Normandy American Cemetery

The Normandy American Cemetery stands on the bluff above Omaha Beach at Colleville-sur-Mer, looking out over the English Channel. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) runs it. It holds the graves of US service members, most of whom died in the June 1944 landings and the operations that followed. ABMC calls it its most visited cemetery, with more than one million visitors a year. Make it the anchor of a day on the D-Day beaches, since Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc are both a short drive away.

The cemetery occupies the site of the temporary St. Laurent Cemetery, which the US First Army set up on June 8, 1944. That was the first American cemetery on European soil in the Second World War. Sources differ on the size and the number of graves. ABMC gives 172.5 acres and almost 9,400 burials, while Normandy Tourism gives 70 hectares and 9,387 graves.

What you will see

The visitor center

Start at the visitor center, which was dedicated on June 6, 2007. It sits in woods about 100 meters east of the Garden of the Missing. Its exhibits explain Operation Overlord and tell the stories of the people buried here.

A staff member in the visitor building answers questions and escorts relatives to graves. If you are visiting a family member, ask there first. Normandy Tourism lists toilets and a baby-changing area on site.

The Garden and Walls of the Missing

Walk west from the visitor center to the Garden of the Missing, a semicircular garden just east of the memorial. Its walls carry almost 1,600 names of service members whose remains were not found. A rosette next to a name means that person was later recovered and identified.

The memorial and the orientation table

The memorial is a semicircular colonnade. Maps and written accounts of the military operations line its loggias. At its center stands a bronze statue, “Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.”

Nearby, an orientation table looks out over the beach and shows how the landings unfolded. Seeing the shoreline below you while you read it makes the 1944 maps much easier to follow.

The graves, chapel and statues

Beyond the memorial lie the reflecting pool and the burial ground, with a chapel and granite statues that represent the United States and France. ABMC asks visitors to behave with respect on the burial grounds, so keep your voice low.

The flag-lowering ceremony

Each day, a flag-lowering ceremony takes place one hour before the cemetery closes. If you want to see it, plan your arrival so you have time to walk the grounds first. The closing time is in the Visit facts box above.

The beach below

You cannot walk down to the sand from the cemetery. That path has been closed to the public since 2016 for security reasons. Public beach access exists nearby, and the Omaha Beach page covers the sector itself.

Planning your visit

How long to allow

Normandy Tourism suggests about 1 hour 30 minutes. That gives you time for the visitor center, the Walls of the Missing, the memorial and a slow walk among the graves. Add extra time if you plan to stay for the flag lowering or are looking for a particular grave.

When to go

The cemetery is open year-round, though it closes on a few days each year. See the Visit facts box above for hours and closed days. If your trip falls around the June anniversary, read D-Day Anniversary: June 6 in Normandy before you fix your dates.

Booking and pre-registration

Visiting the American cemetery needs no booking at present, and entry is free. That is set to change. ABMC expects a pre-registration system to be ready at the end of 2026. From summer 2027, every visitor will have to pre-register, including individuals, groups and tour operators.

Next of kin of those buried here will still be able to visit when they choose. If you are traveling in 2027, check the ABMC Normandy page for the latest instructions before you go.

The Explore Normandy Pass

The cemetery appears on the partner list of the Explore Normandy Pass, the official pass of Normandie Tourisme, the regional tourism board. Entry here is free whether or not you hold the pass. My Normandy Pass is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Normandie Tourisme or the official Explore Normandy Pass. To see how your other paid sites add up, try the Normandy pass calculator.

Parking and facilities

Parking is free, and there is bicycle parking.

Combining with nearby sites

The cemetery fits easily into a half day with Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc. For a full plan, see One Day on the D-Day Beaches or Two Days in Bayeux and on the D-Day Beaches.

Getting there

By train

According to ABMC, the train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Bayeux takes about three hours. Bayeux has taxis and tour buses. Local public transport is intermittent, so ABMC advises arranging your round trip from Bayeux before you travel. Normandy Without a Car has more ideas for touring by train.

By car

From Paris, take the A13 toward Caen, then the N13 to Bayeux and Formigny. Next, follow the D517 toward Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer and the D514 to Colleville-sur-Mer. The entrance is signposted, and parking is free.

Plan around roadworks if you drive from Paris. The A13 Saint-Cloud tunnel near Paris is closed in the Paris-to-Normandy direction from November 16, 2026 to the end of August 2027, with signed diversions. ABMC also warns about this A13 closure.

From Bayeux, the drive takes about 24 minutes over 23 km. That figure is an OpenStreetMap routing estimate without traffic, as are all the driving times below.

By tour

Tour buses run from Bayeux. From summer 2027, tour operators will also have to pre-register their groups, so confirm this with your operator when you book.

Where to stay

ABMC notes hotels in Bayeux and Port-en-Bessin, both well placed for an early start.

Nearby

Omaha Beach is about 9 minutes away (5 km), and it lets you stand on the sand you looked down on from the orientation table.

Pointe du Hoc is about 17 minutes away (13 km), close enough to visit in the same half day as the cemetery.

Bayeux is about 24 minutes away (23 km) and is the practical base for this stretch of coast, with the train station, taxis, tour buses and hotels.

The Arromanches D-Day Museum is about 29 minutes away (20 km) and adds a museum stop to a day that otherwise covers outdoor sites.