Créé par Emilie, le 4 juin 2026
Votre guide Ryo
Omaha Beach, what to know, see and visit?
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Omaha Beach is one of the 5 D-Day landing beaches in Normandy, a 7-kilometer long beach that was the scene of a bloody day on June 6, 1944. Its nickname was "Bloody Omaha," as nothing went according to plan. Omaha beach, along the Atlantic Wall, where on D-Day the brave soldiers of the 1st American Infantry Division "Big Red One" (called so because of its insignia: the red 1 on a gold background) and those of the 29th Infantry Division landed on the "Dog Green" sector amidst German minefields and machine guns. The losses were countless on these shores.
Today a place of relaxation and nautical activities, this beach that stretches from Vierville-sur-Mer to Colleville-sur-Mer does not forget its past, it has much to offer: museums, history and memorial sites (Monument Signal at the place called les Moulins), sand yachting, rock pooling at low tide, walks along the cliffs... Just like Utah Beach, or Gold Beach.
A place to visit with family or friends during your vacation, whether to learn more about this period and this decisive battle, enjoy moments of relaxation, sports activities or the beauty of the landscapes.
The sites and memorial places of Omaha Beach
Erroneous information about German troops in place, bad weather and rising tide, failed bombing of German positions by British aviation, poor preparation of soldiers and landings too far away...
The difficulties accumulated on Omaha Beach that day, to the point of causing 1,000 deaths and 2,000 wounded or missing, just on this beach. Many sites pay tribute to the soldiers who died that day.
1 – The Normandy American Cemetery
At the heart of the American cemetery, in Colleville-Sur-Mer, the Visitor Center invites visitors to better understand what happened on June 6, 1944 at Omaha Beach through an exhibition and a film. Admission is free.
It extends over 70 hectares above Omaha Beach, 9,387 American soldiers are buried in this place with as many white crosses, an impressive place that recalls the sacrifice of all these young lives. The visit lasts about 1 hour and a half between the cemetery, the chapel, the memorial and the garden of the missing. Admission is free.
2 – The Omaha Beach Memorial Museum
This museum tells the story of the landing and those who participated in this historic moment through photos, videos and archival documents, but you will also find personal effects that belonged to soldiers, uniforms, weapons as well as vehicles. The visit lasts 1 hour and is suitable for children.
- Adult: €7.20
- Child (7-15 years): €4.20
- Student (16-25 years): €5.80
Museum open from February to November.
3 – Overlord museum – omaha beach
This museum retraces, through particularly realistic staging, the essential phases of the landing by displaying period weaponry and military vehicles. A rich and unique collection. This museum is located next to the cemetery at the roundabout.
- Full price: €9.00
- Reduced rate: €7.00 children 10 to 17 years, disabled persons, teacher, military, unemployed, student
- Free: under 10, veteran, press, military in uniform upon presentation of proof.
4 – D-Day Omaha Museum
This 3,000 m² museum displays numerous original pieces patiently sought out over time by an enthusiast of this period of history; equipment used during the landing and objects from the war: armored turret, LCVP landing craft (landing craft, barges), sabotage equipment, the famous Enigma machine, shells, cannons, tanks, engineering...
All presented in what was an American military hospital erected in the aftermath of the landing.
This private museum is open: April/May/September: from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm
June/July/August hours: from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Adults: €6.50
- Children (8 to 15 years): €3.50
- Reduced rate (military, students, journalists, disabled upon presentation of card): €5
5 – The Maisy Battery
This is one of the German batteries used by enemy troops to fire on Allied soldiers landing on Utah and Omaha beaches.
The visit continues over nearly 3 kilometers of trenches and tunnels where 6 artillery platforms were built to defend the coast. It takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to visit everything for free, and it is possible to book a paid guided tour.
6 – The Liberation House
This house is the first to have been liberated on June 6, 1944 in Saint-Laurent Sur Mer. This place is run by the Association "les Fleurs de la résistance," it makes you discover, by appointment only, the testimonies of: veterans, resistance fighters and civilians involved in the liberation, and notably, that of Captain Roger Guattary and his French combat men who intervened on the night of June 5 to 6, 1944 at OMAHA BEACH. A file classified secret for 70 years.
7 – The German Military Cemetery
21,200 German soldiers are buried at this location, an exhibition addresses the delicate theme of the complexity of war, of humanity in wartime...
Price: free.
8 – The Pointe du Hoc site
This site presents 11 visiting points and 7 points of interest on different sectors concerning an assault led by Allied troops on the morning of June 6, 44 and who had to face the German fortifications and batteries in place at the time of the landing.
The mobile application created for this site helps you discover and understand the challenge of taking this place.
Visit price: free.
Other activities at Omaha Beach
1 – Fat bike cycling in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer
Electric or basic, fat bikes promise beautiful discoveries while strolling among sumptuous landscapes, between total change of scenery and discovery of history, it's a good compromise to discover Omaha Beach differently.
It is also possible to rent all-terrain electric scooters from 14 years old in SAINT-LAURENT-SUR-MER.
2 – Kayak trip to Pointe du Hoc
At the foot of the cliffs, you will have a breathtaking view of the seagull colonies that have taken up residence above this magnificent landscape, as well as an unparalleled view of the Omaha Beach site.
Among all the activities available on the site, you will also find:
- Coastal walking, paddle boarding, catamaran, kite flying, sand yachting, ultralight aircraft, paragliding, horseback riding...
Tourist and sports activities are plentiful, they are ideal for discovering these places marked by history with family or friends.