Bastogne War Museum, Military museum in Bastogne, Belgium

The Bastogne War Museum is a military museum in the Belgian town of Bastogne, dedicated to World War II. It displays weapons, uniforms, personal belongings, and photographs across several halls, focusing on the Battle of the Bulge that took place here in December 1944.

The Bastogne Historical Center, predecessor of the museum, was created with advice from generals who had fought on opposite sides in the Battle of the Bulge. After four years of closure for construction and a new layout, the Bastogne War Museum opened on 21 March 2014 on the same site.

The museum tells the story of the Second World War through the eyes of four people: an American soldier, a German officer, a Belgian teacher, and a local schoolboy. Each perspective shows how the conflict changed the daily lives of ordinary people caught in the middle of it.

Guided tours are available in several languages, and audio guides let you move through the exhibits at your own pace. Set aside at least a couple of hours, as the exhibition covers a large number of rooms and themes.

A multimedia simulation lets visitors experience the Luftwaffe bombing that struck the town on December 24, 1944, causing heavy destruction. The installation conveys, in a very direct way, what the population faced on that night.