Cavanaugh Flight Museum

If you enjoy planes especially war planes, give this museum a stop. It has a good collection for a smaller/regional sized museum. There are four hangers with a few outside planes of various time frames. It has definitely seen better days though and could use some updates and cleaning up. I’m not sure if it was the pandemic or a falloff in volunteers but it is definitely not as polished or tidy as the last time we went a few years ago.

This is a great museum and a great location. Is there a plenty of staff to answer questions. It's mostly self guided but there are plenty of people walking around that are what I wanted to tell you everything about the everything. There is a gift shop and there are restrooms. There are 4 hangers in total. Plus outside exhibits. I thought the price was very reasonable for what is here. I didn't feel it was overly crowded and we had plenty of time to get the pictures we wanted. I hadn't planned to stay as long as we did but we ended up being there about an hour and a 1/2. It was definitely worth the extra time out of our day as this was an unplanned visit.

A must visit for the Aviation enthusiasts. But this museum current timing(10AM-4PM) sucks. Who would want to step out in Texas in the mid summer under scorching sun.🥵🥵 I heard they're moving this museum to different city. So whoever wish to see this place go and experience the good old fighter planes vibe. It would be amazing and a crowd puller if this opens 4PM-10PM.

We've been wanting to visit this museum for a long time. Glad we finally did. An amazing collection of aircraft spread along 4 hangars. They have a beautiful P-51 that almost looks brand new. They do birthday parties for your little av-geeks. Nice gallery of paintings as well. Definitely the highlight of Addison.

I didnt know this place existed. I knew there was alot of flight museums but I didn't know where. I love the history that tied to each airplane. If you love history, love airplanes, or just love flying jets..this is the place you! You can also bring your kids here to show them a great time as well. I believe there is also tours or something like where your child could get really close to the plane and touch it? I dunno you have to ask.very neat experience!

If you love aviation or military history, this museum is perfect for you! There are four hangers and several aircraft on the ramps to wander through, see their beauty, and experience their history. Some of the planes are airworthy—we are guessing the ones with oil pans under the engines—which the museum flys on special occasions. This unique museum is something that you should not miss.

This museum is awesome! Anyone that appreciates history and airplanes needs to visit! We went during the Warbirds Over Addison weekend and got to see visiting planes as well! You’re even able to schedule a ride in one of the Warbirds! The staff was all friendly and knowledgeable as well! Take the kids and make it a day!

Incredible museum! A must see that has a gift store and art gallery. There are 3 outdoor hangars with various aircraft displayed from the ceilings and anchored to the floor. Plan on being there for a while. Information is provided on each plane.

Got a day off and looking for something to do in the Dallas area? This is a respectable collection of aircraft and mementos. Several stories shared and immeasurable first hand accounts and donations.

This is a wonderful museum that's worth visiting. The museum is kept clean. The historical planes are interesting to look at and learn about. This is a good visit for families. In the summer, it can feel hot. That was the only hard part, but this is Texas.

What a great way to spend the afternoon! There are four hangars filled with planes and they are fascinating to look at. My husband and I have been to quite a few aviation museums and this one is an outstanding value! It's self-paced, so you can take your time and read the plaques and take it all in. As mentioned in some of the other reviews, there is no air conditioning, but this is to be expected since the planes are housed in giant air hangars. I would recommend going when the weather is favorable as there are some planes housed outdoors. Overall, a great value at only $12 for adult admission and lots of interesting planes and helicopters to admire.

This is a fantastic place for everyone from airplane buffs to anyone generally interested in seeing some cool machines up close. It was easy to find and parking was readily available right next to the entrance. The layout is very efficient so there is not much walking. I put off visiting for years because I always assumed it would be a big, tiring event but it was very casual and easy. You can spend 30 minutes here and get your money's worth, or spend hours if you want to soak up all the details. It was a self-guided experience so you can just explore at your own pace without anyone pushing you along. They have planes from World War 1, World War 2, Korea, and the Vietnam eras. It was cool to see a Fokker DR1 painted up like the Red Baron's plane. They have a Spanish bf109 but it is painted in a Luftwaffe scheme. They had an HE-111 in the maintenance area and that was probably the plane that was the rarest in my experience. They had several helicopters as well, from rescue choppers to a Cobra. Give it a try if you are at all interested. It's very easy and worth the time.

