Air Force Armament Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Air Force Armament Museum

GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast weapon on display in front of the museum
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Established	1975 (1975)
Location	Eglin Air Force Base, Valparaiso, Florida
Type	Military aviation museum

The Air Force Armament Museum is a cool place to visit near Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, Florida. It's a museum all about the weapons and tools used by the U.S. Air Force. A special group called the Air Force Armament Museum Foundation helps support it.

Museum History and Growth

The museum first opened its doors on June 22, 1974. It was in an old chapel building from the 1940s. Two years later, a group was formed to help build a new museum.

At first, there were some challenges. People voted against using county money for a new building. Because of this, the old building had to close in 1981.

But the museum didn't give up! A new, much larger building was built. It was 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) big and paid for entirely by private donations. This new museum opened on November 15, 1985. Soon after, a special exhibit about prisoners of war was added.

In the early 1990s, many cool aircraft arrived at the museum. An SR-71 spy plane came in 1990. A huge B-52 bomber arrived in 1991. A MiG-21 fighter jet joined the collection in 1992. In 1996, an exhibit about Air Force Special Operations Command was opened.

By 2007, the museum started raising money for an educational area. In 2019 and 2020, a P-51 Mustang and an F-86 Sabre jet were wrapped in special vinyl. This was an experiment to protect them. After many years of planning, a new building called the African American Military Heritage Hall opened in February 2022. The B-52 bomber on display was repainted in April 2022. A new visitor center for the base opened on the museum grounds in May 2024.

What You Can See: Exhibits

The museum has a huge collection of bombs, missiles, and rockets. You can see the newest air-to-air missile, the AMRAAM. There's also the GBU-28 bunker-buster bomb. This bomb was used during Operation Desert Storm.

Other missiles on display include the Paveway series, Falcons, and the Tomahawk. You can also see the Mace and Hound Dog missiles. Some missiles are guided by radar or lasers. Others even used a TV camera in their nose!

One of the most famous items is the GBU-43 MOAB. Its nickname is "Mother of All Bombs." It's the world's largest regular explosive weapon. You can also see a very old "earthquake bomb" called the T-12 Cloudmaker. It weighs 38,600 lb (17,500 kg) and is displayed outside. Inside, there's a casing from a "Fat Man" bomb. A BLU-82B bomb was added to the collection in 2019.

Gun Vault: A Look at Firearms

The museum's gun vault shows many different weapons. These range from a 1903 Springfield rifle to the powerful GAU-8 gun. The GAU-8 can shoot 6,000 rounds (bullets) every minute!

You can also see the Sikes Antique Pistol Collection. This collection has over 180 handguns. It includes old flintlock pistols and duelling pistols. There are also Western six-shooters and pistols from the Civil War.

Educational Programs

The museum offers a program called Engineers for America. This program brings school classrooms to the museum. Teachers and volunteers lead basic engineering experiments. It's a great way to learn about science and technology!

Aircraft and Missiles on Display

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak

Aircraft Collection

Missile Collection