Dec
19
2024
The first installation of Pathway to Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience has been completed, marking a major milestone in the development of this immersive exhibit aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This phase of the project coincided with a deeply significant moment: the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which was commemorated the Saturday before installation began. The ceremonies at Pearl Harbor and the vibrant evening parade in Waikiki served as poignant reminders of the legacy we are honoring through this exhibit.
The installation process began with the arrival of five carefully packed crates from our fabrication studio in Corrales, NM. These crates contained the exhibit wall sections and the first custom artifact display cabinet, meticulously designed to complement the ship’s historic and unique interior spaces. Once delivered to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the crates were carefully forklifted onto a platform alongside the ship for unloading.
“This installation site is quite unique, and a lot of thought and creativity went into the design of the components so we could get them down a small hatch to the Second Deck. Our fabrication team put tremendous effort into crafting solutions for this exhibit space,” said Lauren Distler, Director of Fabrication at Ideum.
From there, each exhibit component—from the large wall sections to the smallest screws—was unloaded and staged at the entrance of a Second Deck hatch. Due to the ship's tight passageways and steep ladders, everything had to be hand-carried down to the exhibit location. This effort ensured the preservation of the ship while allowing for the precise placement of each element.
Once all components were safely transported below to the Second Deck of the ship, our team began assembling the exhibit walls into their final positions. These walls will serve as the foundation for the exhibit’s physical and digital storytelling elements. The audiovisual components were then integrated, including the 49” Inline multitouch interview station, a projector, speakers, and the projector screen.
To meet the unique demands of this project, we designed custom mounting solutions that allowed walls and cabinets to be securely installed without the need to drill into the ship’s steel armor decking, which is more than two inches thick. This careful engineering respects the USS Missouri’s historical integrity while ensuring a stable and lasting exhibit structure.
“It becomes very real when you see the components being placed together and hear the audio in the exhibit space—testing the A/V components really brings the exhibit to life,” said Rob Demsey, Senior Producer, Media Systems at Ideum.
With the walls and A/V systems installed, the first artifact cabinet was assembled on-site. This custom-designed cabinet will showcase artifacts that tell the Sailor’s stories of life aboard the USS Missouri during World War II. This is just the first step in transforming the space into an immersive historical experience for guests of the memorial.
“Crafting custom components for a unique exhibit space is much easier when you have a great team. That goes for both our crew at Ideum and the Battleship Missouri Memorial crew. Everyone on their team is a pleasure to work with and we cannot wait to get the rest of this exhibit installed,” said Alex Scarpitto, Exhibits Producer at Ideum.
The next phase of the exhibit installation is scheduled for April 2025. During this second installation, we will complete the remaining custom artifact cabinets, finalize and test the projector and interview station media, and install all graphics and interpretive panels. This phase will mark the final steps in Ideum’s contributions to the exhibit’s physical and digital components before the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s Curatorial team steps in to carefully place artifact mounts and finalize interpretive and informational signage for the exhibit. These final touches will ensure the space not only tells a powerful story but also presents the artifacts with the care and context they deserve.
“Collaborating with the Ideum team to bring this exhibit to life has been a true labor of love,” said Frank Clay, Battleship Missouri Memorial Curator. “We’re honored to give a voice to our World War II crew members and showcase the USS Missouri’s pivotal role in the war. We look forward to kicking off the next phase of the exhibit installation next year and opening it to visitors as part of our 80th-anniversary commemorations of the war’s end.”
As we reflect on this first phase of the installation, we are proud to be part of this journey to honor the Mighty Mo’s role in World War II history. With the 80th anniversary of the war’s end approaching on September 2, 2025, Pathway to Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience is taking shape to give visitors an unforgettable connection to the history, the ship, and the Sailors who served aboard her.
