Don F. Pratt Museum
The Don F. Pratt Museum was established in 1956 as an official museum for the 101st Airborne Division. The museum’s central theme is the history of the 101st Airborne Division or the “Screaming Eagles.” As a result, exhibits in the Pratt Museum cover the period from the early 1940s to the present day.
We have the privilege of displaying personal memorabilia donated by the following military leaders in our collection:
- Brigadier General Don F. Pratt
- General William C. Lee
- General Maxwell D. Taylor
- General Anthony C. McAuliffe
- General William C. Westmoreland
Other exhibits include a completely restored CG-4A cargo glider—which carried glider-borne Soldiers into combat during World War II and two 17th century bronze eagles. The collection also includes an illuminated Dutch Manuscript recognizing the Division’s role in Liberating Holland in World War II as well as captured enemy weapons. Other key exhibits feature equipment from a Vietnam recruiter’s jeep from the 1970s, and items that belonged to Adolph Hitler and other high-ranking Nazi officials.
An outdoor park across the street from the museum displays various military aircraft and equipment used by the division.
The centerpiece of the park is the “Brass Hat”—a fully restored C-47 aircraft resembling the plane used to carry the division commander, Major General Maxwell D. Taylor, into Normandy during World War II. The museum also includes a reference library and archives, both guided and unguided tours (reservations required), daily historical films, gift shop, gallery talks, lectures and educational programs.
The Early Years of Airborne Warfare
Although the main museum theme focuses on the history of the 101st Airborne Division, there are also individual displays that address early developments in airborne warfare. Included in these displays are the following Airborne units:
