Overlord Museum (Omaha Beach)
About Overlord Museum (Omaha Beach)
The Overlord Museum opened in 2013, located 500 meters from the Normandy American Cemetery and Omaha Beach. The museum houses the private collection of Michel Leloup, a Norman forestry operator who spent 40 years gathering WWII artifacts from Normandy battlefields. Displayed across 2,250 square meters are over 10,000 items including 40 tanks, vehicles, and artillery pieces representing six different armies involved in the conflict. Highlights include a rare PzKpfw V Panther tank, a FAMO half-track, and multiple Sherman tanks - most discovered in Norman soil. The exhibition traces events from the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 through the Liberation of Paris in August. Outside, visitors can explore Bailey bridges, American tanks, and German bunkers. The on-site shop offers books, COBI models, and regional products. Ticket office closes one hour before the museum. Hours vary by season: summer (June-August) 9:30-19:00, spring/fall 10:00-18:30, winter 10:00-17:30. Closed from early January to mid-February.
Interesting Facts
Michel Leloup began his collection accidentally in the 1970s when he found a German half-track in a sawmill - identical to the one he had used after the war to transport timber for rebuilding Normandy. This chance discovery sparked four decades of passionate collecting until his death in 2011.
The collection was originally displayed in an old cheese factory in Falaise starting in 1987, chosen because no museum at the time covered the encirclement of the German 7th Army and the end of the Battle of Normandy. The move to Omaha Beach in 2013 was led by Nicolas Leloup to honor his father's memory.
Many vehicles in the collection were pulled directly from Norman soil, where they had been abandoned or destroyed during the 1944 fighting. The Panther tank and FAMO half-track are among the rarest restored pieces, representing German equipment that was largely destroyed or captured during the Allied advance.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Ticket Prices
Museum Entry
RecommendedLocation & Practical Info
Address
Lotissement Omaha Center, Rond-point du cimetiere americain, 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France
Website
https://overlordmuseum.comDay Routes
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