Ideum, an experiential designer of interactive exhibits, has partnered with Pearl Harbor’s historic battleship, the USS Missouri Memorial, to create a new interactive and immersive World War II exhibit that will open in Hawaii on 2 September 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Pathway To Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience will explore the historic ship’s involvement in WWII and the crew’s experiences. Visitors to Pearl Harbour will engage in an interactive journey through the crucial moments of the USS Missouri’s deployment during World War II and her subsequent emergence as a global symbol of peace.
Personal stories and artefacts
Pathway to Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience will highlight crew memories through personal artefacts and possessions in remembrance of the sailors who served aboard the Mighty Mo.
Through interactive media, guests can hear directly from WWII sailors, and historical artefacts will assist in visualising their experiences. The exhibition will also present, from the unique perspective of the shipmates who facilitated this significant event, the formal Japanese Surrender Ceremony that took place onboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, ending the bloodiest combat in human history.
“Pathway to Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience will offer visitors an unprecedented look into the lives of the sailors who served during one of the most pivotal moments in history,” says Michael Carr, president and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc.
“By sharing their personal stories and artifacts, we’re not just preserving history—we’re honoring the bravery and sacrifice of those who were on the front lines of peace. This exhibition will allow our visitors to connect with the past in a deeply meaningful way, standing on the very decks where World War II came to an end.”
Visitors will be introduced to the exhibition through a short immersive film in the Pacific Theater featuring archive footage from the USS Missouri’s activities. The installation will also feature interviews with World War II veterans who served on the ship during this period, including one of the last surviving crew members, Edgar “Ed” Buffman, a Gunner’s Mate 2nd class who served aboard the Missouri from 1944 to 1946.
The historic artefact collection of the Battleship Missouri Memorial will be on display. Some items in the collection have never been seen by the public before, including donations made by the sailors and their families.
A Japanese Arisaka rifle that was taken by a USS Missouri landing party, surrender cards that were only given to those present on board during the 1945 surrender ceremony, and the sword of the ship’s first commanding officer, Captain William M. Callaghan, who was eventually promoted to the rank of admiral, are among the noteworthy artefacts that will be on display.
Bespoke exhibit design
The teams responsible for designing and creating Pathway To Peace had to exercise creativity and ingenuity to make the most of the little space available, given the cramped quarters and uneven internal areas. The Missouri, like the other Iowa-class battleships, has undergone modifications and space changes throughout each modernisation following WWII, the Korean War, and the Gulf War in the 1990s.
“Our plan has been to use the ship as part of our design approach from the start. We have customized exhibit elements and designed casework to seamlessly fit the hull and better use all available space onboard,” says Jim Spadaccini from Ideum. “For example, we’re utilizing the ship’s contours to access a large enough area so we can create an immersive theater space for the Pathway to Peace exhibition.”
In advance of the 80th anniversary and the exhibit’s opening on 2 September 2025, the Battleship Missouri Memorial and Ideum will post old photos and videos from the ship’s 1944–1945 voyage on social media, as well as updates on the show’s construction.
This summer, Ideum crafted two enormous curiosity cabinets for the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, US. The cabinets were commissioned to display “Curious Contraptions and Collectible Curiosities” as part of The New Mexico Showcase, which opened on 9 August.
