The Admiral Nimitz SHS/NMPW was begun by a handful of local citizens in 1966. In 1981 the Museum became part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The Admiral Nimitz Foundation, the support organization for the museum, raised money to restore the old Nimitz Hotel as the Admiral Nimitz Museum. The George Bush Gallery, the first element of the National Museum of the Pacific War, opened in June of 1999 and the Pacific Combat Zone opened in December of 2001. The artifact collection includes 15,000+ items including firearms, aircraft, armored vehicles, ordnance, flags, uniforms and personal gear used by the major combatants during the war in the Pacific. There is an education collection of uniforms and equipment which is utilized by the education department and local organizations for commemorative and educational programs.