Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site - National Museum of the Pacific War Fredericksburg, Texas (Gillespie County) About the State Historic Site The centerpiece of Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site is the National Museum of the Pacific War, a museum committed exclusively to sharing the history of World War II in the Pacific Theatre and the life of U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Part of the museum is housed in the old Nimitz Hotel. Situated on nine acres in beautiful Fredericksburg, Texas, the Historic Site includes the George Bush Gallery, Admiral Nimitz Museum, Plaza of Presidents, Veterans' Walk of Honor, Japanese Garden of Peace, Pacific Combat Zone, and the Center for Pacific War Studies. Park Ratings Explanation of Symbols Campsites/Overnight Facilities 0 star Leashed Pets Permitted? NO Picnic Areas/Playgrounds 1 star Solitude 2 star Trail System 1 star Water Recreation 0 star Wildlife 2 star Ratings are based on a scale of 0 (low) to 4 (high).

Shannon's Wild Texas Notebook

Justin and I were very impressed with the amount of information and the quality presentations we received on our visit to the National Museum of the Pacific War and Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site. The size of the Nimitz Hotel on Fredericksburg's Main Street belies just how much there is to the museum and museum grounds!

The George W. Bush Museum of the Pacific War is within a short walk from the Nimitz, and it is so large we actually didn't get to see all of the exhibits despite one long mid-afternoon/evening visit (they closed at 5 PM). Very informative! There are hundreds of plaques memorializing entire boat, nurse, medic and other crews and retelling various events. For those of us who were not even alive when these events occurred, it really helps bring the enormity of the sacrifices and obstacles faced in war more to life.

I highly recommend you pay for the guided Pacific Combat Zone tour offered by the museum. The tour features impressive static displays -- entrenched military positions, tanks, a simulated aircraft carrier hangar deck with a TBM Avenger aircraft, an American PT boat and a Quonset hut hospital, among other things. The tour was the highlight of our visit to the museum! Again, you don't necessarily expect much from the outside of the "tour grounds", but once inside it's clear the Admiral Nimitz Foundation has spent a lot of time and money to make the experience an accurate and informative history-based tour.

Location

The nearest major Texas cities are: Abilene, Austin, Del Rio, San Antonio

Coordinates for GPS Users:

Hours

The park is available for day use only; no overnight camping is permitted.

Fees

The tour fee includes a guided tour of the Pacific Combat Zone exhibit.

Weather

Volunteer Opportunities

Official Contact Information

Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site - National Museum of the Pacific War P.O. Box 777 Fredericksburg, TX 78624 Telephone: (830)997-4379

Related Links

• National Museum of the Pacific War - Official Site
• More about the National Museum of the Pacific War - Handbook of Texas
• Learn about Chester William Nimitz - Handbook of Texas
• Wild Texas Forum discussions about this area