This museum is too big to do all in one day!
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force galleries present military aviation history, boasting more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on display in 12+ galleries.
We first went in September 2017.
We returned in August 2018 to see the Memphis Belle.
Tori did space camp this summer and there are lots of family events throughout the year.
For our first visit, we focused on WWI and WWII.
Eighty silver goblets commemorating each man who flew in the Doolittle Raid over Japan in April 1942.
In December 1946, Gen. James “Jimmy” Doolittle and his fellow Raiders gathered to celebrate his birthday, and that event turned into an annual reunion.
At every reunion, the surviving Raiders meet privately to conduct their solemn “Goblet Ceremony.” After toasting the Raiders who died since their last meeting, they turn the deceased men’s goblets upside down. Each goblet has the Raider’s name engraved twice — so that it can be read if the goblet is right side up or upside down. When there are only two Raiders left, these two men will drink one final toast to their departed comrades.
Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, the last of the 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, died on April 9, 2018. He was 103.
We viewed the Memphis Belle and everything else on our 2nd visit.
Visit National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Some museum exhibits have special hours.
Admission to the museum is FREE.
There is a charge for the Air Force Museum Theatre and flight simulators.
There is a museum within the museum – if the kids inquire at the counter, they can get a ‘scavenger hunt’ paper, and earn a gold coin for learning in that tiny part of the museum. Just a heads up.
Additionally, just around the corner is the National Park, and you can do the Wilbur & Orville Aviation trail – getting stamps at the different sites will earn the kids a Wil-bear Wright teddy. The Air Force museum (and the little one inside of it) are both stamps on the trail. You can also get a Jr. Ranger badge at the NP… and another of the sites, as well.
We *did* do the museum in one day, using two tour guides and EVERY moment to do it. We watched a part of ‘Memphis Belle’ before going, so that the kids would know how poignant it was, when they saw it, there. And we had a wonderful time. But you’re right – if we lived closer, we’d definitely have tried to spend more days.