Liberty’s Beacon Light & Sound Show free

The National WWI Museum and Memorial is hosting Liberty’s Beacon, an incredible, completely FREE light and sound experience.

Through November 11, 2026, this public art installation will transform the historic Liberty Memorial into a giant, living canvas. Combining large-scale video projections with immersive original music, this event celebrates two milestones: the Museum’s 100th anniversary and the nation’s 250th birthday.

You can see the show every weekend, Friday through Sunday, through November 8, plus November 8-11.

Photo: Light show by Epsztein and Gross, courtesy of the WWI Museum

The Experience

Operating under the “Remember Forward” centennial theme, world-renowned digital artists will illuminate the Memorial’s inscribed virtues — Honor, Courage, Sacrifice, and Patriotism — across 8-to-10-minute visual and auditory loops.

The show features a rotating lineup of three artists, so the show isn’t the same every weekend. The artists are:

• Xavier de Richemont, an internationally acclaimed French video painter known for his stunning work at the Festival of Lights in Chartres and for illuminating major global landmarks.
• Leslie Epsztein and Camille Gross, Paris-based projection designers with distinct visual styles.
• Onionlab, A cutting-edge multimedia and digital design studio in Barcelona.

Each projection is paired with am immersive musical score composed to match the artwork.

Photo: Light show by Onionlab, courtesy of the WWI Museum.

Dates and Showtimes

The series runs on weekends from Friday, September 25, 2026, through Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (Veterans Day). There are also weekday shows November 8-11.

Projections run continuously from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., repeating every 15 minutes. 

Schedule of shows

This is the show schedule:

• October 2-4: Epsztein and Gross
• October 9-11: Onionlab
• October 16-18: Xavier de Richemont
• October 23-25: Epsztein and Gross
• October 30-November 1: Onionlab
• Friday, November 6: Xavier de Richemont
• Saturday, November 7: Epsztein and Gross
• Sunday, November 8: Onionlab
• Monday, November 9: Xavier de Richemont
• Tuesday, November 10: Epsztein and Gross
• Wednesday, November 11: Onionlab

Photo: Light show by Xavier de Richemont, courtesy of the WWI Museum.

Tips for Visiting

• Best Vantage Point: Head to the North Lawn for the full visual and audio experience.
• What to Pack: Bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnics. Grills and heating elements are prohibited, and pets must be leached.
• Amenities: Portable restrooms are on-site. 
• Weather: Runs rain or shine unless severe storms occur.

Parking

Free parking is available at the museum lots, and there is free street parking on Kessler Road, to the west of the memorial. 

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