Footsteps of WWII · Normandy
Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer
Cemetery · 1944–1956
The story
On the plateau above Omaha Beach, the cemetery holds 9,389 American war dead, most killed in the landings and the Normandy campaign. The Walls of the Missing in the Garden of the Missing carry 1,557 names. It covers 172.5 acres and was dedicated on 19 July 1956. Among the graves are Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who landed with the first wave at Utah, buried beside his brother Quentin, killed in 1918, and two of the Niland brothers, whose story inspired Saving Private Ryan. The visitor centre was opened by the American Battle Monuments Commission in 2007.
What to look for
Rows of white marble Latin crosses and Stars of David on lawns above the beach, a small chapel at the centre, and a colonnade with the bronze statue 'Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves'. The visitor centre explains the landings. An orientation table overlooks Omaha Beach.
Plan your visit
Free; open daily, normally 09:00–17:00, closed 25 December and 1 January. ABMC is bringing in compulsory free pre-registration for all visitors (expected from late 2026, reservations from 2027). Check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Overlord Museum, Colleville-sur-Mer · 1 km
- Omaha Beach: Les Braves, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer · 2 km
- Pointe du Hoc · 11 km
- Longues-sur-Mer battery · 12 km
- La Cambe German war cemetery · 13 km
- Bayeux War Cemetery and Memorial · 14 km
All 160 sites in Footsteps of WWII →
Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The whole Second World War in Europe, from the first shots at Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 to the German surrender in May 1945: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, Stalingrad, Berlin and the camps, in 15 areas from Britain to Russia.
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