Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

The Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer holds the graves of 9,389 American war dead on 172.5 acres of bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains it, entry is free, and it stands on the ground of the first American cemetery established on European soil in the Second World War, opened by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944, two days after the landing below.

What You Will See

The white crosses and Stars of David stand in rows facing west, toward America. The memorial at the eastern end carries a semicircular colonnade, battle maps, and the bronze statue “Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves,” with the Walls of the Missing in the garden behind it, inscribed with 1,557 names. An orientation table overlooks the beach where most of these men died. The visitor center, opened in 2007, tells individual soldiers’ stories and takes one to two hours on its own. The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan was filmed here. The flag lowering at day’s end, with Taps, is the moment visitors remember.

Hours and the Coming Registration Change

The cemetery opens daily except December 25 and January 1: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 15 to September 15, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. Entry is free and stays free.

A change is coming, and most guides online have it wrong. The ABMC announced pre-registration would start in April 2026; as of July 2026, its official position is that the system arrives at the end of 2026, taking reservations for visits from summer 2027. When it starts, every visitor, group, and tour operator will need to pre-register, capacity caps will apply on peak days, and next of kin of those buried here will always be able to visit without restriction. Until then, no reservation is needed. Check abmc.gov before a 2027 visit.

Getting There

The cemetery sits above the eastern end of Omaha Beach at Colleville-sur-Mer, 20 minutes by car from Bayeux, with free parking at the visitor center. The LinkParis.com Normandy D-Day tour ends its day here, timed for the playing of Taps when possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a reservation to visit the Normandy American Cemetery?
Not yet. As of July 2026, entry is free with no registration. The ABMC expects its pre-registration system to open at the end of 2026, covering visits from summer 2027 onward; next of kin will always be exempt.

How many soldiers are buried at the Normandy American Cemetery?
9,389 American war dead, most killed in the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy, with 1,557 more names inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

What are the cemetery’s hours?
Daily except December 25 and January 1: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 15 to September 15, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year.

Was Saving Private Ryan filmed at the cemetery?
The opening and closing cemetery scenes were filmed here at Colleville-sur-Mer. The battle scenes were filmed in Ireland.

How long does a visit take?
Plan 90 minutes for the graves, the memorial, and the overlook, and one to two hours more if you take the visitor center seriously. Staying for the evening flag lowering and Taps is worth arranging the day around.