Estrella Warbird Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1992 |
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| Location | Paso Robles, California |
| Type | Military aviation museum |
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The Estrella Warbirds Museum is a cool place where you can see amazing military airplanes, vehicles, and other cool stuff. It's like a time capsule for military history! This museum is in central California, right at the Paso Robles Municipal Airport. It's named after an old army airfield called Estrella. In 2009, the museum added a special area called The Woodland Auto Display. Here, you can check out awesome classic racing cars.
Contents
History of the Museum
The museum started in 1993. Back then, it moved three buildings from an old almond farm to the airport. It was first known as the Estrella Squadron. This group was part of the Commemorative Air Force. Then, in 2000, the museum became its own independent organization.
New Additions and Displays
A large collection of military vehicles was given to the museum by Herman Pfauter. In 2015, these vehicles got their own special building. It's called the Red Ball Express Motor Pool. This building is about 5,000 square feet!
In February 2025, the museum received more aircraft. These included an OH-23C helicopter, a O-1A plane, and a U-6A plane. They came from Camp San Luis Obispo.
Museum Buildings and Areas
The Estrella Warbirds Museum has many different buildings and areas to explore. These include Hangar One, where many aircraft are displayed. There's also the Al Schade Restoration Hangar, where old planes are fixed up.
Other important areas are Thompson Hall and Freedom Hall. You can also visit the Brooks Building. Don't forget the Woodland Auto Display for classic cars. The Hind Pavilion and Pfauter Building also hold many interesting exhibits.
What You Can See: Exhibits
The museum has lots of cool things to see and do. You can explore a radio room, which shows how communication worked in the past. There's also a flight simulator! This lets you feel like you're flying an airplane.
Amazing Collections
The museum has a huge collection of military items. These include many different types of aircraft, weapons, and vehicles.
Aircraft Collection
The museum has a wide variety of airplanes and helicopters. Here are some of the aircraft you can see:
- Aermacchi MB-326
- Aeronca L-16
- Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
- Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
- Bell UH-1D Iroquois
- Cessna T-37B Tweet
- Douglas A-4A Skyhawk
- Douglas C-47B Skytrain
- Douglas ERA-3B Skywarrior – cockpit
- Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk
- Focke-Wulf FWP.149D
- Fouga CM.170 Magister
- General Atomics Gnat-750
- General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon
- Grumman A-6E Intruder
- Grumman F-14B Tomcat
- Grumman F9F-8P Cougar
- Grumman US-2D Tracker
- Gyrodyne QH-50D DASH
- LTV NA-7C Corsair II
- Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune
- Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star
- Lockheed TF-104G Starfighter
- McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II
- McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II – cockpit
- North American QF-86F Sabre
- North American T-28B Trojan
- North American SNJ-5C Texan
- North American Rockwell OV-10A Bronco
- Northrop AQM-38
- Northrop F-5E Tiger II
- Radioplane MQM-33
- Ryan BQM-34S Firebee
- Saab A 32A Lansen
- Saab J 35 Draken
- Sikorsky UH-19D Chickasaw
- Sikorsky UH-34D Choctaw
- Stinson L-5E Sentinel
- Stinson Reliant I
- Taylor J-2
- UTVA Aero 3
- Vought F-8K Crusader
Armament and Ordnance Displays
As of January 2019, the museum displayed various types of military weapons. These include large guns and cannons. You can see a Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun. There's also an M40 105 mm Recoilless Rifle. A General Dynamics M60A3 main battle tank is also on display.
Other items include a Quad 50 cal M2 Heavy Barrel Machine Gun. You can also see an United Defense M901 ITV anti-tank vehicle. There's a 57mm M1 anti-tank gun and a ZPU-1 14.5 mm anti-aircraft gun.
Military Vehicles on Exhibit
As of December 2019, the museum had many military vehicles. These vehicles were used for different purposes. They include jeeps, trucks, and armored carriers.
Some examples are the AMC Mighty Mite Jeep and the Diamond REO M52 truck. There's also a Dodge M43 Ambulance. You can see a FMC Landing Vehicle Tracked LVPT-5. An FMC Armored Personnel Carrier M113A3 is also part of the collection.
The museum also has a Ford GPW Jeep and a Ford Model T Ambulance. A General Motors DUKW 1942 Utility Vehicle is on display. You can also find an M60A3 Tank and an Alvis Saracen FV-603 armored vehicle.
Missile Collection
As of January 2019, the museum also displayed several types of missiles. These are rockets used in military operations. They include air-to-air missiles and even a large intercontinental ballistic missile.
Some of the missiles are the Hughes AIM-4 Falcon and the Raytheon AIM-7 Sparrow. You can also see the Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder. The museum has a Raytheon AIM-54C Phoenix and a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM. A huge Martin HGM-25A Titan I missile is also on display.
Other Interesting Exhibits
Beyond planes and vehicles, the museum has other unique items. One of these is a Link Trainer. This was an early type of flight simulator. It helped pilots learn to fly using instruments.
Museum Events
The Estrella Warbirds Museum hosts fun events every year. One big event is a fundraiser called Warbirds, Wings and Wheels. It's a great chance to see the planes and cars in action.
Since 2023, the Paso Robles Taco Fest has also been held at the museum annually. It's a lively event with food and fun for everyone!
See also
- List of aerospace museums
