Florence Air & Missile Museum facts for kids

Florence Air & Missile Museum

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Established	1963
Dissolved	1997
Location	Florence, South Carolina, United States
Type	Aviation museum
Founder	Thomas C. Griffin

The Florence Air & Missile Museum was a cool place where you could see old airplanes and missiles. It was located right at the entrance of the Florence Regional Airport in Florence, South Carolina. Sadly, the museum closed its doors at the end of 1997.

The airport itself has an interesting past. It used to be called Florence Army Airfield during World War II. It was a training ground for pilots flying planes like the P-39 Airacobra and P-40 Warhawk. Because of this military history, the museum was able to get many retired aircraft. The military could simply fly them in and leave them there!

The museum was started by a person named Thomas C. Griffin. After World War II, he became the main manager of the Florence Airport.

What Was Inside the Museum?

During the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and early 80s, the museum gathered a large collection. They had many U.S. military aircraft from World War II and the Cold War. They also displayed early space equipment from the 1950s and 1960s. Imagine seeing real planes and missiles up close!

Why Did the Museum Close?

The museum was once a popular stop for travelers. People driving between the southeastern and northeastern United States often visited. It was also a common stop for those going between Florence and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

However, when a big new highway called Interstate 95 was built, things changed. Travelers started using the new highway instead. This meant fewer people visited the museum. Because of the drop in visitors, the museum had to close on October 8, 1997.

After it closed, many of the amazing aircraft and items were moved. They went to a new museum called the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. This way, these important pieces of history could still be seen by the public.

Some of the Cool Exhibits

The Florence Air & Missile Museum had many different types of aircraft and missiles. Here are just a few examples of what you might have seen there:

• The Boeing NTB-47B Stratojet: This was a large jet bomber.
• The Convair YF-102A Delta Dagger: A supersonic fighter jet with a unique delta wing shape.
• The Douglas BTD-1 Destroyer: A powerful attack plane.
• The Lockheed F-104B Starfighter: Known for its incredibly fast speed.
• The Martin RB-57A Canberra: A high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
• The McDonnell F-101F Voodoo: A twin-engine, supersonic fighter.
• The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak: A fighter-bomber jet.
• The Sikorsky HO4S Chickasaw: A helicopter used for many purposes.
• The Boeing B-29 Superfortress: A famous bomber from World War II.

Many of these aircraft are now on display at other museums across the country. This helps preserve their history for future generations to learn from.