10 Best Aviation Museums Around the U.S.

Smithsonian Air & Space museum — Photo:
Victoria Chamberlain/Travel + Leisure

In this contemporary age of commercial aviation, it's easy to forget just how amazing it is that we can fly around the globe with ease. And that's why it's so important to visit aviation museums across the country. All 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., have at least one institution dedicated to flying, whether that's a major air and space museum, an aviation hall of fame, or an exhibit about various flight-adjacent topics, like famous aviators or iconic airlines.

To help you narrow down which ones are worth a visit, we've picked 10 of our favorites, with input from aviation historian Shea Oakley and aviation expert Dan Bubb, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and former airline pilot. "It's hard to select one museum because there are so many that are fascinating," Bubb tells Travel + Leisure. But we've tried our best — check out our picks for the top aviation museums in the U.S. below.

Meet the Expert

Shea Oakley is an aviation historian and the executive director emeritus at the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey.

Dan Bubb is a former airline pilot and a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who specializes in commercial aviation and airport history.

01 of 10

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

"For me, as for most people interested in aviation, the ultimate destination is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, found in two locations: one in a modern building on the Mall in downtown Washington D.C., and one in a huge hangar-like structure on the outskirts of Washington Dulles International Airport," says Oakley. "From the original Wright Flyer, to the Concorde, to the Space Shuttle, these two buildings house perhaps the most famous and significant air and spacecraft collection on the planet."

Admission to both facilities is free, but at the Mall location of the National Air and Space Museum, you must reserve a timed ticket to enter. It's also worth noting that parking costs $15 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the location near Dulles. There's so much to see between the two buildings, you might need to visit on back-to-back days to get through everything. "For sure, the Smithsonian is a great place to see aviation history," adds Bubb.

02 of 10

TWA Museum, Kansas City, Missouri

First flown in late 1938, the Boeing 307 was the first airliner with a pressurized fuselage. It could carry 33 passengers in great comfort and cruise at 6,096 meters (20,000 feet), while maintaining a cabin pressure of 2,438 meters (8,000 feet). This enabled the Stratoliner to fly above most bad weather, thereby providing a faster and smoother ride. The Stratoliner incorporated the wings, tail, and engines of the Boeing B-17C bomber. The wide fuselage was fitted with sleeper berths and reclining seats. Ten Stratoliners were built. The prototype was lost in an accident, but five were delivered to TWA — Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

Bubb also recommends a visit to the TWA Museum in Kansas City. One of the world's most famous airlines, Trans World Airlines (TWA) operated from 1930 to 2001, and the TWA Museum is dedicated to honoring the legacy of the airline through exhibits about its history and displays of TWA artifacts and memorabilia. So why is this museum located in Kansas City? On TWA's multi-stop transcontinental route between New York and L.A. (remember, planes couldn't fly all that far in the early years), Kansas City was one of the stops where guests overnighted. Plus, TWA briefly had its headquarters in the city.

While you're in town, don't miss the chance to visit the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in nearby Atchinson, Kansas, which celebrates the legendary aviator through 14 interactive exhibits. The museum is also home to the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft — the same type of aircraft Earhart flew on her final flight. Atchinson is less than an hour outside Kansas City, and it's where Earhart was born.

03 of 10

Intrepid Museum, New York, New York

A boy looks into the cockpit of a US Navy helicopter during a visit to the USS Bataan on Memorial Day on May 30, 2022 in New York City. — Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Sailing up the Hudson River along Manhattan, you might notice the absolutely massive aircraft carrier docked at Pier 86 — this is the Intrepid Museum. The USS Intrepid entered service in 1943, seeing action in the Pacific theater of World War II, before ultimately being decommissioned in 1974. But don't fret, the vessel now has a second life as a museum, housing important planes like a Concorde and spacecraft like the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

04 of 10

National Museum of the United States Air Force, Riverside, Ohio

The Special Air Mission (SAM) 26000, U.S. President John F. Kennedy's Air Force One, sits on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in the Presidential Gallery — Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

This museum was founded more than 100 years ago — in 1923, to be exact — originally as a collection of aircraft for engineering study. Today, it's the oldest and largest military aviation museum, with more than 360 aircraft as well as other artifacts and memorabilia. The museum spans 20 acres of indoor exhibits, so be prepared to spend quite a bit of time here. Highlights include a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress named The Memphis Belle, an SR-71A spy plane known as the Blackbird, and a former Air Force One, a Boeing VC-137C.

05 of 10

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon

General view of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum — George Rose/Getty Images

If you've seen the film “The Aviator,” you might be familiar with a plane called the Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known as the Spruce Goose. The world's largest wooden airplane (ironically made from birch, not spruce), the Spruce Goose has a wingspan of 319 feet, 11 inches and a length of 218 feet, 8 inches. It only flew once — for just 30 seconds, covering half a mile — in 1947, with aviation legend Howard Hughes behind the controls. That aircraft can be found here, at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, alongside more than 150 aviation and space exhibits.

06 of 10

The Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington

The Museum of Flight, located at Boeing Field south of downtown — George Rose/Getty Images

Seattle's Museum of Flight has an impressive roster of aircraft in its collection, including a Concorde; a Boeing 707 Air Force One used by presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon; a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress; a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress; and the first-ever Boeing 747. (If you weren't aware, Boeing was headquartered in Washington State, hence the museum's extensive Boeing collection.) The museum also has a memorial park for Vietnam War veterans, a space shuttle trainer that was used for astronaut training, and flight simulators for visitors to enjoy.

07 of 10

EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

P-51 Mustang taxis onto the runway — Vipre77/Getty Images

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) runs this museum in Wisconsin, which has more than 200 historic aircraft in its collection, spanning war birds, home-built aircraft, experimental aircraft, and commercial aircraft. But it's not just about the displays here — you can actually see historic planes fly. Each summer, hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts gather in Oshkosh for the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow, which has both static displays and flight demonstrations. If you're not in town for AirVenture, don't worry. There are various flight demonstrations throughout the year at Pioneer Airport, adjacent to the museum.

08 of 10

San Diego Air & Space Museum, San Diego, California

Plane at the San Diego Air & Space museum — Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

"The San Diego Air & Space Museum is a fun place to visit," says Bubb. Part of the monumental Balboa Park complex of museums, this institution is known not only for its aircraft, but its in-depth exhibits of famous aviators, including the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, and Amelia Earhart, as well as its extensive library and archives. Don't miss the flight simulators — they allow you to experience the aerobatics of aerial combat. For something a little easier on the body, there's also the 3D/4D Zable Theater.

09 of 10

Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona

There are more than 400 aircraft at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona, spanning the full spectrum of aviation history from a Wright Flyer to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The planes are spread out across 400 acres, so it's best to join a tram tour to see as much as you can. You can also book private tours to explore specific themes in depth, whether you want to focus on World War II aircraft used in Europe, foreign aircraft, or Boeing airliners. Pima is also home to the world's largest aircraft boneyard — while you can't enter it as a member of the public, you can see many of the planes from the perimeter.

10 of 10

National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida

National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola Florida — Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

You might associate the Navy with ships rather than aircraft, but aviation is a key component of this branch of the military. This free-entry museum honors naval aviators with a display of more than 150 restored aircraft, including some used by the famous U.S. Navy Blue Angels demonstration team — you can even catch some of their practice sessions here. Between flight simulators and cockpit trainers, there's plenty of hands-on fun to be found at this Pensacola, Florida institution.