National Museum of the United States Air Force facts for kids

View of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Main entrance to the museum

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official national museum of the United States Air Force. It is located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio. This amazing museum has over 400 aircraft and missiles on display. Most of these are kept indoors. The best part is that admission is completely free!

Exploring the Museum's Exhibits

The museum is home to many rare and important planes and other cool displays. You can see one of only four remaining Convair B-36 bombers. There's also the only surviving XB-70 Valkyrie aircraft.

Famous Aircraft on Display

One very famous plane you can see is Bockscar. This B-29 Superfortress dropped the second atomic bomb during World War II. Unlike some other museums, you can get very close to most of the exhibits here. Many planes can even be touched and explored by visitors!

Space and Other Collections

The museum also features a Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavour. This spacecraft carried astronauts David Scott, James Irwin, and Alfred Worden to the Moon in 1971. It was part of NASA's fourth crewed mission to land on the Moon. You can also see a KH-9 Hexagon reconnaissance satellite. This type of satellite was used for taking pictures from space.

The museum also has exhibits showing military uniforms. You can see the "Enlisted Heritage Uniforms" display. There is also Major General Billy Mitchell's uniform. Another interesting part is the "Warrior Airmen" exhibit. This display is in the Cold War Gallery.

Images for kids

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  Aerial view of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

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  Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle on display in the WWII Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

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  An overhead gallery view of the fourth building aircraft at the National Museum of the United States Air Force including the Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000 used as Air Force One by Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.

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  Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavour which carried David Scott, James Irwin, and Alfred Worden to the Moon in 1971 on NASA's fourth crewed lunar landing mission

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  An overhead view of the fourth building aircraft at the National Museum of the United States Air Force including the North American XB-70 Valkyrie

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  The KH-9 Hexagon photographic reconnaissance satellite on display at the National Museum of the USAF

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  "Enlisted Heritage Uniforms" exhibit on display at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

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  Major General Billy Mitchell's uniform displayed on far left at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

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  Part of the "Warrior Airmen" exhibit on display in the Cold War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

See also

In Spanish: Museo Nacional de la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos para niños