EAA Aviation Museum facts for kids
Front entrance
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| Former name | EAA AirVenture Museum |
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| Established | 1983 |
| Location | Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Collection size | ~200 aircraft |
| Owner | Experimental Aircraft Association |
| Nearest car park | On site (no charge) |
The EAA Aviation Museum is a super cool place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. It's filled with amazing airplanes! This museum used to be called the EAA AirVenture Museum.
The museum is all about saving and showing off historic and experimental airplanes. You can see old planes, classic planes, and even warplanes here. It's right next to Wittman Regional Airport. This airport is home to the museum's main group, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). It also hosts the huge EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event every summer. This event is the world's biggest fly-in and airshow!
With over 200 aircraft, both inside and outside, plus other cool exhibits, the EAA Aviation Museum is a top spot to visit in Oshkosh. It's a busy place during the AirVenture show each summer. The museum is open almost all year, except for a few holidays.
Contents
History of the Museum
How the EAA Museum Started
The idea for the EAA Air Museum and Education Center came from EAA founder Paul Poberezny. He first suggested it way back in August 1958.
Later, in the late 1970s, Paul's son, Tom Poberezny, helped lead the effort to build the museum we see today. The current EAA museum and its main office officially opened in 1983.
The museum's library has been open for EAA members to use since 1985.
In July 2022, the museum opened a brand new Education Center. This new building even has a special Pilot Proficiency Center.
Amazing Aircraft and Exhibits
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has a huge collection! It displays more than 200 aircraft and 20,000 other items. You can find civilian planes, military planes, and aircraft that are popular with people who love aviation. This includes vintage planes, planes built by hobbyists, racing planes, and stunt planes.
Some of the most historic and unusual planes include a Curtiss Pusher, a Bleriot XI, and a Curtiss Jenny. You can also see a Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro, which is like an early helicopter. There's a Sikorsky S-38 flying boat, which can land on water, and even a Taylor Aerocar flying car! Plus, there are many warbirds and planes from the "Golden Age" of aviation.
Cool Replicas and Special Planes
Other exhibits feature working copies of famous aircraft. You can see a replica of the Wright Flyer, which was the first successful airplane. There's also a copy of Octave Chanute's hang glider, which came before the Wright Flyer.
You'll find French and German World War I fighter planes. There's also a replica of Charles Lindbergh's famous Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" plane. This replica was even flown in a movie! Another cool replica is the historic Laird Super Solution 1931 racer.
Burt Rutan's Incredible Designs
A big part of the museum is dedicated to Burt Rutan's aircraft. He's a famous airplane designer. You can see some of the planes he built himself. There are also replicas of his Rutan Voyager, which flew around the world without stopping. And don't miss the replica of Space Ship One, the first private spacecraft, which Burt Rutan's own team built!
Homebuilt and Unique Aircraft
The museum has many planes that people have donated. These include the Church Midwing JC-1, the Funk B, and the Monnett Moni. You'll also see many homebuilt and kitplane aircraft. Some of these were even built by the original designers!
Some famous homebuilt planes on display are Van's Aircraft's Van's RV-3, designed by Richard VanGrunsven. There's also Christen Industries' Christen Eagle II, designed by Frank Christensen. And you can see Cirrus Aircraft's very first model, the Cirrus VK-30, designed by the Klapmeier brothers.
Pioneer Airport: Where Planes Take Off
Pioneer Airport is an old grass airstrip located right behind the museum. It's a special place where you can sometimes see historic planes take off and land.
Exciting Aircraft Rides
You can sometimes take rides in airplanes through different EAA programs. These rides happen at Pioneer Airport or at the nearby Wittman Field. This is especially true during the AirVenture Fly-In and Airshow in late summer.
Ride a Ford Tri-Motor
Imagine flying in a plane from the 1920s or 1930s! A vintage Ford Tri-Motor airliner sometimes offers rides at Wittman Field. There's even a special program called "Fall Colors Flights." These are short flights to see the beautiful colorful trees in the area during autumn.
Fly in a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The EAA has a 1940s Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. This was a famous World War II bomber called the Aluminum Overcast. You can sometimes buy rides on this amazing plane at Wittman Field when it's not traveling around.
Take a Helicopter Ride
Helicopter rides are also sometimes available. These are usually in Bell 47 helicopters, which look like the ones from the "MASH" TV show. You can find these rides at Pioneer Airport or Wittman Field.
Fun for Kids: Children's Section
The museum has a special section just for kids! It's full of hands-on exhibits and activities about aviation. You can see a half-size model of an F-22 Raptor jet. There are also many flight simulators where you can pretend to fly. Plus, there's a "control tower" where you can look out over Pioneer Airport!
Where to Find the Museum
The EAA Museum is located near the northwest corner of Wittman Regional Airport. It's easy to find, right by the highway where Interstate 41 connects with Wisconsin state highways 44 and 91.
Gallery
The museum has over 200 aircraft on display and several other exhibits and activities. Below are some of the museum's most notable aircraft.
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Eagles Aerobatic Team aircraft, flown by Tom Poberezny, Charlie Hillard and Gene Soucy, on display in the museum's entrance
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Paul Poberezny's P-5 Pober Sport homebuilt aircraft in the museum's "Founders' Wing"
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Molt Taylor's Aerocar International I
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SpaceShipOne replica
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Spirit of St. Louis replica
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Wright Flyer replica
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See also
- Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum
- List of aerospace museums
- Mitchell Gallery of Flight
- Young Eagles program
