✈Where is the museum located?
The museum is located at 1100 Spaatz St. inside the Wright Patterson Air Force Base. This area of the base is open to the public.
✈When is the museum open?
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. every day. The museum is closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
✈How much is admission?
The museum has free admission, however there are paid attractions and experiences.
Guests are charged admission for the museum’s IMAX-screen theater, which plays various military-themed documentaries, alongside occasional blockbuster movies.
Several motion simulators are also placed throughout the museum, offering experiences for both families and thrill seekers. Guests can also take control of aircraft in an interactive simulator or put on a headset for a virtual reality-enhanced experience.
There is also a gift shop near the entrance, where guests can purchase Air Force themed memorabilia.
✈What can I bring inside?
The museum allows guests to bring in strollers, diaper bags, service animals, purses, camera bags and water bottles up to 20 ounces. Backpacks are also permitted, but are subject to search.
Guests are not allowed to bring any weapons (including concealed carry), food, box cutters, soda, alcohol or coolers inside the museum.
✈What are the exhibits?
Each of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force’s four buildings contains several galleries themed to a specific era of theme.
The first of these, the Early Years Gallery, features aircraft from the first days of flight, through World War I and up to the onset of World War II. The World War II Gallery features aircraft from both the European and Pacific Theaters, as well as exhibits explaining various aspects of the war.
This includes a newly-renovated area showcasing the history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots program.
The latter half of the 20th century is represented in the Cold War Gallery, Korean War Gallery and the Southeast Asia War Gallery, which focuses on the conflict commonly referred to as the Vietnam War.
Guests can also visit the Presidential Gallery, which contains various planes used by former U.S. presidents, a large silo containing decommissioned missiles and a space-themed gallery featuring a recreated space shuttle.
Smaller exhibits are also placed throughout the museum. These include Prejudice and Memory: A Holocaust Exhibit, a display of service flags and pins, a Medal of Honor exhibit and more.
✈What are some famous aircraft in the museum?
In the Early Years exhibit, guests will see the Wright 1909 Military Flyer, the first military aircraft. The World War II Gallery contains planes such as the Boeing B-17F "Memphis Belle" and Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Bockscar," the plane which dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki in August 1945.
The famous Lockheed SR-71A “Blackbird” can be found in the museum’s Cold War Gallery. In the nearby Space Gallery, the Apollo 15 Command Module is on display, used by NASA in the 1971 mission to the moon. In the Korean War Gallery, guests can walk inside a Douglass C-124 Globemaster II plane.
Credit: David A. Moodie
Credit: David A. Moodie
✈What can guests do outside?
Outside of the museum, there are additional aircraft for guests to see, as well as a park featuring a number of war memorials near the entrance.
✈What are the food options?
There are two major restaurants inside the museum. The Valkyrie Café, located near the entrance, serves a large collection of made-to-order food. Its menu consists of hot dogs, sandwiches, chicken tenders, hamburgers and more. This restaurant is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.
Overlooking the Cold War Gallery, the Launchpad Shop N’ Snack is the smaller food venue. Its menu consists of cold sandwiches, beverages and snacks. This restaurant is open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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For more information about the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, visit nationalmuseum.af.mil.
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