Aviation Museums In the United States
I find that the idea of flight is simply amazing. While we sit there and complain about the amount of leg room we have on the plane, it is still a miracle that we are in a metal tube hurtling through the air at 500 miles per hour and then in just a short period of time we can be all the way across the country. I have always enjoyed aviation, in fact at one time in my childhood I thought that I would become an aeronautical engineer.
Planes have played many important roles in our history and have really made a lot of different events and advancements possible. Aviation museums are a great way to see actual aircraft and learn about the role they have had in our country, region or civilization. This post is a ranking of the air museums that I have visited and a bucket list of the museums that I still want to visit. The ranking is purely my opinion and this post will update as I visit other air museums on my travels. As the blog grows I hope to add separate pages for each museum, so look for the Read More link under each museum and be sure to click on it once I get it populated.
The Museum of Flight - Seattle, WA
Located at Boeing Field in Seattle Washington, it is no surprise that The Museum of Flight is on the top of my list. This has been one of my favorite air museums and I have visited it multiple times. The museum has an amazing collection of aircraft and is located on the tarmac of the Boeing Airfield which has some interesting air traffic come in and out of it. There is a permanent exhibit about the history of the Boeing aircraft company, as well a Boeing 707 that was Air Force One during the Eisenhower administration.
Read More - Coming Soon
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center - Chantilly, VA
When you think about the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum you probably think about the museum located on the National Mall in Washington DC. The challenge with the museum on the mall is space for aircraft and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the answer the Smithsonian came up with. Located near Dulles International Airport this museum provides them with the space to make a truly memorable experience. Located in the facility are some real gems of aviation including the Space Shuttle Discovery. The first aircraft that FedEx used is located here and there are many other items from the milestones of flight and space exploration located here. Also available here is a trip up to a mock control tower to learn about air traffic control. With its location next to Dulles, this makes a great spot to learn about air traffic control as you watch airplanes take off and land.
Read More - Coming Soon
Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour - Everett, WA
The highlight of the Future of Flight Aviation Center is the tour of the Everett Washington manufacturing facility. The tour is a behind the scenes look at the production of actual aircraft. You get to walk through the catwalks of the hangars where the aircraft assembly process is underway and see the plane being built from the beginning of assembling the cockpit to the final stages before it is rolled out of the hangar. The facility is massive and houses multiple aircraft as they are being built.
In addition, there is a great observation area available to watch planes take-off and land on the runway just outside the building. This is where we learned to say: "If it's not Boeing, were not going."
Read More - Coming Soon
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Washington, DC
If you like Aviation the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is an iconic location that requires you to make more than one pilgrimage to Washington D.C. This is one of the first air museums that I remember and it made a huge impact on my love of aviation. The collection is huge and there are historical aircraft everywhere you look. With a balance of early flight, military aviation, and space flight the museum is one of the best.
Read More - Coming Soon
Pima Air and Space Museum - Tuscon, AZ
The Pima Air and Space Museum is an expansive collection of aircraft from all sectors of aviation. With both indoor and outdoor exhibits you can enjoy many of the displays based on the season that you are visiting and the outdoor temperatures. One of the exhibits that really stands out for me was a B-17 bomber from WWII that was restored with great detail and when I visited there was a docent who had flown in one of the bombers during the war. Connected to the museum is the "Boneyard"/AMARG Tour where you get to take a bus in the boneyard for the US Air Force. Lots to see and do here.
Read More - Coming Soon
USS Midway Museum - San Diego, CA
With an easy to access location on the docks of the bay near downtown SanDiego, the USS Midway Museum is one of the best air museums located on an old aircraft carrier. They have refurbished the carrier nicely and opened up a great deal of the boat to provide you access to the galley, brig, sickbay, bridge, and flight rooms. The flight deck and parking level below are filled with military aircraft. There is a lot to see and do onboard this ship right in the middle of San Diego.
Read More - Coming Soon
New England Air Museum - Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Connecticut has been important to the history of aviation because of its connection to engine development and manufacturing. The New England Air Museum has built on this connection and put together an amazing collection of aircraft. What makes this museum climb up to the list is their docent program. When we visited the docents were very friendly and provide you with a "private" tour of the aircraft if you are interested. The docents are encouraged to have you interact with the aircraft so they will open up many of the aircraft for you to sit in or to get behind the ropes and see the aircraft up close. The museum has a B29A-Superfortress that has restored with great detail and the docent will let you get inside the aircraft so you can see it in great detail. Sikorsky also has a big presence in the area so they have a great collection of helicopters. This is a hidden gem that you really have to see.
