Children on the Homefront: Growing Up With War
Located near the east entrance of the George H. W. Bush Gallery, adjacent to the Plaza of the
Presidents, the exhibit invites visitors to consider both the sacrifices and resilience of young
Americans during wartime. Through personal stories, hands-on interactives, and thoughtfully
designed environments, the gallery helps younger audiences connect with history while
encouraging reflection and empathy among visitors of all ages.
The exhibit is organized around three distinct vignettes—a rural community, an urban
neighborhood, and a Japanese American internment camp—each representing a different
childhood experience shaped by the war. In every setting, visitors are introduced to a virtual
child who guides them through the space and provides context for daily life on the home front.
In the rural vignette, visitors meet Thomas, a 12-year-old boy growing up on a Texas cotton
farm. With his older brother serving overseas and his sister working in the defense industry,
Thomas’s story highlights the responsibilities placed on children during wartime, from increased
farm labor to personal sacrifices made in support of the war effort.
The urban vignette introduces Walt, a 14-year-old Black boy living in Chicago’s Bronzeville
neighborhood. Through interactive elements focused on rationing, media, and community
engagement, visitors learn how city life and access to information shaped the wartime
experience for families in urban America. Games and hands-on activities reflect the ways
children contributed through scrap drives, plane spotting, and other civilian efforts.
The final vignette examines the forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans
during World War II through the story of Mary, a 12-year-old girl from Los Angeles sent with her
family to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. This space encourages critical
thinking as visitors consider the difficult choices faced by internees and explore activities that
brought moments of normalcy and creativity during confinement.
Designed with families and young learners in mind, the Children’s Exhibit supports the
Museum’s mission to educate present and future generations by presenting history in a way that
is accessible, engaging, and meaningful. By centering the wartime experiences of children, the
gallery offers a powerful entry point into understanding the broader impact of World War II on
American society.
About the Admiral Nimitz Foundation
The Admiral Nimitz Foundation was established in 1971 as a 501(c)(3) Texas Corporation to
provide additional development funding for the Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Naval Museum,
a museum honoring Fredericksburg’s native son and Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces,
Pacific Ocean Area. The sole purpose of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation is to raise funds for the
National Museum of the Pacific War and to manage its operation.
About the National Museum of the Pacific War
The National Museum of the Pacific War (NMPW), founded in 1967, is the only institution in the
continental United States dedicated exclusively to telling the story of the Pacific and Asiatic
Theaters in World War II. The Museum annually welcomes more than 120,000 visitors, including
at least 15,000 students from across the state. The museum sits on six acres in downtown
Fredericksburg, Texas featuring three galleries with more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit
space, 40 media installations, approximately 900 artifacts, 15 macro-artifacts, and hundreds of
photographs. The Museum is a Texas Historical Commission Property, managed and supported
by The Admiral Nimitz Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. For more information,
visit http://www.pacificwarmuseum.or.... Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and
LinkedIn.
About Smithsonian Affiliations
Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative
partnerships with museums, educational, and cultural organizations to share Smithsonian
collections, build collaborative networks, and engage learners of all ages with Smithsonian
resources. More information is available at www.affiliations.si.edu
Contact:Haley Hull, Marketing DirectorNational Museum of the Pacific Warhhull@nimitzfoundation.org830-997-8600 Ext. 214