Barksdale Global Power Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Barksdale Global Power Museum

The exterior of the Barksdale Global Power Museum
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Former name	8th Air Force Museum
Established	1979 (1979)
Location	Barksdale Air Force Base near Bossier City, Louisiana
Founder	Harold D. "Buck" Rigg

Some of the museum's cool planes, like a MiG-21, an Avro Vulcan, a KC-97, and a B-29 Superfortress.

The Barksdale Global Power Museum is an exciting aviation museum located at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. It used to be called the 8th Air Force Museum. This museum is run by the United States Air Force and is home to many amazing military aircraft.

It also has lots of historical items. These items tell the story of early US military aviation. They also show the history of the Barksdale base itself. The museum helps us learn about the 2nd Bomb Wing and the Eighth Air Force.

The museum's main goal is to keep the history of the Air Force alive. It especially focuses on bomber units. It also helps Air Force members feel proud of their work. The museum teaches everyone about the Air Force. It also makes sure its planes and items are well cared for.

Discover the Museum's History

The Barksdale Global Power Museum first opened its doors in 1979. A person named Buck Rigg worked hard to make it happen. He became the museum's first volunteer curator. One of the first projects was to get a B-17 bomber flying again. This plane was on loan from the United States Air Force Museum. After that, they restored a B-24 bomber.

In 1980, two airmen found parts of a Keystone B-6A bomber. They were rabbit hunting near the airbase when they found it. These plane parts were added to the museum's growing collection. In 1982, an Avro Vulcan plane was given to the museum. Later that year, there were plans to recreate a World War II air force base.

By 1985, the museum had even more planes. These included a B-52, a KC-97, a C-47, and an F-84. A large B-29 bomber joined the collection in 1992.

In 2008, an inspection found that the museum needed to improve how it managed its items. There was a risk the museum might close. To fix this, the museum changed its name in 2012. It became the Barksdale Global Power Museum. This new name showed its wider mission. It also helped avoid confusion with another museum in Georgia. The museum finished a big three-year renovation in 2015. During this time, all the rooms were rebuilt. Many of the airplanes also got fresh paint.

Explore Amazing Exhibits

The museum has several cool exhibits for you to see:

• A timeline of the 2nd Bomb Wing's history. It shows items from 1918 to today.
• An art gallery filled with aviation-themed artwork.
• A special exhibit about September 11, 2001. It includes the podium and furniture used by President George W. Bush. He gave his first speech during the terrorist attacks from this very spot.

See the Collection: Aircraft and Missiles

The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft and missiles. You can get up close to these powerful machines.

Incredible Aircraft Collection

A mighty Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.

A huge Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker.

Here are some of the aircraft you can find at the museum:

Powerful Missiles on Display

You can also see some impressive missiles: