your favorite museums list

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:37 pm

Hello,

Let's compile a list of museums. I was going to ask what are your top 10 favorite air museums. But maybe it would be best to just ask what museums are in your area for those interested to visit? You may include museums that might not be particularly an air museum, but I know some local museums and armory museums sometimes have aviation artifacts on display. So list any and every museum that might be noteworthy to airplane buffs, thanks!

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:47 pm

Hi Nathan,
I started a project similar to this awhile ago, but it's slow in development. I need lists of aircraft at each museum. Once I get that I can proceed at a quicker pace.

http://museums.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/

K5DH · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:28 pm

SCOTT,

PM sent

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:38 pm

The top 10 museums I have visited:

National Museum of the USAF - Nowhere else I have been even remotely compares to it. I've always found the amount of heat this museum gets on here odd. I defy anyone to visit and not come away impressed. The size, amount and type of displays are staggering. It's also impossible for me to leave without buying something new from the bookstore. And it's FREE.

Military Aviation Museum - A lot of rare airworthy aircraft you don't see too often elsewhere. The airshow is the best time to visit. Getting to see those aircraft operate from a grass strip is priceless. I went twice when I lived in North Carolina for work and am going to prioritize a return trip in the near future.

Fagen Fighters WWII Museum - The level of authenticity in the restored aircraft is superb. Awesome setting with the quonset hut, WWII era control tower, etc.

Canadian Warplane Heritage - The only museum I've visited where I've gotten to see many of the rare RAF and RCAF types. Getting to view flyable aircraft while undergoing maintenance and getting to see the restorations of the Tracker, Avenger and Bolingbroke were great.

Kalamazoo Air Zoo - My hometown museum. For nostalgic reasons, it will never be as good as it was when I was a kid and a lot of the collection was airworthy. It's still a great museum and they're always restoring something the public can view.

Valiant Air Command - This one surprised me. I never knew how extensive the collection was until I visited. If you like Cold War era jets, they have something for you. Their jets are remarkably complete, which you don't see everywhere.

MAPS Air Museum - I've got a real soft spot for this place. It reminds me of Yankee before the fire. If you like a hangar packed full of airplanes without all kinds of sign boards everywhere, this is the place for you. It's been fun to check in on the B-26 the last couple years and they're another museum that does awesome work on Cold War jets.

Tennessee Museum of Aviation - Everyone knows about the Thunderbolts, but there are some other interesting aircraft on display.

Yankee Air Museum - I'm really excited to see what the museum is like once it is housed in the Ford plant. Nice to see the museum acquiring aircraft and getting some of the former outdoor displays up to snuff. They've certainly packed the current building they're using.

South Dakota Air and Space Museum - Nearly all of the aircraft are outdoors, but are well cared for. If you're ever road-tripping through the Black Hills area, it's worth a stop.

I moved to the West Lafayette, Ind. area about a month ago and haven't found much that would be of interest to aviation buffs. There are some landmarks and statues on the campus of Purdue, but not much in the way of museums. I was disappointed to see that the Ropkey Armor Museum in Crawfordsville had closed. Grissom Air Museum is about an hour away. I was going to visit before the museum closed for the winter, but didn't have time. I haven't been able to visit in about five years.

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:55 pm

Just museums I visited worth seeing. Most museums/all have something unique to offer it's guests. Not only do I like aircraft to look at, but I enjoy informational displays, and other artifacts to look at.

1.Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, Elmira NY:
The museum has changed throughout the years and have downsized their collection. They are mostly about science and space subjects now. But they still have a nice collection of aircraft. They have aircraft in some unique paint scheme and markings-and I like that a lot. I think their RB-57A is tops, and their TBM Avenger is VERY nice. Inside their display walls display a timeline in aviation history and it's very nicely done. Lots of pictures, lots of engines on display. I highly suggest a stop.

2. National Warplane Museum, Geneseo NY:
A nice collection of aircraft and one of the best airshows in the country. B-17 Movie Memphis Belle is home to and it's always nice to hang out with a B-17.

3.Eagles Mere Air Museum, Eagles Mere Pa:
Lots of Golden era aircraft THAT FLY! Located deep in the woods, in the most Way off part of Pa, the county has only one red light.

4. USS Intrepid Museum, New York NY:
Was there when I was a kid and I can't remember having so much fun, to be able to walk around on an US Navy aircraft carrier. Lots of cool aircraft. Although when I visited the aircraft looked a bit ragged.

