with translating bold creative concepts into fully realized environments. The result is a series of nine richly detailed galleries, each transporting visitors to a different stage of the European campaign — from the North African desert to the snow-covered Ardennes Forest.

The museum prioritized authenticity over simulation, and Solomon Group rose to the challenge. Our team poured a concrete bunker around gallery walls, burned timber to replicate post-invasion destruction, and even blew a hole through the roof of a Quonset hut to simulate bomb damage. Every detail — from aged brick behind bullet-riddled walls to frost-kissed trees on the Western Front — was meticulously fabricated to make history feel immediate and real.

Technology Meets History

Beyond scenic fabrication, Solomon Group provided A/V systems integration and exhibit lighting, merging technology with atmosphere. Highlights included:

• A multi-touch interactive table with four 55-inch monitors for group engagement

• A nine-screen integrated video wall for cinematic storytelling

• Atmospheric projections, such as bombers flying overhead when viewed through the Quonset hut’s “bomb hole”

• Multi-channel soundscapes and precisely focused exhibit lighting to replicate battlefield conditions

Lasting Impact

When the exhibit opened in December 2014, museum president Gordon “Nick” Mueller described it as “one of the most exciting moments in the long history of this museum.” Nearly a decade later, Road to Berlin remains one of the most celebrated immersive environments at the National WWII Museum — an enduring testament to how strategic collaboration, authentic craft, and technical innovation can bring history to life.