Read More - Coming Soon
SmokeJumper Visitor Center - Missoula, Montana
Every summer the American West does battle with mother nature to control outbreaks of fire in the forest. The men and women who serve as SmokeJumpers are the first on the scene of many fires in an attempt to control the fire quickly while they are small. These men and women jump out of aircraft into forests that are on fire to control the fire and preserve our natural resources. This museum teaches you all about SmokeJumper, how they train the equipment they use and the aircraft they fly in to reach the fires. This educational opportunity will inspire you and make you thankful for the people who serve as Smokejumpers.
Read More- Coming Soon
Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Ballon Museum - Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque New Mexico is known for its annual balloon festival. Located on the site where the mass ascension occurs each year, this museum is dedicated to the history of balloon flight and is very well done. While filling a specific niche, the exhibits include information about long distance balloon flights, the history of ballooning and a showcase of the ballooning festival in its home town of Albuquerque.
Read More - Coming Soon
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum/USS Yorktown
This museum is located on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in the port of Charleston, South Carolina. The combination of visiting the carrier and seeing this aircraft make this a fun stop when you are visiting Charleston. The aircraft collection is all military aircraft. In addition, the museum also allows you to tour a Navy destroyer and a submarine. This museum also provides programs to teach youth about aviation and has "sleep on board" programs where groups can actually sleep overnight on the carrier.
Read More - Coming Soon
Frontiers of Flight Museum - Dallas, TX
Located at Dallas Love Field Airport this museum gets the top billing for me in the Dallas Fort Worth area. One of the exhibits here is a full size 737 with the front half of the fuselage inside the building and the tail section sticking out of the building. There is a balance of commercial, general aviation, and military displays. There are also a lot of hands-on and educational exhibits to help you understand flight. Another special exhibit is on on the Tuskegee Airmen. A local historical highlight is the history of Braniff airline, which I can still remember as a kid.
Read More - Coming Soon
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
Evergreen aviation has been an important part of the history of aviation. This museums centerpiece is what brought me here for my visit. The main hangar houses the actual Spruce Goose built by Howard Hughes as a flying boar. You are actually able to see inside the plane to see the construction of the aircraft that used spruce wood which you can find in the surrounding forest. It is simply amazing to see the size of this aircraft and to think about it flying through the air. The museum also has a Titan Missle and SR-71.
Read More - Coming Soon
US Space and Rocket Center
I always wondered why Huntsville was such a big part of the space program until I got a chance to visit the US Space and Rocket Center. This museum is also the home to Space Camp so you have some pretty amazing exhibits related to space. Two stand out exhibits are the mock space station that lets you walk through the compartments that would be on the module and watch space camp students completing training and experiments on and around the station. This really provides you an idea about the size and the living conditions on the space station. The second exhibit that is impressive is the Saturn V hall where a full-size rocket is lying on its side, surrounded by exhibits telling about the history of the rocket motor assembly and fuels that is very fascinating. One might say that rockets are what really built Huntsville Alabama and this museum tells that story.
Read More- Coming Soon
Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum
The Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum is located east of the town of Pueblo Colorado near the airport. The museum is one of the largest collections in the state of Colorado and includes a Boeing B-29 Heavy Bomber in the main hanger. There are exhibits in two different hangers here, and aircraft on the outside as well. It is a pretty good museum for a town Pueblo's size and it is an enjoyable visit.
Read More - Coming Soon
CR Smith Museum - Ft. Worth Texas
This is a museum all about American Airline located in Fort Worth, Tx. It's mission is to preserve the history of American Airlines and to teach what it takes to run an airline. The highlight of the museum is a DC-3 Flagship which you can walk inside from tail to cockpit. There are some great historical exhibits describing how the airline has changed over the years. They focus on providing hands-on and interactive exhibits.
Read More - Coming Soon
Tillamook Air Museum
Located in the Oregon coastal town of Tillamook this museum makes for a great activity after you have been to the beach for a while. The museum building is a bit of history in and of itself. The hangar that houses the museum was one of 17 hangars built on this site to house blimps for anti-submarine patrol off the coast during Worlf War II. The collection of aircraft are interesting and it is a unique museum in a coastal town that is worth a visit.
Read More - Coming Soon
San Diego Air and Space Museum - San Diego, California
Located in Balboa Park the San Diego Air and Space museum provides visitors with a look at both air and space advancements through time. The Apollo 9 command module is located in the museum. Many of the other planes on display are mock-ups and reproductions. There is informative information throughout the museum and a great place to learn more about flight.
Cavanaugh Flight Museum - Addison, TX (DFW Area)
Located at the Addison airport in Addison, TX the Cavanaugh Museum is a collection of aircraft and armored vehicles with a primary emphasis on military service, with only 4 aircraft from the civilian service side. The aircraft span the time from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This museum does provide warbird rides in some aircraft.