5. Canadian Warplane Museum:
No where else can you get to see so many Commonwealth aircraft types. A truly first class museum. They even took the Avro Lancaster up the day I was there.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2017 3:52 pm

Here is a museum listing I maintain that might help in recalling just what museums everyone has visited down thru the years . www.warbirdalley.com/museum.htm

BigGrey · **Posted:** Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:24 pm

Planes of Fame in Chino is my favorite because I spent plenty of time there.
The only real fix I can get in this area is the Cactus Wings and Wheels Museum at Carson City Airport here in Nevada.

http://www.cactusairforce.com/

The website is a little dated and they have added aircraft and a helicopter since the lists were put up such as an airworthy CH-46E. They have added quite a bit of additional military vehicles also. They can be tough to get to unless you have airport access. They don't have set hours but if you can get on the airport and the hangar is open or vehicles are in front they will let you in and show you around as they are great welcoming folks.

Pogmusic · **Posted:** Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:41 am

Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, GA - multiple aircraft with many of the large ones in-doors.
Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, FL - It has a small A/C collection but, the weapons collection is worth the trip. WW II A/C (B-17, B-25, P-47, P-51)
Army Aviation Museum, Ft Rucker, AL

Jesse C. · **Posted:** Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:54 am

San Diego Air and Space Museum - http://sandiegoairandspace.org/ What can I say, it's my home museum!
Planes of Fame - http://www.planesoffame.org/
March Field Air Museum - https://www.marchfield.org/
Pima Air and Space Museum - http://www.pimaair.org/

florida.warbirds · **Joined:** Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:25 am **Posts:** 158

Here is my list of visited museums:

1. Central Air Force Museum, Monino
2. USAF Museum, Dayton
3. Naval Air Museum, Pensacola
4. Planes of Fame, Chino
5. Smithsonian Air and Space, Washington DC
6. Hazy Center, Dulles
7. Chinese Aviation Museum, north of Bejing
8. Fantasy of Flight, Polk City
9. Garber Facility, Silver Hill
10. Army Aviation Museum, Dothan
11 Yanks Air Museum, Chino

and I left a lot of good ones.

hbtcoveralls · **Joined:** Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:51 pm **Posts:** 151

Certainly not high profile, but I think the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading PA should be on everyone's list

It's a relatively small museum run by volunteers and not a deep pocket's individual collection

Some of the preserved aircraft are very unique, including a Vickers Viscount and Martin 404

The military aircraft are well represented including TBM, B25, Neptune, SNJ, R4-D

And of course the centerpiece of the collection is the P-61B now on it's gear and with engines hung.

I visited in September and it really is worth a stop

Tom Bowers

Pogo · **Posted:** Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:56 pm

Pat Carry wrote:

Here is a museum listing I maintain that might help in recalling just what museums everyone has visited down thru the years . http://www.warbirdalley.com/museum.htm

VERY COOL website!!

BK · **Joined:** Sun Oct 09, 2005 4:23 pm **Posts:** 584

Once I got to thinking about it I haven't been to that many aviation museums considering how many airshows I've gone too.
Anyway those I've visited:

-National Museum of the USAF, Dayton, OH - The best of the best of aviation museums.

-Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, GA - Second only to the NMUSAF in size and scope. I did go before they downsized.

-Smithsonian Air and Space, Washington DC - Granted I haven't been since the year after it opened when I was about 10 years old. Loaded with the most famous of aircraft.

-Canadian Warplane Museum, Hamilton, Ontario - First museum I visited with many Commonwealth aircraft. At their airshow many Merlin powered aircraft flew and not a single Mustang.

-Temora Aviation Museum, Temora, Australia - Commonwealth/CAC aircraft and everything flies. The collection includes several only flying examples in the country (Spitfires, Meteor) or in the world (Lockheed Hudson, Boomerang).

-The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL - Not an aviation museum but it has an impressive collection of aircraft. Only one other museum in the world has a complete German Stuka. Other aircraft include a Battle of Britain veteran Spitfire Mk 1A, Boeing 40B (1 of 2 surviving), Jenny JN-4, Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship (1 of 5 built), a Boeing 727 and a impressive Space related collection - Apollo 8 Command Module, Aurora 7 Mercury capsule, and assorted Apollo era artifacts. Oh and to cap it off a WWII German U-Boat that you can walk through.

-Grissom Air Museum, Peru, IN - Lots of Cold War/large aircraft all outside.

-Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Mt Pleasant, SC - Home of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown which contains a collection of aircraft spanning WWII through the modern era.

-Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, IL - Closed now, but had a nice collection especially of large aircraft,

-Tennessee Museum of Aviation, Sevierville, TN - My local museum. Most famous for having a matched pair of flying P-47 Thunderbolts. The museum got me back into aviation and I made several friends and met fellow Wixers there.

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Fri Dec 01, 2017 2:22 pm

Pat Carry wrote:

Here is a museum listing I maintain that might help in recalling just what museums everyone has visited down thru the years . http://www.warbirdalley.com/museum.htm

Great Pat, now my list is 500 times as long.... :shock:

Great job btw, that list is great

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