The World’s Largest Aviation Museum in Dayton, Ohio

Updated August 2024

Dayton, Ohio, is home to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. This museum is the largest and oldest aviation museum in the world! I’ve had the pleasure of visiting and can assure you that it is massive and definitely worth the full day’s visit! We spent an entire day exploring aircraft, engines, space, missiles, and more. The National Museum of USAF is great for adults and children of all ages!

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What To See and Do at the Air Force Museum

There is plenty to see here, with more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space!  Exhibits contain aircraft and thousands of historical items from the Wright brothers’ early years, World War I and II, the Korean War, the Southeast Asian War, and the Cold War. There are also galleries that highlight Space, Missiles, Presidential aircraft, and special exhibits. Outside, you’ll find an Air Park featuring aircraft exhibits, a playground, and a Memorial Park (featuring over 500 memorial displays).

There are several hands-on activities for both kids and adults.  Some of these include:

• Watch a movie in the Air Force Museum Theatre.
• Take a ride in an interactive flight simulator, The Movie Ride, or the VR Transporter.
• There are Self-Guided Scavenger Hunts for kids. They are available for pick up near the entrance to Building 4 from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Homeschool STEM Days are free and available for children ages 3-18 and their parents.
• Touch and Guided Tours are offered for those with special needs.
• Walk onto a full-size representation of a NASA space shuttle payload bay in the Space Gallery.
• Hands-on computer games and interactive exhibits throughout the museum.

Education opportunities for students include:

• Intro to Becoming a Pilot for ages 14-18. A free, 6-session course consists of Ground School and training at a flight simulator.
• CyberPatriot and Cyber Camp opportunities for grades 7-12. Courses and camps to inspire students towards careers in cybersecurity.
• ARC Rocket Team is another free program for students ages 6-12. It’s the world’s largest rocket contest.
• Summer Aerospace Camps are free, one-day camps for grades 5-6.

In addition, the aviation museum has a collection of rotating exhibits that are temporary, traveling, and new. 

Faces of Holocaust Exhibit

One of the most somber exhibits at the National Museum is the Prejudice & Memory: A Holocaust Exhibit. It features photographs, artifacts, and memories of people (concentration camp survivors and their families, liberators, and “righteous Gentiles” {non-Jews who helped Jews during the Holocaust}) who live in the Dayton, Ohio area.

Admission

Admission is FREE—that’s right, free for the entire family. Parking and Wi-Fi are free, too! The flight simulators and Air Force theatres do cost extra. This is such a great, affordable outing for families (and one of our favorites!).

Although the Air Force operates the museum through government-appropriated funds, the Air Force Museum Foundation operates the Museum Store, Digital 3D Theatre, and simulators, including Interactive Flight Simulators, MovieRide, and Virtual Reality Transporter, as well as Valkyrie and Refueling Cafés. Proceeds are used to support museum activities and to remodel or expand museum facilities. “Friends of the Air Force Museum,” created by the foundation in 1978, is an organization of aviation enthusiasts who support the museum. For an annual fee, members receive a quarterly Friends Journal, discounts in the Museum Store, and other benefits. (Copied from the National Museum of USAF website)

Food and drinks are not allowed in the museum, but sealed bottled water is allowed. You may keep them in your car and pack a picnic bag for the outdoor picnic areas. All visitors will have to go through a metal detector at the entry, and bags may be subject to a search and scan through an X-ray machine. All weapons, including pocket knives, are prohibited. Photos and videos are encouraged (tripods are allowed).

Hours and Location

The National Air Museum is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month). It is Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is located at 1100 Spaatz Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433

Dining Options

We usually pack our lunch and eat in the car or in the museum’s outdoor picnic areas. However, they do have dining options available for breakfast and lunch! The Valkyrie Cafe and Refueling Cafe both offer muffins and danishes for breakfast and a variety of options for lunch, such as pizza, hot dogs, burgers, soups, salads, snacks, and drinks.

Tips for Visiting

• Children under 14 need adult supervision, but children aged 14-18 may tour the museum without supervision.
• There are a limited number of free wheelchairs, motorized carts, and strollers available, but they are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Free guided tours are offered daily and last 1 hour and 15 minutes (registration is not required).
• If you have issues with small spaces, you may want to avoid going inside the aircraft in the Presidential Gallery.  Some of the spaces are very tight, and once you are inside, the only way out is to exit at the other end of the plane.

 

Nearby things to do:

• Cincinnati Weekend Getaway – Airbnb, Art, Coffee Roasting, Sotto & More!
• Natural Springs Resort – An Ohio Camping Destination
• An Ohio island & Lake Erie getaway in the Midwest!

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