A List of Airplane, flight and Space Museums in California.
There are many airplane museums in California covering all aspects of
military aircraft and civilian aircraft as well. Many of these airplane
museums are at military bases including air force bases and army bases.
California is a great place to visit. C. Jeff Dyrek, webmaster.
Here's a complete list
of Air and Space Museums in California, Science museums and Museum
Exhibits.
If you have
any new museum or aircraft listings, deletions, or corrections, please
send E-Mail to the webmaster from the bottom of this page.
After almost nine years of planning
and working with the Navy and various local agencies, the San Diego Aircraft
Carrier Museum organization leaders will soon realize their vision ¦to
acquire Midway from the Navy and tow the ship to San Diego. The Midway
will complete her final tour of duty as a world-class naval history museum
and major tourist attraction at historic Navy Pier in the heart of downtown
San Diego.
To be known as Midway Magic, this will
not be just another carrier museum. In addition to paying considerable
tribute to the brave men and women who have served to protect this country's
shores, visitors will see an unparalleled collection of historical memorabilia,
aircraft on the flight deck, and breathtaking exhibits depicting famous
carrier battles. Visitors will also be able to "experience" many activities
of carrier life through state-of-the-art virtual reality technology. These
are just a few of the exciting things that will truly set Midway Magic
apart from other naval historic ship museums.
San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum 1355 North Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92101
March 21, 2003 -- The day is coming when Midway will begin her final tour of
duty on the South side of Navy Pier in San Diego. She will mark San Diego's
first major new visitor attraction in more than 20 years. She'll serve as the
cornerstone of the revitalized North Embarcadero, the gateway to downtown.
She'll join the Star of India and other historic and visitor attractions along
the waterfront.
We are currently planning to begin towing this great ship to San Diego from
Bremerton Washington later this summer. She will stop on the way and be spruced
up for her debut in San Diego in Fall 2003!
In addition, our museum planning committee has completed its plan for
opening-day, exhibits, features and demonstrations. In support of exhibits
aircraft restoration is underway! Our first aircraft, an E-2C, has been fully
restored. Work is also underway on our A-7 and A-6.
We have also begun collecting photographs and cruise books for exhibit aboard
MIDWAY. If you would like to consider donating artifacts to our collection,
visit our Web site
We look forward to welcoming you aboard,
San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum
1355 North Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 702-7700 www.midway.org
Click here: USS Midway
Click here: USS MIDWAY Museum - Home
Aircraft Carrier Hornet
CV-12 Museum Pier 3, Alameda Point
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 521-8448
Fax (510) 521-8327
Email: hornetok@aol.com
http://www.maritime.org/hnsa-hornet.htm
From the North take I-80 to 580 to
980 Oakland, Jackson St. exit, right on Jackson, right on 4th, right on
Broadway, dog-leg right to Alameda tunnel, out on Webster, right on Atlantic
to the gate of former Alameda Naval Air Station.
Aircraft Carrier
Air Force Flight Test Center
Museum 6500ABW/CCM
Edwards Air Force Base, CA 93523
805-277-8050
About 85 miles north of Los Angeles on hwy 14
About 5 Aircraft
The Air Museum "Planes of
Fame" 7000 Merrill Ave. Box 17
Chino, CA 91710
714-597-3722
Here are a couple more Aircraft Museums in Chino
I have no other information on them
The Fighter Jet museum The Yankee Air Museum
Commemorative Air
Force/Southern Cal. Wing at Camarillo CA airport Has just opened 1999 a new 3000+ sq. ft. museum
bldg. of WW 2 era aviation artifacts.
We also have several operational and "in restoration"
aircraft for public viewing. We have:
Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, C-46 Curtiss
Commando, B-25 Mitchell Bomber, SEVERAL SNJ/T-6 Trainers
Also a real, Japanese Zero for viewing/photos. For any desired further information contact
the Museum Director. Dave Long 805 482-0064 (airport)
Toropoo@gte.net ... www.orgsites.com/ca/caf-socal Some
more great photos from this museum
About
12 Aircraft
Classic Rotors Classic Rotors is located at Ramona Airport California
North East of San Diego on Rte 67
http://www.rotors.org/
Info thanks to Terry Robinson
More than 7 Helicopters Many of them Flyable, some are the only ones in existence today
Single Aircraft Display B-17 Flying Fortress Located just south of Visalia Ca. there is
a B-17 bomber sitting on the east side of Hwy 99. Went by the B-17 parked near Visalia on Saturday, June 26, 1999, it
is still there and intact.
