From April 21–30, our team returned to the Battleship Missouri Memorial to complete  the second major installation phase of the Pathway to Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience exhibit. Building on months of preparation and collaboration, this phase marked an exciting transformation of the exhibit space deep within the historic ship.

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Custom-fabricated exhibit cabinets

Installation began with the careful delivery and assembly of five custom-built exhibit cabinets. Each cabinet was engineered specifically to fit through the Missouri’s narrow hatches—a unique design challenge that required detailed planning months in advance. Once brought onboard in pieces, the cabinets were carefully reconstructed within the exhibit space. Once assembled, museum-grade glass was installed on each cabinet, providing both protection and elegant presentation for the artifacts soon to be showcased.

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Installation of AV, the interview station & graphic panels

Simultaneously, the audiovisual systems began taking shape. We installed and tested a number of components critical to the visitor experience, including a ceiling-mounted projector and screen, integrated interview station audio, and newly added track lighting to enhance the atmosphere. Our team also successfully installed the alpha build of the interactive interview station software, allowing us to begin user testing and refinement ahead of the exhibit’s launch.

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One of the most challenging moments came with the delivery of the 49" Ideum Drafting Table. Designed to be a centerpiece of the interactive experience, moving the large, heavy unit into the confined spaces of the second deck was no small task. Through a great deal of patience, creative problem solving, and admittedly more than a little anxiety, the table was successfully navigated into place—an important milestone for the exhibit’s technological offerings.

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Alongside these technical achievements, progress continued on the exhibit’s visual storytelling. Graphic panels were ideated and designed, and preliminary artifact arrangements were set within the display cases to be finalized and mounted in the coming weeks.

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Looking forward to the final phase 

Special thanks are due to the Battleship Missouri Memorial team of US Navy and JSDF volunteers on Saturday, April 19, who assisted with moving crates and equipment into the ship. Their energy and support made a tremendous difference and kept our installation schedule on track.

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With this installation phase complete, "Pathway to Peace" is coming into clear view. We are excited to share more updates as we head toward final artifact mounting, software refinements, and the final polish that will bring this important World War II story to life for visitors from around the world. The exhibit is set to open on September 2, 2025, on the 80th anniversary of the war’s end. 

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