The Museum boast eight major galleries and several smaller ones.
The Last 100 Yards is the museum’s signature exhibit. Life-like scenes from eight wars in Infantry history will dot a 100-yard-long gently inclining ramp, signifying the Infantry’s role in taking the last 100 yards of any battle. The scenes feature cast figures of real Infantry soldiers, as well as a World War II glider, Huey helicopter and Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
The Fort Benning Gallery highlights the training that turns a young farm boy from Iowa or a ball player from Texas into a Soldier. This gallery also tells the history of Fort Benning, and salutes the unique relationship between the post and the Columbus community that welcomed it in 1918.
The Family Support Gallery pays homage to the parents, children, spouses and other loved ones who make sacrifices just as important as the Soldier’s. It includes an oral history booth where families can record their stories for safe keeping and listen to others’. It also includes a play space for children, where they can try on costumes and role play.
The six Era Galleries include:
- Securing Our Freedoms 1607-1815 (opening later)
- Manifest Destiny and the Civil War 18-15-1898 (opening later)
- Entering the International Stage 1898-1920
- A World Power 1920-1947
- The Cold War 1947-1989
- The Sole Superpower 1989-Present
Many of the galleries feature immersive experiences which engage all your senses in a journey back in time. For instance, in the Entering the International Stage gallery, you will walk through a World War I trench and peer over its peak to watch the enemy advancing. In the Cold War Gallery, you will trudge through the jungles of Vietnam, surrounded by heat and humidity.
Prominently featured in the Grand Hall is the Hall of Valor, a glass-enclosed space dedicated to recognizing deeds of exceptional bravery. On the outside, quotes are etched in the glass, and inside, plaques honoring each of the nearly 1,500 Infantry recipients of the Medal of Honor line the walls. A computer kiosk allows visitors to look up full citations for each Medal of Honor recipient.
Upstairs on the mezzanine level are the Officers Candidate School Hall of Honor and the Ranger Hall of Honor.
Columbus | Fort Benning, Georgia