Palm Springs Air Museum facts for kids
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Established | 1996 |
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Location | Palm Springs, California |
Type | Aviation museum |
Collection size | 29 aircraft |
Founder | Bob Pond & Pete Madison |
The Palm Springs Air Museum (PSAM) is an exciting aviation museum located in Palm Springs, California. It focuses mainly on amazing airplanes from World War II. Many of the aircraft you see here have even been used in movies!
The museum is found on the northeast side of the Palm Springs International Airport. It has three large hangars where planes are displayed. There's also a theater, a gift shop, and even a research library. You can sometimes see flight demonstrations or visiting planes too!
The museum also features a big collection of aviation art by Stan Stokes.
Contents
History of the Air Museum
How the Museum Started
The Palm Springs Air Museum was created by two people, Bob Pond and Pete Madison. It first opened its doors to visitors on November 11, 1996.
Before coming to Palm Springs, some of the museum's planes were part of another museum. This was the Planes of Fame East Museum in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. When that museum closed, its aircraft were moved to the Palm Springs Air Museum.
New Additions and Plans
In May 2017, the museum opened a brand new hangar. This hangar was named after Major General Ken Miles.
The museum announced plans in 2022 to make its entrance even better. They also plan to add a large classroom. This will help them teach more people about aviation history.
Explore the Aircraft Collection
Planes from Different Eras
The Palm Springs Air Museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft. Many of these planes are from World War II. However, you can also see jets and helicopters from other time periods.
The museum's collection includes many famous planes. These include the powerful Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. You can also see the speedy North American P-51D Mustang. Each plane has its own unique story.
Highlights of the Collection
Here are just a few examples of the cool aircraft you can find:
- Bell AH-1 Cobra: A type of attack helicopter.
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress: A large bomber plane from World War II.
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk: A famous fighter plane.
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain: A transport plane used for many missions.
- Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat: A strong fighter plane used by the Navy.
- Grumman F-14A Tomcat: A well-known jet fighter.
- North American P-51D Mustang: A very fast and famous fighter plane.
- Supermarine Spitfire: A legendary British fighter plane.
- Vought F4U Corsair: A distinctive fighter plane with bent wings.
Some of the planes are on loan from other places. For example, a Grumman Gulfstream I once owned by Walt Disney is here. It's on loan from the Disney Archives!
See also
- List of aviation museums