Passing at 70 mph it looks as if it were flight ready. Information
thanks to John Cockayne
Webmasters Note; I remember seeing this
aircraft many times as I drove from Lemoore Naval Air Station to the races
at Tulare Fair Grounds. If you drive around the back roads, you can
get up next to it. Here's the latest news from Roger F. Schulze
The B-17 is located at the entrance to
Mefford Field (TLR), which is the airport for Tulare, California.
http://hiller.org/ This is a great website with the Aviation Explorer Scouts
About 22 Aircraft
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Visitor Center, 4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109
(818) 354-4321
Call at least One month before you plan to visit.
The Space Center gives only one tour per month and you must have a reservation.
C. Jeff Dyrek
Multiple Spacecraft
Joe Davies Heritage Airpark
Palmdale Plant 42 The Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Palmdale Plant 42
is located at 2001 E. Avenue P.
Visitors to the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Palmdale Plant
42 may view a collection of aircraft flown, tested, designed, produced or
modified at United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. The first five-acre
phase of the Airpark includes 13 planes on display
plus a scale model of the B-2 Spirit and a full-size U-2 horizontal stabilizer
and engine. Additionally, a C-46 is currently being restored. Over 40 different
aircraft may be on display when the park is fully built out.
Information from Robert West
13 Planes and Building to more than 40 Planes.
March Field Museum 22 AREFW/CVM
March Air force Base, CA 92518
714-655-3725
Southeast of Riverside CA
McClellan Aviation Museum McClellan Aviation Museum
3204 Palm Street
McClellan CA 95652
(916) 643-3192
North side of Sacramento
Our collection consists of 30 aircraft on static
display, over 5000 artifacts on rotating display and an aviation theme
Gift Shop that carries a wide variety of gifts for aircraft enthusiasts
of all ages.
Our hours of operation are: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Monday through Saturday and Noon to 4:00pm on Sunday. (Closed Thanksgiving,
Christmas, New Years Day and Easter)
We can be found by taking the Watt Ave. North
exit off of Hwy 80 to the former McClellan Air Force Base, enter the Palm
Gate and travel two blocks to the museum.
Webmasters Note:
I've been here before, and I didn't allow myself enough time to
really take a good look at all of the aircraft. Here you get to touch
these aircraft and take a real good look at every inch of them.
About 30 Aircraft
Moffett Field museum Moffett Field Historical Society Museum
P. O. Box 16
Moffett Field, CA 94035-0016
Telephone: (650) 603-9827
Email: moffetthistory@mail.arc.nasa.gov
The museum is located in historic Hangar One at
Moffett Airfield near Mountain View and Sunnyvale about 35 miles south
of San Francisco. From Highway 101, use the Moffett Field exit. Visitors
should call (650) 603-9827
Hangar One; The
Carol Henderson Room is devoted to capturing Moffett's history with books,
records, videos, posters, recordings and newspaper clippings;
The Carl Honaker Room displays the history of "Heavier-Than-Air" aircraft
at Moffett Field. The LTA (Lighter-Than-Air) Room is filled
with photographs, models, and memorabilia of the balloons, blimps, dirigibles
and people that made up the lighter than air era at Moffett
Field. The Macon Room displays a wonderful diorama of the U.S.S. Macon and
many aircraft of the 1920s to 1940.
Excerpts from a letter from
the Moffett Field Museum. Q: I have heard that the Hangars are so big that
when the doors are closed and the air-conditioning is down clouds would
form inside and it would actually rain. Is this true? Jeff Dyrek
A: I've heard that when atmospheric conditions were just
right, water would condense and rain down, although I've never actually
seen this (there is no air-conditioning in the hangar; it's way too big!).
Right now we get
rain inside the hangar because the roof leaks.
Also, most of the windows leak, so we are continually sopping up water
with towels when it rains. The hangar hasn't been repaired in years,
and it seems to me to be in poor shape. I imagine it would take millions
for a proper upgrade (certainly to bring it up to fire code), but the museum
doesn't have that kind of money. NASA, who owns the hangar, doesn't
want to spend any money on it; in fact, they would probably like to see
it torn down. But since it's a Historical Landmark, they can't do that!