Read More - Coming Soon
Bucket List:
Canada Aviation and Space Museum - Otawa, CA
National Museum of the US Air Force
National WASP WWII Museum - Sweetwater, TX
Planes have played many important roles in our history and have really made a lot of different events and advancements possible. Aviation museums are a great way to see actual aircraft and learn about the role they have had in our country, region or civilization. This post is a ranking of the air museums that I have visited and a bucket list of the museums that I still want to visit. The ranking is purely my opinion and this post will update as I visit other air museums on my travels. As the blog grows I hope to add separate pages for each museum, so look for the Read More link under each museum and be sure to click on it once I get it populated.
The Museum of Flight - Seattle, WA
Located at Boeing Field in Seattle Washington, it is no surprise that The Museum of Flight is on the top of my list. This has been one of my favorite air museums and I have visited it multiple times. The museum has an amazing collection of aircraft and is located on the tarmac of the Boeing Airfield which has some interesting air traffic come in and out of it. There is a permanent exhibit about the history of the Boeing aircraft company, as well a Boeing 707 that was Air Force One during the Eisenhower administration.
Read More - Coming Soon
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center - Chantilly, VA
When you think about the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum you probably think about the museum located on the National Mall in Washington DC. The challenge with the museum on the mall is space for aircraft and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the answer the Smithsonian came up with. Located near Dulles International Airport this museum provides them with the space to make a truly memorable experience. Located in the facility are some real gems of aviation including the Space Shuttle Discovery. The first aircraft that FedEx used is located here and there are many other items from the milestones of flight and space exploration located here. Also available here is a trip up to a mock control tower to learn about air traffic control. With its location next to Dulles, this makes a great spot to learn about air traffic control as you watch airplanes take off and land.
Read More - Coming Soon
Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour - Everett, WA
The highlight of the Future of Flight Aviation Center is the tour of the Everett Washington manufacturing facility. The tour is a behind the scenes look at the production of actual aircraft. You get to walk through the catwalks of the hangars where the aircraft assembly process is underway and see the plane being built from the beginning of assembling the cockpit to the final stages before it is rolled out of the hangar. The facility is massive and houses multiple aircraft as they are being built.
In addition, there is a great observation area available to watch planes take-off and land on the runway just outside the building. This is where we learned to say: "If it's not Boeing, were not going."
Read More - Coming Soon
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Washington, DC
If you like Aviation the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is an iconic location that requires you to make more than one pilgrimage to Washington D.C. This is one of the first air museums that I remember and it made a huge impact on my love of aviation. The collection is huge and there are historical aircraft everywhere you look. With a balance of early flight, military aviation, and space flight the museum is one of the best.
Read More - Coming Soon
Pima Air and Space Museum - Tuscon, AZ
The Pima Air and Space Museum is an expansive collection of aircraft from all sectors of aviation. With both indoor and outdoor exhibits you can enjoy many of the displays based on the season that you are visiting and the outdoor temperatures. One of the exhibits that really stands out for me was a B-17 bomber from WWII that was restored with great detail and when I visited there was a docent who had flown in one of the bombers during the war. Connected to the museum is the "Boneyard"/AMARG Tour where you get to take a bus in the boneyard for the US Air Force. Lots to see and do here.
Read More - Coming Soon
USS Midway Museum - San Diego, CA
With an easy to access location on the docks of the bay near downtown SanDiego, the USS Midway Museum is one of the best air museums located on an old aircraft carrier. They have refurbished the carrier nicely and opened up a great deal of the boat to provide you access to the galley, brig, sickbay, bridge, and flight rooms. The flight deck and parking level below are filled with military aircraft. There is a lot to see and do onboard this ship right in the middle of San Diego.
Read More - Coming Soon
New England Air Museum - Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Connecticut has been important to the history of aviation because of its connection to engine development and manufacturing. The New England Air Museum has built on this connection and put together an amazing collection of aircraft. What makes this museum climb up to the list is their docent program. When we visited the docents were very friendly and provide you with a "private" tour of the aircraft if you are interested. The docents are encouraged to have you interact with the aircraft so they will open up many of the aircraft for you to sit in or to get behind the ropes and see the aircraft up close. The museum has a B29A-Superfortress that has restored with great detail and the docent will let you get inside the aircraft so you can see it in great detail. Sikorsky also has a big presence in the area so they have a great collection of helicopters. This is a hidden gem that you really have to see.
Read More - Coming Soon
SmokeJumper Visitor Center - Missoula, Montana
Every summer the American West does battle with mother nature to control outbreaks of fire in the forest. The men and women who serve as SmokeJumpers are the first on the scene of many fires in an attempt to control the fire quickly while they are small. These men and women jump out of aircraft into forests that are on fire to control the fire and preserve our natural resources. This museum teaches you all about SmokeJumper, how they train the equipment they use and the aircraft they fly in to reach the fires. This educational opportunity will inspire you and make you thankful for the people who serve as Smokejumpers.
