Fayetteville’s Airborne & Special Operations Museum celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. Since its opening in August 2000, the museum has been visited by nearly 3 million visitors, according to Museum Foundation Executive Director Renee Lane.

She noted the occasion is “vastly different than we had planned.”

There are no flags around Iron Mike to welcome visitors and no music, food trucks or parachute jumps because of COVID-19. “We are celebrating virtually ... in the last few weeks, we provided many memorable moments on social media from when construction started right down to the ribbon-cutting ceremony 20 years ago.” The facility has been closed since March. “Sustaining our mission without visitors has strained us financially,” Lane said.