Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation and Museum
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Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation is in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
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| Location | 3898 Valhalla Drive, Burbank, California |
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| Architect | Kenneth McDonald, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Spanish/Mission Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 98000246 |
| Added to NRHP | March 18, 1998 |
The Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation is a special monument in Los Angeles, California. It's a tall building, about 75 feet high, made of marble, colorful mosaics, and cool sculptures. This beautiful place is the final resting spot for 15 amazing people who were pioneers in aviation. That means they were among the first and best in flying!
The shrine was designed by Kenneth A. MacDonald Jr. and sculptor Federico Augustino Giorgi. It was built in 1924 as the main entrance to the Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery. A man named James Gillette, who loved aviation, noticed how close the building was to the airport and the Lockheed Aircraft Company. He thought it would be a perfect place to honor aviation heroes. For twenty years, he worked to make this dream come true.
Finally, in 1953, the shrine was officially dedicated. It became a special place for pilots, mechanics, and other flight pioneers to be remembered forever.
A Special Place for Aviation Heroes
The Portal of the Folded Wings was dedicated on December 17, 1953. This was the 50th anniversary of powered flight! Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker (retired) from the U.S. Air Force led the dedication.
Inside this sacred portal, you'll find the ashes of famous flyers. These brave people helped make aviation history. Bronze plaques on the marble walls also remember other Americans who worked hard to advance the age of air travel. The shrine is managed by the Brookins–Lahm–Wright Aeronautical Foundation. It stands as a lasting tribute to these incredible individuals.
On May 27, 1996, the shrine was rededicated by Dr. Tom Crouch. He was the Chairman of the Aeronautics Department at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
Who is Buried Here?
Many important people from aviation history are buried or honored at the Portal of the Folded Wings. Here are some of them:
- Bertrand Blanchard Acosta (1895–1954): He was a co-pilot with Admiral Richard Byrd in 1927.
- Jimmie Angel (1899–1956): He discovered Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall. His ashes were later moved and scattered over the falls.
- Walter Richard Brookins (1889–1953): He flew airplanes for the famous Wright brothers.
- Mark Mitchell Campbell (1897–1963): A daring stunt pilot and someone who designed airplanes.
- John Franklin Bruce Carruthers (1889–1960): He was the Chaplain of the Portal of the Folded Wings and an air historian.
- Warren Samuel Eaton (1891–1966): A Colonel and early pilot who built airplanes for Lincoln Beachy.
- Winfield Bertrum Kinner (1882–1957): Also known as Bert Kinner, he built "Kinner" airplanes. Even Amelia Earhart flew a Kinner plane!
- Augustus Roy Knabenshue (1876–1960): He was a pilot of balloons and dirigibles (like blimps). He flew in the Dominguez Air Meet in 1910. He also managed the "Wright Fliers" exhibition team for the Wright brothers.
- John Bevins Moisant (1868–1910): He won the Statue of Liberty Race in 1910. He was also the first person to carry a passenger across the English Channel.
- Matilde Moisant (1878–1964): She was the second woman in the United States to get a pilot's license in 1911.
- Elizabeth Lippincott McQueen (1878–1958): One of the first female pilots in Los Angeles.
- James Floyd Smith (1884–1956): He was a test pilot and instructor. He also invented the free-type manually operated parachute for the Army in 1918.
- Hilder Florentina Smith (1890–1977): An amazing aerial acrobat and parachute jumper. She was married to James Floyd Smith.
- Carl Browne Squier (1893–1967): He was a World War I aviator, a barnstormer (someone who performed flying stunts), and a test pilot. As Vice President of Lockheed Aircraft, he sold Charles and Anne Lindbergh their Sirius airplane in 1931.
- Charles Edward Taylor (1868–1956): He was a machinist for the Wright brothers. He helped design and build the very first engine for the Wright Flyer, which flew at Kitty Hawk.
Visit the Museum
The Burbank Aviation Museum is open on the first Sunday of each month. You can visit from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