Thanks again, Dave Black
NASA Ames Research Center Visitors Center
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA. 94035
415-604-6274
Located at the very southern part of the San
Francisco Bay next to Moffett Field Naval Air Station.
Various Aircraft, Spacecraft and Future
type aircraft wind tunnel models
NASA Ames-Dryden Flight
Research Facility P.O. Box 273
Edwards, CA. 93523
805-258-3446
Located near Roseamond CA about 90 miles north
of L.A.
About 8 Aircraft
P A C I F I C
C O A S T A I R M U S E U M 2230 Becker Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-575-7900 Phone
Pacificcoastairmuseum.org
Museum Hours: Every Tuesday and Thursday from
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Display Days: Every Third
Weekend of Each Month, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m..
Admission: $5.00 Donation Accepted -- Children
Admitted Free
Information thanks to Barney
Hagen
About ? Aircraft
Palm Springs Air Museum 745 North Gene Autry Trail
Palm Springs, California 92262
760-778-6262 ext:222
Email: sales@air-museum.org
http://air-museum.org/ Location
Located on the north side of the Palm Springs
Airport, the Air Museum is housed in an impressive new structure that includes
the two main display halls and hangars, theatre, gift shop, ramp
and airport access or flight demonstrations and visiting planes,
research library, simulator and education center.
Information thanks to C. Duncan
Welch
About 66 Aircraft
San Diego Aerospace Museum 2001 Pan American Plaza
Balboa Park
San Diego, CA. 92101
619-234-8291
http://www.AerospaceMuseum.org/
Travis Air Force Museum Travis Air force Base, CA.94535
707-424-5605
About 40 miles east of San Francisco near Fairfield
on Hwy. 80
Please Note: Due to security restrictions, visitors
must obtain a pass at the Main Gate Visitor’s Center. You must have
someone with a military/government ID to provide escort services.
Call the visitor center first at (707) 424-1462 to inquire about current
security conditions for that day! Visitors carrying an active duty or
military identification or have approved BASE ACCESS do not require a
pass.
Western Aerospace Museum 8260 Boeing Street, Building #621
Post Office Box 14264
North Field, Oakland Airport
Oakland, California 94614
Tel: (510) 638-7100 Fax: (510) 638-6530
http://www.aerospace.org/wamhome.htm
About 4 Aircraft
Western Museum of Flight 12016 Prairie Ave.
Hawthorne, CA 90250
310-332-6228
This is located in the Northwest corner of the Hawthorne Airport
in El Segundo...which is the home field for Northrop Aircraft. It's small
(only half a dozen planes on display), but loaded with cool, historic memorabilia...and
one of the two YF-23 prototypes.
Information from Mark Morris
About 6 Aircraft with two Super Rare YF-23
Prototypes
Wings of History Air Museum street address: 12777 Murphy Avenue, San Martin, California USA
mailing address: PO Box 495, San Martin, CA
95046-0495
phone: (408) 683-2290
fax: (408) 683-2291
Museum Hours: Saturday and Sunday 11am - 4pm
http://www.wingsofhistory.org/ The Wings Of History Air Museum
is located in San Martin, California adjacent to the South County Airport.
About 4 Aircraft
North
Pole Expedition 2002 Last spring the North Pole temperature was only -1 degree F. We flew an ultralight, 6 balloon pilots logged their North
Pole flights, We had five jumpers who entered their jumps in their logbooks, there was a man in a wheelchair who made it to the pole, We had several helicopters, a home built airplane, a jet and an An-2 Biplane there. Everyone got to visit Star City
(Russia's NASA) the Kremlin Armory, and Red Square. The Expedition members
flew in Russian Military aircraft including the An-24, An-74, and the Mi-8.
They also visited the city of Khatanga and saw the Woolly Mammoth Digs, and
Shrednij Island'sRussian, formerly secret, ICBM base and more. The trip was inexpensiveand you can go to the north pole site
or go with us next year by clicking here
Propaganda Art was used by forces on all sides in WW2 as well as all wars in
history. This kind of art gave pride to the citizens of those countries
who produced it and gave a unity in support of the wars. This exhibit is
an excellent example of Japanese Propaganda art.
