About
The D-Day Story is Portsmouth's nationally significant museum dedicated to Operation Overlord — the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, the largest seaborne invasion in history. Portsmouth played a central role in D-Day: it was from here and the surrounding Hampshire coast that the vast armada of ships and landing craft set out for Normandy, and it is from Portsmouth that the definitive story of that extraordinary operation is told.
The museum underwent a major £5 million redevelopment and reopened in 2022 with dramatically improved galleries, immersive environments and state-of-the-art interpretation. Visitors experience the build-up to D-Day through the eyes of those who participated: the soldiers, sailors and airmen who trained, waited and fought; the civilians who supported them; and the French communities who lived under occupation and then liberation. The story is told with warmth and humanity alongside the operational history, ensuring that the human reality of D-Day is never lost behind facts and figures.
The centrepiece of the museum — and one of the most remarkable textile artworks in Britain — is the Overlord Embroidery. Commissioned in 1968 by Lord Dulverton, it was designed by Sandra Lawrence and took 20 women from the Royal School of Needlework five years to complete. Its 34 panels stretch 83 metres in total — longer than the Bayeux Tapestry it was inspired by — and depict the entire story of D-Day and the Normandy campaign in extraordinary needlework detail. Each panel can be examined up close, revealing the extraordinary craftsmanship of this unique masterpiece.
Beyond the Embroidery, the museum holds an outstanding collection of vehicles, landing craft, weapons, equipment and personal artefacts from the D-Day operation. A restored DUKW amphibious vehicle, Sherman tank components, parachute equipment and thousands of personal items donated by veterans and their families create an immersive and deeply moving memorial to those who participated in the liberation of Europe.
Portsmouth's role as the embarkation point for Operation Overlord makes The D-Day Story one of the most historically significant museums in Britain — the place where the story of D-Day is anchored to the ground from which it was launched.
Categories:
Annual Visitors (2019)
120,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings are quietest; June 6 (D-Day anniversary) is particularly atmospheric but can be very busy
💡 Visitor Tips
- Allow at least 2.5 hours to do justice to the museum, and longer if you want to explore the oral history stations in depth.
- The Overlord Embroidery is best viewed in the morning when the light in the gallery is most favourable — view it slowly from start to finish.
- Visit on 6 June (D-Day anniversary) for special events, but expect larger crowds — early morning visits are recommended.
- Combine with a visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to make a full day of Portsmouth's extraordinary naval heritage.
- The audio guide in French and German is available — thoughtful for visitors from France and Germany with personal connections to D-Day.
- Ask staff about the oral history listening stations — some of the most moving testimonies are from veterans recorded in the final years of their lives.
- Children respond particularly well to the interactive elements and the vehicles gallery — allow them time to explore.
- The seafront location means you can walk out onto Southsea beach after your visit — a fitting reminder of Portsmouth's relationship with the sea.
Highlights
The Overlord Embroidery
The museum's greatest treasure is the Overlord Embroidery, an astonishing 83-metre-long embroidered artwork depicting the events of D-Day and the liberation of Europe from June 1944 onwards.
Commissioned in 1968 by Lord Dulverton and designed by Sandra Lawrence, the embroidery was hand-stitched by 20 women from the Royal School of Needlework over five years, using 3 tonnes of thread. It is displayed in a dedicated gallery and can be viewed at close range, allowing visitors to appreciate the extraordinary detail of the needlework.
Often compared to the Bayeux Tapestry, it is considered one of the most significant works of applied art created in Britain in the 20th century.
Operation Overlord — The Planning Gallery
The planning of the largest seaborne invasion in history required extraordinary feats of logistics, intelligence, and deception, and this gallery tells the story of how Allied commanders turned the concept of liberation into reality. Maps, documents, models, and interactive displays explain the development of Operation Overlord from its earliest conception in 1942 through the final decision to launch on 6 June 1944.
Exhibits cover the role of deception operations (including Operation Bodyguard and the fictional 'Operation Fortitude' intended to mislead Germany about invasion sites), the contribution of Bletchley Park code-breakers, and the complex negotiations between Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Allied commanders.
The Landing Craft and Vehicles
The museum's collection of vehicles and equipment used in the D-Day landings provides a tangible sense of the material reality of the invasion.
A full-size landing craft (LCVP — Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel, commonly called a 'Higgins boat') is displayed, giving visitors a visceral sense of the conditions experienced by troops crossing the Channel and storming the beaches. Additional vehicles include a Sherman tank, motorcycle combinations used by military police, and an assortment of transport and support vehicles from the Allied inventory.
Visitors can climb into some vehicles and experience the cramped conditions endured by assault troops on 6 June 1944.
Personal Stories and Oral History
The heart of The D-Day Story is its commitment to telling the human stories behind the military operation — the experiences of ordinary soldiers, sailors, airmen, nurses, civilians, and resistance fighters whose lives were transformed by the events of June 1944. The museum's oral history collection includes hundreds of recorded interviews with D-Day veterans, many recorded in the final years before the last survivors passed away.
Audio and video stations throughout the galleries allow visitors to hear first-hand accounts of the landings, the fighting in Normandy, and the liberation of occupied Europe.
Personal artefacts — letters, photographs, uniforms, and keepsakes — give powerful emotional weight to individual stories.
Collections
The D-Day Story holds the national collection relating to Operation Overlord and the Normandy landings of 1944. The collection includes the Overlord Embroidery (83 metres), landing craft, military vehicles including a Sherman tank, uniforms, equipment, weapons, maps, planning documents, personal artefacts, photographs, and an extensive oral history archive of veteran testimonies.
The collection spans all aspects of the D-Day operation from its planning through to the liberation of Paris.
The Overlord Embroidery Gallery
Dedicated gallery displaying the 83-metre embroidery depicting D-Day and the liberation of Europe
📍 Overlord Embroidery Gallery
Operation Overlord — From Planning to Victory
Comprehensive galleries covering the planning, execution, and Normandy campaign of D-Day 1944
📍 Main galleries
Vehicles and Equipment
Landing craft, Sherman tank, and period military vehicles
📍 Vehicles Gallery
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.