Under a blazing hot sun five years ago, retired General Colin Powell pointed to the symbolic Infantryman at the entrance of the new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center and said, “Among many other things this is what we owe to those who went before. This is the place. This is the home. This is their legacy.”
Powell and other dignitaries then cut the ribbon on the new $100 million museum. The date was June 19, 2009.
On Thursday, the museum celebrates its fifth birthday. It has told the story of the Infantryman’s legacy of valor and sacrifice to more than 1.6 million visitors, and has been featured in newspapers around the country, including the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and even an architectural magazine from India. Countless bloggers and websites have featured the museum. In 2011, the NIM was presented with a THEA Award, the Themed Entertainment Association’s equivalent of the Oscars, for excellence in the creation of extraordinary visitor experiences. The museum has received TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence for the past three years, an award given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews. More than 92 percent of nearly 600 reviewers on the travel website have awarded five stars to the museum, ranking it #1 among attractions in Columbus, Georgia.
Community leaders agree the museum has had a tremendous impact on tourism, economic development and quality of life.
Peter Bowden
President and CEO, Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau
“Tourism is a vital industry for Columbus. It is economic development. The National Infantry Museum has provided the Convention & Visitors Bureau with one more valuable asset to promote the city to visitors. Leisure travel, military reunions, friends and family coming for Ft. Benning graduations are all target markets that use the Museum as an anchor for their Columbus visit.”
“The Museum helps us with our core mission to extend the stay of the visitor or re-cycle them for another visit. The Infantry Museum is one of those attractions that sets Columbus apart from so many destinations. Couple that with the other things to see and do and the offerings are tremendous.”
Mike Gaymon
President and CEO, Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce
“It is impossible to adequately describe the National Infantry Museum. The facility is truly one of a kind. The stories that it tells about our military, their families and loved ones in its galleries, artifacts, along with the various multi-media elements, makes the NIM something that must be experienced.”
“One of our largest tourist attractions in our region is the National Infantry Museum. We have used the facility many times for special events. Its uniqueness and world-class presence helps to set our community apart from almost all others in the world.”
Col. Michail Huerter
Garrison Commander, Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning
“The National Infantry Museum gives us a place not only to highlight Fort Benning, but Columbus and the Army itself. It lets people see how the Fort and the Army have grown. The friendship between these communities is phenomenal.”
“The museum has helped civilians better understand the life of an Infantryman and the history of the Army. Before I came to Fort Benning, my family had only seen snapshots of military life when they visited me. But this museum helps them see what life in the Army is really like, and gives them a better idea of the culture that goes with it.”
To celebrate its fifth birthday and to say thank you to the community for its ongoing support, the museum is offering special discounts to all visitors on Thursday, June 19, only.
· Buy a ticket to any IMAX film for only $5
· Get a small popcorn/small drink combo at the concessions stand for just $5
· Get $5 off a combo ticket for the NIM SIM Combat Simulators
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