National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.
September 2025
The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, is a 1,120,000 square feet museum dedicated to telling the story of the United States Air Force and its predecessor services, starting with the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps in 1907.
The museum dates to 1923, when the Engineering Division at McCook Field, the aviation experimentation station operated by the United States Army Air Service, as the Aeronautical Division had been re-named, started a collection of technical artifacts for preservation. The museum re-located in 1927 to Wilber Wright Field, then an active U.S. Army Air Corps training base approximately 8 miles to the east.
The museum has grown from being housed in a variety of temporary facilities, to the current purpose-built facility, which was opened in 1971 across one of the runways at the now-disused Wright Field, now a part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Today, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the world’s largest military aviation museum, including more than 350 aerospace vehicles and missiles, thousands of artifacts, displayed in both the indoor exhibition space and additional outdoor Air and Memorial Parks. The collection continues to grow every year, as does material for aviation and military researchers to pour over.
The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week and admission FREE.
Indoor Museum Exhibits:
Space Capsule at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.V2 Missile at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.B-29 Superfortress at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.B-29 Superfortress at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.B-29 Superfortress at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.UH-19B Chicksaw Helicopter at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.KC-97L Stratofreighter at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.B-17 Bomber at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.F-111 jet fighter at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.Avro Canada produced CF-100 jet fighter at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.Space Shuttle Trainer at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.Space Shuttle Traineat the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.Section of the Berlin Wall at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.
Outdoor Exhibits:
Monument to the Berlin Airlift 1948-1949 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.Aircraft lining one of the abandoned runways of Wright Field, now the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.
U.S. Army Air Forces in England:
Replica Control Tower for 8th Air Force in England 1943-1945 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.Replica Control Tower for 8th Air Force in England 1943-1945 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.American Air Forces display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.American Air Forces display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.American Air Forces display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.American Air Forces display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.American Air Forces display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.
Where Aeroplanes Once Flew:
Abandoned runway at Wilber Wright Field, now home to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.
Bruce Forsyth served in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve for 13 years (1987-2000). He served with units in Toronto, Hamilton & Windsor and worked or trained at CFB Esquimalt, CFB Halifax, CFB Petawawa, CFB Kingston, CFB Toronto, Camp Borden, The Burwash Training Area and LFCA Training Centre Meaford.
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About the Author
Bruce Forsyth served in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve for 13 years (1987-2000). He served with units in Toronto, Hamilton & Windsor and worked or trained at CFB Esquimalt, CFB Halifax, CFB Petawawa, CFB Kingston, CFB Toronto, Camp Borden, The Burwash Training Area and LFCA Training Centre Meaford.
