Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum facts for kids
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The Strawberry Point Flightline at the museum, where all of its aircraft are displayed
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| Former name | Glenn L. Martin Aviation Museum |
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| Established | 1990 |
| Location | Middle River, Maryland |
| Type | Aviation museum |
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The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum is a cool place to learn about airplanes and flying! It's located at Martin State Airport in Middle River, Maryland. This museum teaches you all about the history of aviation (that's flying!) in Maryland. It especially focuses on two big airplane companies: the Glenn L. Martin Company and Lockheed Martin. Most of the airplanes you see there are borrowed from the Navy and Army. But one special plane, a Martin 4-0-4, was given to the museum in 1999.
Contents
How the Museum Started
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The Glenn L. Martin Aviation Museum first opened in 1990. Before it even opened, the museum got two special planes called RB-57s. These planes were used as targets at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. On May 28, 1992, these planes were flown by helicopter to the museum. The museum officially opened its doors at Martin State Airport on June 11, 1993.
A Martin 4-0-4 airplane flew to the museum on May 27, 2000.
By 2003, more and more people were visiting the museum. Because of this, the museum started looking for a bigger place. At the same time, its name changed to the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum. This new name showed that the museum was now focusing on all of Maryland's aviation history, not just the Martin Company.
In 2006, the museum thought about ways to bring all its airplanes inside. It also wanted to put all its different buildings in one spot. The next year, it tried to buy one of the two remaining Martin Mars flying boats.
The museum got a T-34C plane in 2013.
By 2017, the museum started focusing more on STEM education. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. In 2018, many of its exhibits were updated. They replaced old displays with new digital equipment.
In 2023, there was a plan to get money to fix up an old Lockheed Martin building. This building, at 2323 Eastern Drive, would become the museum's new home. The Maryland Aviation Administration bought the building in March 2025. They plan to let the museum use it.
Museum Buildings and Collections
The main part of the museum is in a building called Hangar 5. The airplanes are kept outside at a place called the "Flight Line." This area is at Strawberry Point, near the end of the airport runway.
The museum has a huge collection of old photos, films, and other items. There are over 200,000 photos and 2,500 film reels! Most of these items came from Martin-Marietta around 1992. The museum saved them just before they were going to be thrown away.
What You Can See: Exhibits
The museum tells the story of the Martin Company through models, films, photos, and documents.
One special exhibit is called They Answered the Call. It's all about the people who worked at the Martin company during World War II.
Airplane Collection
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Airplanes on Display
The museum has many different types of airplanes on display. Here are some of them:
- Beechcraft 18S
- Beechcraft T-34C Mentor
- Bell AH-1S Cobra
- Bell UH-1M Iroquois
- Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk
- Forney F-1
- Lockheed T-33
- LTV A-7D Corsair II
- North American F-100F Super Sabre
- North American F-100F Super Sabre
- Martin 4-0-4
- Martin RB-57A Canberra
- Martin RB-57A Canberra
- McDonnell F-4C Phantom II
- McDonnell F-101B Voodoo
- Republic RF-84F Thunderflash
- Republic F-105G Thunderchief
Airplanes in Storage
The museum also has some airplanes that are kept in storage, often waiting to be fixed up. These include:
- Grumman F-9F Cougar
- The back part and tail of a Martin P6M SeaMaster jet flying boat
- Two Martin AM Mauler airplanes that are being restored
Fun Events and Programs
The museum hosts a special Holiday Plane and Train Garden every year. It's a model railroad display with planes! It also has an annual Rosie the Riveter Day in August. This day celebrates the women who worked in factories during World War II.
The museum sometimes has "open cockpit days." On these days, you might get to sit inside some of the airplanes!
In 2016, the museum started a STEM education program called "B-26 Assembly Team." In this program, students get to build a model of a Martin B-26 Marauder airplane.
More to Explore
- List of aerospace museums
