Alaska Aviation Museum facts for kids
.jpg)
The museum in Summer 2021
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Former name | Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum |
|---|---|
| Established | 1988 |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Ted Spencer |
The Alaska Aviation Museum is a cool place in Anchorage, Alaska. It's right by the Lake Hood Seaplane Base, which is a busy spot for planes that land on water! This museum started in 1988. Its main goal is to save and show off Alaska's amazing history with airplanes.
The museum displays old planes, special items, and memories from the past. It helps people learn about how aviation grew in Alaska. This includes exciting things like Bush flying and the planes used at the World War II Army base on Adak Island. You can see over thirty aircraft there. The museum also has a special hangar where planes are fixed up. Plus, there are flight simulators, two theaters, and a Hall of Fame.
Contents
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has several buildings where you can explore. These include the Main, Rasmuson, South, and Restoration Hangars. There's also a special shelter. You can even see the old air traffic control tower cab. This tower was used at Merrill Field from 1962 until 2002.
Inside, you'll find different exhibits to explore. There are theaters where you can watch videos about aviation. You can also try out flight simulators. These let you feel like you're flying a plane! The museum also has an art gallery with aviation-themed artwork.
How the Museum Started
The idea for the museum began in 1977. That's when the Alaskan Historical Aircraft Society was created. This group worked hard to make the museum a reality. The Alaska Aviation Museum officially opened its doors to the public in 1988.
The museum often works on restoring old planes. For example, in May 2024, they finished restoring a Grumman G-21A Goose. This means the plane can now fly again!
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The museum has a fantastic collection of airplanes. Many of these planes played a big part in Alaska's history. You can see different types of aircraft, from small bush planes to larger military aircraft.
- American Pilgrim 100-B 6605
- Beechcraft Model 18S 7728
- Bell UH-1H Iroquois 65-12849
- Boeing 737-290C
- Consolidated OA-10A Catalina 44-33954
- Curtiss P-40E Warhawk
- de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver 1207
- Douglas World Cruiser "Seattle"
- Fairchild 24G 2933
- Grumman G-21A Goose B-102
- Grumman G-44 Widgeon 1312
- Helio Courier
- Keystone-Loening Commuter 313
- McDonnell Douglas GF-15A Eagle 74-0084
- Noorduyn Norseman 507
- Piasecki H-21B 54-4004
- Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub 18-4459
- Stearman C2B 121
- Stinson L-1 Vigilant 41-18915
- Stinson V-77 Reliant 77-36
- Taylorcraft BC-12D 7265
- Taylorcraft L-2 5416
- Travel Air S-6000-B 967
- Waco YKC 3991
Learn More About Aviation
If you're interested in learning more about planes and flying, check out these topics:
- History of aviation in Alaska
- List of airlines in Alaska
- List of Alaskan Hall of Fame pilots
