Aviation Museums › Air Force & Military Aviation
The National Museum of the United States Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the official museum of the U.S. Air Force and the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world. It displays more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles across 19 acres of indoor exhibit space spanning early flight, World War II, the Cold War, space, and presidential aircraft.
Founded 1923Address 1100 Spaatz Street, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433, USAOfficial website ↗
Notable Exhibits
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Bockscar" — The B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945.
- Boeing B-17F "Memphis Belle" — The first heavy bomber to return to the U.S. after completing 25 missions over Europe during World War II.
- Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird — Legendary Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, among the most famous aircraft on display.
- North American XB-70 Valkyrie — The only surviving XB-70, a prototype six-engine supersonic strategic bomber from the Cold War era.
- Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000 (Air Force One) — The presidential 707 that served U.S. presidents from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton.
The museum traces its birth to 1923, when a collection of World War I aircraft opened at McCook Field near Dayton; it celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.
Presidential jet SAM 26000 carried President Kennedy's body back from Dallas and was where Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president in 1963.
The museum is open free of charge 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, remaining open amid ongoing gallery renovations.
Verified 2026-09-13 · National Museum of the United States Air Force - Official Air Force Fact Sheet, Hours and Admission, National Museum of the United States Air Force - Wikipedia