Seattle area museums

danord · **Joined:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:22 am **Posts:** 2

I need some help. This is my first post but I'm a long time lurker on this sight. I will be traveling from Fairbanks AK to Las Vegas shortly. I'll be passing through Seattle early next week and should be able to spend the morning checking out one (maybe two) of the aviation museums/attractions in the area. I would like to spend more time and hit them all but my travel plans will not allow it. Which one should be on the "must visit" list? I tend to focus on warbirds and military aviation but also have a soft spot for old propliners too. I'll be traveling with my wife and 10 year old daughter. Luckily they also enjoy (or at least tolerate) my passion for aircraft and aviation. Which museum would be better suited for kids? I've checked out the various web sites but thought I'd enlist the help of those who have actually visited or perhaps even work at the museums. Also we'll be taking Interstate-5 down through WA, OR and CA before cutting over to NV. Is there anything close to the interstate I could/should peel off and see? Thanks.

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:58 am

Hi Dan,
Welcome to WIX posting! We have a number of WIX members in the area whose insight would be better than mine, but here goes. Biggest museum is the Museum of Flight; pretty kid friendly, good for a full day. The MoF restoration shop is at the other end of town, and isn't set up for kids, but the staff there were very friendly when we attended. The Paul Allan Flying Heritage Collection is more compact, being one big hangar, if you were aiming for best effort for limited time, but apart from being very shiny I wouldn't say it was the best for kids. If you can make a flyday that'd be different of course.

HTH!

WallyB · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:53 am

If pressed for time, the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field is the one must-see. The others are at Everett which is further North (a bit more than the "other end of town"

) and Arlington which is even further.

On the drive down, McMinnville isn't too far off I-5 but Tillamook is likely too big a detour.
Other than that there's a small museum (kind of) at Lancaster Ca. which may or may not be open, and if you're going that way stop off at Mojave. No museum per se but some interesting planes and a lot of stored/derelict airliners.

Speedy · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:50 am

The Museum of Flight is a more 'generic' Museum with a wide variety of stuff--space, airliners, warbirds, etc. The Personal Courage Wing is pretty impressive (mostly made up of the ex-Champlin collection) even though most of the WWI aircraft are replicas. But as was said, this musuem is family-friendly.

Paine Field is more hard-core with Historic Flight Foundation, Flying Historic Collection, and the MoF restoration facility to go to....but that's an all-day thing to get everything in.

Brian Reynolds has the Olympic Flight Museum in Olympia, about an hour south of Seattle. A bit smaller, but more intimate. And if you do your trip after April, stop by and you can get Pilgrim to entertain you with stories all day.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:53 am

Welcome to the WIX. This link should give you some more info. http://aerialvisuals.ca/Locator.php

StangStung · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 11:36 am

I'd echo what those here have already said given the parameters you've stated: Museum of Flight is your place. It's a day's worth of looking easily, and it's very kid friendly.

Come back and spend the day driving around the Paine Field attractions. I'll add one more thing that hasn't been mentioned: If you go to Paine Field, the Boeing Factory tours leave from a large new facility touted as a county museum (I believe it's on the north end of the field, but I'm sure the locals will correct me if I'm wrong). Lots of hands on stuff for the kids and all the Boeing knick-knacks you could possibly imagine in the gift shop. But that's likely for another time.

As referenced, if you go to the Museum of Flight, you can't go wrong.

JohnB · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 12:08 pm

In addition to the "Big Names" don't forget the Skagit Museum in Bellingham, they have a first rate collection of antique light civil aircraft
http://skagitaero.com/

and the Olympic Collection...with airworthy warbirds and nice static aircraft.

And there are others...could someone addd them for my next trip to the Seattle area.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:22 pm

JohnB,
The Skagit (in Skagit County) museum is East on Hwy 20 from Sedro Wooley about 25 miles of two lane, nice collection of some fairly obscure types that mostly all are airworthy plus a restoration facility, (the airport has a teeny tiny little sign half way up a fir tree pointing to the airport) and Sedro is about 60 miles South of Bellingham on I-5, Bill Anders' Heritage Flight museum is located on KBLI (in Whatcom County) and right off I-5 in North-ish Bellingham. The rest of Bellingham doesn't want you in their town which is why getting TO downtown is such a hassle.

The State Patrol can hide under bottle caps South of Bellingham and can do a 'gottcha' in seconds, so stick to the speed limit until you get closer to Seattle and watch out for the Canadian truckers hauling containers who figure three feet behind you @ 60 + is just the right distance, kinda like Ancorage traffic.

Olympic Museum is also right off I-5 @ Black Lake Exit in Olympia, big on helos

JohnB · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 5:18 pm

Which one does General Anders (ex-astronaut and GD CEO) run?

The Inspector · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:09 pm

Bill Anders Heritage Flight Museum in KBLI, P-51D VALL-HALLA, AD4 ALL AMERICAN, VNAF T-28, restoring an F89 found in Montana that Bill used to fly, several other neat things going on. Anders is the guy who took the iconic 'big blue marble' photo of earth as APOLLO 8 came around from the backside of the Moon in spite of what Borman says.

Olympic has a great collection of mostly flying VN era copter warbirds, the WADNR bases it's AH-1 COBRA firefighters there over winter, the museum has a double ALLISON (W-3420) and other interesting objects and aircraft.

spookythecat · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:35 pm

For the time you have The Museum of Flight is my recommendation.

StudeDave · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:28 pm

I agree with what's been posted to this point.
If close to I5 is what you're after- the hands down winner is~

http://www.heritageflight.org/content/

Being about ten miles away, I might be a bit bias though. :roll:

Be sure to check their hours, though. That might be a deal breaker for you.

As for 'entertainment' value (for those traveling with you) you can't go wrong at Paine Field.
It's just that once you get there- you'll wanna take it ALL in- and there's lots to see!!!
It is very hard to make a 'quick' trip to Paine...

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:52 pm

spookythecat wrote:

For the time you have The Museum of Flight is my recommendation.

Listen to this man. HAHA. Al was our tour guide when we were out there. There is so much cool stuff to see in aviation, plus the city itself is really cool. One really cool model shop (two is you count Al's private stash)

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3333

Do the Museum of Flight, you won't be disappointed. A nice modern building, with a good selection of aircraft on display. Interactive displays for the kids, and a cafe where you can sit and watch the airliners coming and going on flight test from Boeing Field. And if you're game enough to brave the inevitable Seattle rain, there's a bridge across the road to an open-air display of airliners including a Connie and a Concorde, plus the prototypes of the 737 and 747. Oh, and a nice new building just big enough for a Space Shuttle.

Speedy · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:14 pm

mustangdriver wrote:

One really cool model shop (two is you count Al's private stash)

Before or after American Eagles closed it's doors?

The only decent one left is Skyway Hobbies.

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