Natick's World War II Museum Abruptly Closes

NATICK, MA — Natick's International Museum of World War II abruptly closed it's doors on Sunday. Thousands of artifacts from World War II were housed in the museum and the building was getting ready for an expansion.

A message is posted on the museum's website, notifying patrons that the museum closed on Sept. 1. The message reads in part:

"We are sorry to announce that we have had to close The International Museum of World War II in its present location. We are very proud of the work we have been able to accomplish in the last 5 years, particularly in the area of education."

The Mercer Road museum is 10,000 square feet and had plans to expand to 30,000 square feet on the land right next door to the museum. The message on the website only said the expansion proved "unworkable," but did not mention specifically what hindered the process.

The museum's message mentioned an individual would acquire most of the artifacts on loan to the museum, the person was supposed to eventually relocate the museum to Washington D.C. The Boston Globe identified the man acquiring the artifacts as World Jewish Congress President, Ronald Lauder.

Artifacts in the museum include the maps from the D-Day invasion, uniforms worn by Jewish prisoners at the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps and a portable altar set was used by a military Chaplain.

The post goes on to say that a loan agreement was meant to keep the Natick location open until the Washington D.C. location could open, but the agreement was canceled, forcing the museum's closure.

Owned and donated artifacts will be given to another nonprofit World War II museum, with an announcement about the status of the artifacts coming in a few weeks.

"We would like to thank all of those who visited the Museum and shared their own World War II experiences with us," the message reads, "We would especially like to thank the World War II veterans who volunteered in the Museum to share their stories and insights with visitors and students. By their presence, they were keeping the history of World War II alive and relevant."

The museum also had a strong educational presence, running teacher workshops in the summers for training in how to teach using original materials and welcoming students for class trips from all over New England.

More than 4,000 students visited the Museum last school year, with 40 percent of the visits subsidized by the museum. The museum also ran an Urban Schools program, which was subsidized by donors to bring underserved students to the museum by paying for their buses and admissions.

"Students who visited the Museum were able to engage with this consequential history by handling original artifacts," the message reads, "They were inspired head, heart and hand."