This museum spent decades in Galveston until Hurricane Ike put seven to eight feet of water into its hangars in 2008. It rebuilt inland at Ellington Airport and reopened on September 16, 2017, two weeks late because Hurricane Harvey got in the way. The new home is about 100,000 square feet with its own ramp onto the airfield and more than two dozen historic aircraft. For kids, head straight to the Flight Academy, 27 hands-on exhibits where they can design planes, learn why wings lift, sit in cockpit replicas of a Curtiss Jenny and two P-51 Mustangs, and steer hang-glider simulators. The Boeing Toddler Terminal gives the littlest pilots a place to play. Older kids at least 48 inches tall can strap into the MAX Flight simulator, which rolls a full 360 degrees. The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame honors names like Howard Hughes and astronaut Alan Bean.
What to expect
- The hangars are air-conditioned, with wide, smooth aisles that suit strollers.
- Minuti Coffee in the gift shop area serves coffee plus breakfast and lunch.
- The Boeing Toddler Terminal is for ages 1 to 4 and has stroller parking.
- Wheelchairs are available on request, subject to availability.
- The entrance is at Aerospace Avenue and Challenger inside Ellington Airport.
What to do
- Climb into the P-51 Mustang and Curtiss Jenny cockpits in the Flight Academy
- Loop a full 360 degrees in the MAX Flight simulator (48 inches minimum)
- Find Howard Hughes and Alan Bean in the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame
- September 16, 2017Reopened at Ellington
- About 100,000 sq ftBuilding
- 27 hands-on exhibitsFlight Academy
- 1985Founded