Heroes Hall Exhibitions
Exhibitions
The Vietnam War through the Art and Photography of Ed Bowen
Featured exhibit. On display through Dec. 22.
“The Vietnam War through the Art & Photography of Ed Bowen” exhibit will feature the painting, photography and memorabilia of the late Ed Bowen and will explore the U.S. military’s use of combat artists during the Vietnam War.
>> Read more about the exhibit
The SAAAB Story
Permanent exhibit located on the second floor.
The SAAAB Story exhibition celebrates the history of the flight training center, its contribution to the war effort, the service members that served here and its role in the development of the growth of Orange County through film, photographs, maps, oral histories, works of art and ephemera.
>> Read more about the exhibit
A-4M Skyhawk Aircraft
Permanent exhibit located outdoors.
A Vietnam-era A-4M Skyhawk aircraft has been relocated from the Santa Ana Civic Center to Heroes Hall. The aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla.
>> Read more about the aircraft and see photos of its transport
The Medal of Honor Courtyard and Orange County Walk of Honor
Permanent exhibit located outdoors.
The Medal of Honor Courtyard and Orange County Walk of Honor are tributes to veterans from Orange County who received the highest honors that the United State government bestows for acts of valor and heroism.
>> Read more about the plaques and tributes
Serenity Walk
Permanent exhibit located outdoors.
Designed to both honor veterans and to provide a place of rest and contemplation for the community, the Serenity Walk features a winding pathway, benches and lighting. The landscaping includes special plants honoring Purple Heart recipients.
>> Read more about Serenity Walk
Heroes Hall Virtual Museum
Permanent exhibit available online only.
Heroes Hall Virtual Museum is a place where residents from Orange County and surrounding areas can share photos of veterans and military memorabilia that holds meaning for them.
>> See the Virtual Museum
Past Exhibitions
Valor & Virtue: Jewish American Medal of Honor Recipients
(October 2023 – March 2024)
Valor & Virtue: Jewish American Medal of Honor Recipients focuses on all 18 Jewish American recipients, from Civil War’s Benjamin Levy to the most recent, Christopher Celiz, who was posthumously awarded for his actions in the Afghanistan War. The Medal of Honor is awarded for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” It is the highest award for acts of valor the nation can bestow.
>> Read more about the exhibit
Armed Only with a Camera: World War II Photography of Stanley Troutman
(October 2022 – September 2023)
While most men carried weapons into battle during World War II, war correspondent Stanley Troutman was armed only with a camera. He served his country by photographing the war in the South Pacific Theater including the devastated cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the dropping of the atomic bombs.
>> Read more about the exhibit
Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II
(February 2022 – September 2022)
Heroes Hall Museum opened a new special exhibit called Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II. Produced by The National WWII Museum, the exhibit features artifacts, photographs and oral histories to highlight some of the extraordinary achievements and challenges of African Americans during World War II, both overseas and on the Home Front.
>> Read more about the exhibit
Through Their Eyes: Artwork by Active Military and Veterans (October 2021 – January 2022)
Juried show featuring artwork by 23 U.S. military veterans from Southern California. These artists have expressed their individual experiences through a variety of mediums including sculpture, photography, painting, carving and woodworking. The artists’ subjects are as unique as the artists themselves and range from combat scenes to flowers, and from landscapes to surreal portraits. Though their artwork varies by subject and individual perspective, one thing unifies them: they have all served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
>> Read more about the exhibit
Private Charles J. Miller: WWII Paintings from the South Pacific
(November 2020 – September 2021)
The newest exhibit at Heroes Hall focuses on the World War II watercolor paintings of Private Charles J. Miller. The exhibit is the visual diary of Miller, who chronicled his military service in the South Pacific theater during WWII. Miller was a self-taught artist who had been drawing throughout his lifetime, teaching himself perspective, anatomy and drawing and painting techniques.
>> Read more about the exhibit
Fighting on the Home Front: Propaganda Posters of World War II
(October 2019 – March 2020)
The newest exhibit at Heroes Hall will focus not on the battlefield, but on stateside messages of persuasion, the propaganda posters of World War II. Some 28 posters are featured in the Fighting on the Home Front: Propaganda Posters of World War II exhibition that is on loan from the Detroit Historical Museum.
>> Read more about the exhibit and view a sampling of the posters
Victory From Within: The American Prisoner of War Experience
(January 2019 – September 2019)
Freedom does not come free. No one knows better what it is like to have their freedom stripped from them than those who became prisoners of war while serving their country. Victory From Within: The American Prisoner of War Experience is a traveling exhibit created by the National Park Service. It explores the lives of POWs and features four key themes: capture, prison life, those who wait, and freedom.
Bravemind
(July 2018 – January 2019)
Soldiers may never forget what it’s like, but it’s not always easy to describe. With the virtual reality technology of Bravemind, you can see what they’ve seen, feel what they’ve felt, and fear what they’ve feared – all within the safe confines of an exhibition at Heroes Hall. Bravemind, created by USC Institute for Creative Technologies, uses VR to not only immerse viewers into the world of a soldier at war, but to help those in need. Using established therapeutic techniques, Bravemind can help veterans come to terms with PTS symptoms, and the technology can also be used for resilience training prior to deployment.
Kimberly Millett’s Operation Iraqi Freedom
(October 2017 – June 2018)
U.S. Army Public Affairs Specialist Kimberly Millett spent two deployments documenting the Iraqi War. Through photographs and commentary, Millett’s Operation Iraqi Freedom exhibition is an unbridled look at her interactions with Iraqis, the generals in charge of the war and the military fighting it. Rather than recording the violence of military confrontation, Millett highlights the times between conflict, when it is safe to show some intimacy and humanity.
The Things They Carried
(February 2017 – October 2017)
The Things They Carried is loosely based on the book by Tim O’Brien and offers a glimpse into veterans’ personal experiences of war. Working in conjunction with local veterans groups, the stories of Orange County veterans are gathered and told through the personal objects they carried into conflict. Some stories from the book The Things They Carried will be added to the exhibition and members of the community will be invited to share their experiences as well, especially veterans from the Gulf War. The exhibition will consist of the objects that individual veterans carried with them as well as film, audio, photography, text and art.
