2019 | B52 Victory Museum – The Wreckage of US Fighter Plane In Hanoi

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Overview of B52 Victory Museum

B52 Victory Museum was inaugurated on January 1st in 1986. It was then upgraded and renovated in December, 2012, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the victory of “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air”.

Being one of the buildings in the complex of Vietnam Military History Museum, as one of the Best Things to do in Hanoi,  B52 Victory Museum showcases a glorious era in the nation’s history in which Hanoi’s citizens and soldiers scored a triumph in the bombing raid of the US in 1972.

B52 Victory Museum front view

Together with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and Temple of literature, B52 victory Museum are a half day worth visiting in Hanoi.

Consider: Hanoi Free Tours to these destinations

Basic Info of B52 Museum Hanoi – B52 Victory Museum Opening Hours

• Opening time: 8.00AM – 11.30AM and 13.30PM-16.30PM every day except for Monday and Friday.
• Location: 157 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi.
• Entrance fee: 30,000vnd/ticket

Inside the museum

Local tips

Recommended time: if you visit the museum in summer, 9 am is perfect for your visit since the weather is boiling hot after 12 am and most of the displays are outside

• Dress code: casual, formal dress is recommended
• Note: you should bring along suncream as most of the museum is displayed out-door
• The average time people spend there is 1,5 hours
• How to get there: Parking –  in the parking lot of the museum From Hang Khay – Trang Thi – Dien Bien Phu – Le Hong Phong – 157 Doi Can, 43 mins walking (3,4 km), 17 mins driving

Structure and History

After the renovation:

• The entire display system has been upgraded
• The miniature of “Dien Bien Phu in the air” is expanded to 200 square meters and located at the center of the exhibition, along with a 3D screen and lighting, sound, smoke …
• The location of the aircraft, radar, missile, artillery system at the outdoor display area is also re-arranged in a larger scale
• The Museum has also received more than 300 artifacts from the Museum of Ha Tay (old), bringing the total number of artifacts, documents, images up to 9,000.
• B52 Victory Museum is one of the buildings in the complex of Vietnam Military History Museum

The museum is divided into 2 parts: indoor and outdoor display. The former is 1500 m2 while the later is 4000 m2

B52 Victory Museum is worth a half-day visit

1. The indoor area: 1500 m2

1. The “Sacrifice for the survival of the nation” tradition of Hanoi’s armed force through different historical periods.

Inside the museum are many artifacts from that time period, pictures and books including strategy plans, and more leading up to the present. People interested in the Vietnam war history need to visit this place. It’s definitely a must see and learn experience.

2. Theme: “Crime and Punishment”, “The World for Vietnam, the whole country for Hanoi”

Through the documents, pictures, artifacts, visitors can see clearly the conspiracy of the American imperialism to turn Vietnam into ruins.

The indoor display at B52 Museum

The documents recount:

• The United States has:
  • Used B52 726 times
  • Used Tactical aircraft 3,120 times
  • Dumped thousands of tons of bombs into the North. (444 were used in Hanoi, accounting for 61% of all B52 raids)
  • Deployed more than 1,000 tactical aircraft, thrown more than 10,000 tons of bombs, killed 2,380 people and injured 1,355 people
• Ly Quoc Su Street in downtown Hanoi was turned to rubble after the American bombing campaign in 1972

Numerous documents, pictures, artifacts inside the museum

3. The introduction of “Dien Bien Phu in the air” and the development of the 12-day battle in December 1972.

• The miniature of “Dien Bien Phu in the air”
• This 200-meter-square section is considered the most fascinating area of the museum.
• It has three-dimensional space representing area terrain including residential areas, airfields, B52 falls …).
• When this room is operating, lighting, sound, smoke and the big screen create impressive moments of Hanoi’s glorious history.
• The lively recreated scenarios bring back the epic atmosphere of the 12 day-and-night battle that is full of blood and tears of thousands of Vietnamese people.

2. The outdoor area: 4000 m2

The introduction of weapons used by Hanoi’s residents and soldiers during the resistance against American troops, especially within 12 days and nights on December 1972. The control station of Abuha missile shootig down four planes B-52 bomber A Long Range Radar Aircraft Mig 21 that Vietnamese military used to shoot down aircraft F4 of America in 1972. The wreckage of B.52s shot down in the bombardment, Scraps of aircraft Stato Fortress that were shot down by Hanoi people. A part of the aircraft wing Aircraft remnants after the war Bombs that the American army force used in northern Vietnam from 1964 to 1972

The information board of B-52 Stato Fortress in the museum

Artifact Collections

Artifacts of suicidal squads during “60 days and nights of the beginning of the nationwide resistance” against French colonialists

• The collection of weapons used by Hanoi’s residents and soldiers during the resistance against American troops
• The collection of B.52 aircraft wreckage
• The collection of bombs raining down in Hanoi
• The collection of air force uniforms and equipments of American pilots shot down in Hanoi

The artifact collection is properly highlight of B52 Victory Museum

After 3 decades of existence, B52 Victory Museum has attracted a large number of tourists, especially those who are into history and planes. It is also the witness of a time when a poor country defeated a giant empire with ingenious strategies and steely determination.

In brief,  The B52 Victory Museum Hanoi deserves to be one of the typical cultural and historical sites in the capital.

The B52 victory museum is perfect for a half day visit. Including this place in your own Hanoi itinerary with us!