Patuxent River Naval Air Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Patuxent River Naval Air Museum

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Established	1975
Location	Lexington Park, Maryland, U.S.
Type	Naval aviation museum

The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum preserves and interprets the Patuxent River Naval Air Base history and heritage of advancing US Naval aviation technology. This museum is the repository of artifacts, photographs and film, documents, and related heritage memorabilia from Patuxent River and other stations, such as Warminster, PA, and Trenton, NJ, that have been consolidated at Patuxent River. The museum is dedicated to those who have employed their talents in advancing Naval aviation research, development, testing, and evaluation.

History

The shared vision for historical preservation and education gradually coalesced into reality with the establishment of a steering group in late 1974. This group prepared the necessary incorporating papers and bylaws, and introduced legislation to the Maryland General Assembly. The Naval Air Test and Evaluation Museum (NATEM) Association was approved and established as a non-profit, tax exempt organization in the State of Maryland on 14 March 1975. The Navy provided the current building and grounds in 1976, and the museum opened its doors to the public in July 1978. In 1978, the Museum was recognized by the Secretary of the Navy as one of the ten official Navy museums.

The museum opened a new building on May 28, 2016.

Aircraft on display

Lockheed Martin X-35C on display

Outdoor display at the museum (2003)

Other Navy museums

See: U.S. Navy Museum and U.S. Navy Museum#Other Navy museums