The summer is quickly coming to an end, and school will be starting soon. Can you believe it’s almost August? There’s still time for a fun family road trip or two before the kiddos head back to their classrooms, though.
My family recently hit the highway in search of cultural enrichment. Among other places, we visited the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base just outside of Dayton, Ohio. They are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They are only closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Admission is free!
The museum is on a military base, so they examine your bags and make you walk through a metal detector to enter. Keep in mind that they do not allow food, drink, or weapons inside. That includes pocket knives, which many people forget they even have in their purses or pockets. There are a cafeteria and snack station on site where you can grab a bite to eat, but food is only allowed in designated areas.
It’s best to arrive fairly early in order to have enough time to see everything. I recommend you wear your most comfortable walking shoes because it takes a few hours to make your way through all of the exibits.
The museum boasts four huge hangars where you will find hundreds of aircraft along with spacecraft, tanks, missiles, bombs, and really amazing memorabilia. The displays span the entire history of human flight. My favorite planes are the WWII fighter jets, but the ballistic missiles really blew me away! I didn’t expect them to be taller than my house.
The museum has flight simulators and movie rides where you can get a little taste of the action. They even have a Virtual Reality Transporter. My nephew and I rode the Morhpis MovieRide where we flew with The Red Baron. That ride seats up to twelve people. There is a small fee for the simulators and rides. The prices ranged from $7.00 to $12.00 per person when we were there.
I could write an entire dissertation about the National Museum of the US Air Force, but that’s a bit much for a blog. My husband and I will returning soon, and plan to dedicate two days to enjoying the historical treasures held within those giant structures. You can check out their website and take a virtual tour if you are so inclined. I’ve added a link to their website below.
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