Make a Donation

Floor red bricks with engraving names at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland

 

Buy a Granite Paver

Help us raise the 80-foot-high flagpole and 30 x 20-foot flag with the purchase of a granite bench or 12×12 granite paver dedicated to a person of your choice. 

 

Purchase a Brick

Support the development of our Legacy Garden with the purchase of a 4×8” brick to honor your veteran. 

Membership

Become a Member of the WWII American Experience museum.  As a Member in the WWII American Experience museum, your donation will provide you with special benefits while providing critical funding to aid in the maintenance, restoration, and operation of our historic collections.  You will help us to continue to carry on the mission to honor our veterans and to educate future generations about their importance in history. 

Click here to see the membership options and complete the membership application.  

 

Volunteer

If you are interested in being a volunteer at WWII American Experience Museum, please click here to complete and submit your application

 

Artifact Donations:– See the Frequently Asked Questions below. 

Q: What does the museum focus on?
A: The WWII American Experience Museum focuses primarily on the WWII-era (1939-45). In order to highlight the enterprise and courage of Americans on both the Home Front and War Front, the museum generally collects artifacts produced by, used by, or detailing the contributions of Americans during the war.

Q: Does the museum accept items from other countries that fought in WWII?
A: The museum generally does not accept artifacts from other countries into the Permanent Collection, though certain items may be considered on a case by case basis.

Q: Does the museum accept items from other wars or periods of history?
A: Because our mission focuses on World War II, we do not accept artifacts from other wars or periods of history into the Permanent Collection, though they may be deployed in rotating exhibits or other special displays.  

Q: What types of items does the museum collection consist of?
A: The museum houses a wide variety of artifacts, including: photographs, films, correspondence, audio recordings, insignia, uniforms, documents, books, works of art, toys, household items, military equipment, vehicles, and other objects.

Q: Will the museum appraise my historic artifacts for me?
A: Please be aware that the museum will not appraise artifacts for you. If you need an appraisal, please contact a certified appraiser in your area for assistance.

Q: Does the museum accept WWII military equipment and/or ammunition?
A: The museum houses a significant collection of decommissioned military equipment. However, for the safety of our staff and visitors, we do not accept ammunition of any kind.

Q: Does the museum accept walk-in artifact donations?
A: We are unable to accept walk-in donations due to limited curatorial staffing. The museum requests that you contact a staff member ahead of time to set up an appointment. The most effective way to contact our curatorial staff is by using the form below.

Q: When I submitted a donation, I filled out a Temporary Custody Receipt. What does that mean?
A: The Temporary Custody Receipt allows the museum to temporarily hold your artifacts(s) for review by the Collections Committee. Once our Committee has reviewed the item(s), you will receive written notification of which of them have been accepted into the museum’s Permanent Collection. Those that are accepted will be listed on an enclosed Deed of Gift form, which you will then be asked to sign and return. The Deed of Gift form legally transfers ownership of the item(s) to the WWII American Experience Museum. Items that are not accepted will be handled in the manner you indicated on the Temporary Custody Receipt.

Q: If my donation is accepted, how soon will it be on display?
A: We cannot guarantee that any particular artifact will ever be exhibited. However, once it has been accepted and processed into our collection, an object becomes available to staff and researchers. Your donation thus expands the amount of World War II knowledge available to the public, even though it may not be on display.

Q: Will an object on exhibit be displayed permanently?
A: To preserve unique artifacts and provide new learning experiences for our visitors, we are continually updating exhibits and rotating the artifacts in our displays. When an artifact is taken off of display, it is carefully recorded and placed into our secure collections storage area. Donors may request an appointment to view donated artifacts that are not on public display between May and October. Please note that requests must be made a minimum of 30 days in advance and that, even with advance notice, we may not be able to accommodate every request. 

A few other notes:
In addition to the main Permanent Collection, the museum also houses an Education Collection and a Research Library. The Education Collection is made directly accessible to students, and is generally composed of reproduction, duplicate, or poor condition objects that are of particular value for hands-on learning under the careful supervision of Museum staff and volunteers. The Research Library is composed of books, manuscripts and media about World War II that are not of WWII-era origin (i.e. published 1946-present day). Items not accepted for the Permanent Collection may still be accepted for the Education Collection or Research Library.

  • Collection items are sometimes lent to other educational institutions as part of traveling exhibits or for temporary artifact exchanges.
  • While the museum cannot accept every potential artifact donation, our Collection Committee carefully reviews each donation with our collections criteria in mind.