Free Admission for Veterans Today at WWII Museum
New Orleans, LA · November 11, 2026
A stubborn November drizzle is clinging to the streetcars this morning, but it will not slow down the brass and honors rolling out across town for Veterans Day.
The Lead
Today, the National WWII Museum opens its doors with free admission for military veterans of all conflicts as the city marks Veterans Day. The centerpiece of the day’s observances takes place at 11:00 AM inside the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, where the museum and the Mayor's Military Advisory Committee host an annual commemoration ceremony. This morning’s program features remarks from retired Navy Captain Elmer "Royce" Williams—a World War II veteran and Korean War hero awarded the Medal of Honor—alongside the presentation of the Veteran of the Year award to retired Rear Admiral James D. Olson. Live performances by the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club and the museum's Victory Belles will accompany the presentations. For visiting veterans and families, exhibit galleries remain open without tickets through 5:00 PM, while public seating inside the pavilion fills on a first-come basis.
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Today's Outlook
- High 72°F · Low 60°F — Drizzle (47% chance of precipitation)
- Keep a rain jacket handy as damp conditions linger through the morning commute.
What's On Around Town
Today
Tai Chi in the Sculpture Garden Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, 9:00–10:00 AM · $10 Morning movement session among live oaks and modern sculpture.
Musical Encounters: Peruvian Viceregal Paintings New Orleans Museum of Art (1 Collins Diboll Cir), 6:00–6:30 PM · Free Percussionist Mike Dillon pairs live performance with Latin American masterworks.
Preservation All-Stars ft. Aurélien Barnes Preservation Hall (726 St. Peter St), 7:30 PM · Paid Intimate acoustic traditional jazz sets in the heart of the Quarter.
Tomorrow
Preservation All-Stars ft. Wendell Brunious Preservation Hall (726 St. Peter St), 5:00 PM · Paid
LPO: Mozart & Stravinsky Orpheum Theater (129 Roosevelt Way), 7:30 PM · Paid
Friday
LUNA Fête 2026: The Puppetry Parade Gallier Hall (545 St. Charles Ave), 5:00–10:00 PM · Free
The 2026 Victory Ball The National WWII Museum (945 Magazine St), 6:00–10:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- The Roman Candy Cart In 1915, Sam Cortese built a wooden wagon by hand to sell homemade taffy for five cents a stick alongside his mule. Today, his grandson Ron Kottemann still clops along Uptown curbs behind a mule, wrapping gourmet sticks in wax paper from that very same cart.
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