1940 Air Terminal Museum facts for kids
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum
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| Established | 1940 |
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| Location | Houston, Texas, United States, at William P. Hobby Airport |
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Houston Municipal Airport Terminal
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| Architect | Joseph Finger |
| NRHP reference No. | 100003488 |
| Added to NRHP | March 6, 2019 |
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is a cool place to visit in Houston, Texas, United States. It's located right at William P. Hobby Airport. The museum is inside the airport's original building, which was specially built in 1940. This building has a unique style called art deco. It was the very first terminal in Houston made just for passenger flights. Today, the museum shows off many collections about Houston's history with planes and flying. A non-profit group called the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society (HAHS) runs the museum.
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A Look Back: The Terminal's History
The museum is housed in the old Houston Municipal Airport Terminal building. This building was constructed in 1940 with money from the Public Works Administration (PWA), a government program. It has a special design called "streamline moderne," which is a type of art deco. This terminal is one of the few old airport buildings from the 1940s that still exists.
Imagine a time when people dressed up to fly! This terminal was busy with travelers boarding big propeller planes like the Douglas DC-3 and the Lockheed Constellation. A famous architect named Joseph Finger designed the building. He also designed Houston's City Hall. The terminal was built because Houston was becoming a big center for air travel in the late 1930s.
This building was Houston's only commercial air terminal until 1954. After that, different groups used it until 1978. That year, the airport manager wanted to tear it down to make more space. But people who loved history and aviation stepped in and stopped the demolition. The terminal then sat empty for almost 20 years. In 1988, someone even said it looked "very shabby."
Saving and Restoring the Museum
The city of Houston helped fix the outside of the building. Then, a group called the Houston Aviation Alliance worked hard to save the terminal. In 1998, the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society (HAHS) was formed. Their main goal was to rescue this important building.
HAHS knew they couldn't restore the whole building at once. So, they made a plan to fix it up in stages. In late 2003, they started by cleaning out old materials like asbestos and lead from the north wing. This process removed the original plaster from the inside walls.
The North Wing of the terminal opened to the public in February 2004. This was the first part of the museum to open. The restored North Wing held the museum's collections and gift shop. It was also the main office while they raised money to fix the rest of the building.
The rest of the building was cleaned in May 2008. The main hall, called the atrium, and the upper level were rebuilt by February 2009. The museum plans to restore the entire first floor to its original look when they have enough money. Eventually, the museum will use the whole first floor and then start working on the upper floors.
The American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) has named the 1940 Air Terminal Museum a Historic Aerospace Site. It's special because it's a rare example of classic Art Deco airport design. In 2010, the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society won a "Good Brick Award" for their excellent work in preserving the building. The Houston Press even called the terminal the "Best Piece of Aviation History" in 2008.
In 2008, HAHS also got permission to use the oldest hangar at Hobby Airport. This hangar was built in 1929 and was once used by Eastern Airlines. Now, HAHS uses it to show bigger exhibits. These include three flight simulators and some of HAHS's own aircraft. Their collection includes a 1942 Lockheed Lodestar (a fancy business plane) and an S-58 Sikorsky Helicopter, which was used for heavy lifting.
Fun Events and How the Museum Gets Money
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum gets its money from many places. They receive grants from different groups and donations from people. The museum also has a Members' Program. Members get special access to some events. You can also rent the museum and its buildings for private parties or events.
HAHS holds several fun events to help raise money:
- Wings and Wheels: Every third Saturday of the month, you can see cool planes and cars on display at the museum.
- Pops & Props Gala: This is a yearly dinner and dance event to raise funds.
- Win-A-Plane Raffle: Each year, they raffle off a beautifully restored old plane!
- Hobby Fest: This is a big annual Wings and Wheels event. It has special guests, rides, and prizes.
About the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is a special project of the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society (HAHS). HAHS is a non-profit group in Texas. They work to research, share, and protect the history of flying in Houston and southeast Texas. A group of people who loved aviation, architecture, and history started the society in 1998.
HAHS includes all kinds of people, from students to retired folks. There are architects, lawyers, teachers, engineers, and even pilots! The Internal Revenue Service recognizes the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. This means they are a non-profit group. The society gets its money from grants, donations from companies and individuals, and from things like museum memberships and gift shop sales.
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