WWI Museum named one of nation’s best

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, named the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial among the top 25 museums in the United States as part of its 2014 Travelers’ Choice awards.

The National World War I Museum, which houses the most diverse collection of World War I objects in the world, earned a No. 23 ranking from TripAdvisor among the more than 35,000 museums in the U.S. The Museum was one of only eight recognized on the top 25 list from the Midwest and the only museum from Missouri to receive the distinction.

The Liberty Memorial, dedicated in 1926, is home to the National World War One Museum.

“Given the history of the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, we view this national recognition as a shared honor with the entire Kansas City community,” National World War I Museum President and CEO Dr. Matthew Naylor said. “This is the only museum of its kind in the country and one of the leading museums in the world and it exists in our great city because of the incredible foresight and continuing support from citizens in the greater Kansas City area.”

Travelers’ Choice awards honor top travel spots worldwide based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for museums worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

In the midst of the Centennial commemoration of World War I (1914-18), the National World War I Museum recently experienced its highest trafficked month ever with nearly 25,000 guests in July.

The Museum currently offers several exhibitions in conjunction with the Centennial, including its Over By Christmas: August-December 1914 and On the Brink: A Month That Changed the World(closing Nov. 9) special exhibitions as well as its online exhibitions War Fare: From the Homefront to the Frontlines and Home Before the Leaves Fall, an exhibition in partnership with the Google Cultural Institute.

Noteworthy upcoming events at the Museum include a lecture from A Star for Mrs. Blake author April Smith (Wednesday, Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m.), a lecture from former Kansas City Star publisher Art Brisbane on state control of news media (Wednesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m.) and a lecture from former U.S. Naval War College Chair of the Strategy and Policy Department John H. Maurer about Winston Churchill (Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.). Each event is free to the public.

To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.