Read More- Coming Soon
Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Ballon Museum - Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque New Mexico is known for its annual balloon festival. Located on the site where the mass ascension occurs each year, this museum is dedicated to the history of balloon flight and is very well done. While filling a specific niche, the exhibits include information about long distance balloon flights, the history of ballooning and a showcase of the ballooning festival in its home town of Albuquerque.
Read More - Coming Soon
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum/USS Yorktown
This museum is located on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in the port of Charleston, South Carolina. The combination of visiting the carrier and seeing this aircraft make this a fun stop when you are visiting Charleston. The aircraft collection is all military aircraft. In addition, the museum also allows you to tour a Navy destroyer and a submarine. This museum also provides programs to teach youth about aviation and has "sleep on board" programs where groups can actually sleep overnight on the carrier.
Read More - Coming Soon
Frontiers of Flight Museum - Dallas, TX
Located at Dallas Love Field Airport this museum gets the top billing for me in the Dallas Fort Worth area. One of the exhibits here is a full size 737 with the front half of the fuselage inside the building and the tail section sticking out of the building. There is a balance of commercial, general aviation, and military displays. There are also a lot of hands-on and educational exhibits to help you understand flight. Another special exhibit is on on the Tuskegee Airmen. A local historical highlight is the history of Braniff airline, which I can still remember as a kid.
Read More - Coming Soon
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
Evergreen aviation has been an important part of the history of aviation. This museums centerpiece is what brought me here for my visit. The main hangar houses the actual Spruce Goose built by Howard Hughes as a flying boar. You are actually able to see inside the plane to see the construction of the aircraft that used spruce wood which you can find in the surrounding forest. It is simply amazing to see the size of this aircraft and to think about it flying through the air. The museum also has a Titan Missle and SR-71.
Read More - Coming Soon
US Space and Rocket Center
I always wondered why Huntsville was such a big part of the space program until I got a chance to visit the US Space and Rocket Center. This museum is also the home to Space Camp so you have some pretty amazing exhibits related to space. Two stand out exhibits are the mock space station that lets you walk through the compartments that would be on the module and watch space camp students completing training and experiments on and around the station. This really provides you an idea about the size and the living conditions on the space station. The second exhibit that is impressive is the Saturn V hall where a full-size rocket is lying on its side, surrounded by exhibits telling about the history of the rocket motor assembly and fuels that is very fascinating. One might say that rockets are what really built Huntsville Alabama and this museum tells that story.
Read More- Coming Soon
Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum
The Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum is located east of the town of Pueblo Colorado near the airport. The museum is one of the largest collections in the state of Colorado and includes a Boeing B-29 Heavy Bomber in the main hanger. There are exhibits in two different hangers here, and aircraft on the outside as well. It is a pretty good museum for a town Pueblo's size and it is an enjoyable visit.
Read More - Coming Soon
CR Smith Museum - Ft. Worth Texas
This is a museum all about American Airline located in Fort Worth, Tx. It's mission is to preserve the history of American Airlines and to teach what it takes to run an airline. The highlight of the museum is a DC-3 Flagship which you can walk inside from tail to cockpit. There are some great historical exhibits describing how the airline has changed over the years. They focus on providing hands-on and interactive exhibits.
Read More - Coming Soon
Tillamook Air Museum
Located in the Oregon coastal town of Tillamook this museum makes for a great activity after you have been to the beach for a while. The museum building is a bit of history in and of itself. The hangar that houses the museum was one of 17 hangars built on this site to house blimps for anti-submarine patrol off the coast during Worlf War II. The collection of aircraft are interesting and it is a unique museum in a coastal town that is worth a visit.
Read More - Coming Soon
San Diego Air and Space Museum - San Diego, California
Located in Balboa Park the San Diego Air and Space museum provides visitors with a look at both air and space advancements through time. The Apollo 9 command module is located in the museum. Many of the other planes on display are mock-ups and reproductions. There is informative information throughout the museum and a great place to learn more about flight.
Read More - Coming Soon
Cavanaugh Flight Museum - Addison, TX (DFW Area)
Located at the Addison airport in Addison, TX the Cavanaugh Museum is a collection of aircraft and armored vehicles with a primary emphasis on military service, with only 4 aircraft from the civilian service side. The aircraft span the time from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This museum does provide warbird rides in some aircraft.
Read More - Coming Soon
Bucket List:
Canada Aviation and Space Museum - Otawa, CA
National Museum of the US Air Force
National WASP WWII Museum - Sweetwater, TX
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