My son just turned 2 and has been really into airplanes lately. We brought him here today and he loved it! He even ended up picking out a Hot Wings plane from the gift shop. Great times all around!

This is a phenomenal musuem with aircraft representing all the different eras. Not all of their planes are static displays, they have a fleet that they keep air worthy and display at events.

Awesome display of war planes my husband was in heaven! Informative and interesting we loved it. Can't wait to surprise him with a ride in one of the planes. Only complain is it was so hot in the hangers it made me lightheaded. If they could open the doors a bit or turn on the fans it would have been helpful. I would definitely recommend visiting!

Calling any and all aviation buffs! This is your stop! Cavanaugh is a great little secret tucked back among the hangars of planes at Addison Airport. Jim Cavanaugh is an aviation nut who has a love for restoring vintage warbirds. He has one of the best collections period. The awesome thing about this museum is almost all of the planes are in flying condition. It is remarkable. Many of you may be familiar with Cavanaugh's planes if you've ever been to KaboomTown in Addison. Many of the warbirds you see flying around before the fireworks are from his personal collection. One of my favorite things about Cavanaugh's museum is that even though I've been several times, I always see a plane and I have to stop and think "did I see this awesome plane here last time?!" You always find something new. Another AWESOME thing about Cavanaugh is that you can buy rides on 2 of the planes here. The AT-6 Texas, a world war 2 trainer, Google it. Or a Steerman, an old open air cockpit biplane trainer. It is 250 dollars for a 30 minute flight. I got a flight for christmas 2 years ago. It was great. I flew in the Texan. The pilot will ask if you'd like a tour of your neighborhood, or any area you'd like to see. (Because of Love Field, the downtown area is usually off limits though). I chose the Lake Lewisville area. It's awesome on a nice sunny day to fly out over the lake. He will ask you what your tolerance for maneuvers are and he will do some fun climbs and dives, and a few maneuvers where he will fly straight up and then turn the plane on its wingtip. It kicks the ass of any rollercoaster out there. Any Yelpers who want to take a trip out here PLEASE let me go because I'd love to go and enjoy it again.

This place is wonderful and has been for years! The staff are very friendly, but what's more important are the aircraft. The hangar kept aircraft are magnificent! Most give the appearance of still holding "flyable" status. If you're an aviation enthusiest, this is a great place to be. I can't say enough good things about this place. There's so much history to be told by those aircraft that you can almost hear it. I will continue to come back again and again!

This is a pretty cool little museum that almost nobody seems to know exists. As far as flight museums in the area go, I was more impressed with the facility at Love Field. It's larger and it has volunteers around to tell you about the displays. This museum just has a lot of aircraft. Some are replicas, but most seem to be the real deal purchased at some time or another by the museum. There are four hangers that are mostly filled with war planes and a few jets and a helicopter outside. They also offer rides in old planes starting at around $250 for a half hour and going up to about $2500 for ride in an old jet. You know, just in case you're the type of person who has $2500 to spend on a 30 minute ride. Personally, if I'm spending $2500 for a plane ride then it better take me to another continent and include meal service and all the mediocre movies on a six inch screen that I can handle. But that's just me.

We had a conference dinner here (amongst the planes). Volunteer staff that gave us a tour were very nice

My husband likes planes but is, by no means, a plane guy or enthusiast and I really don't have much interest but I took him here for Father's Day and was very impressed! We went right when they opened and loved how not crowded it was! It was only us and maybe 2 other people for almost the whole first hour! Then a couple other groups showed up but it was not crowded at all and you could take your time, take all the pictures you want and not be backed up around others. They have some awesome stuff on display. From replicas to small models to huge air ready planes, I was very impressed! All of their info plaques have tons of information and I really appreciated that. I liked that they also had helicopters, a tank, and some classic cars! I also appreciated they have some picnic tables and an indoor lounge where you can cool down. I went in my third trimester of pregnancy and took advantage of the seating. My only word of warning is that all of the planes are either outdoors or in open hangers so if you go between May and September- you should take every precaution to stay cool! We went at 11am, it was about 85 and in the hangers it seemed even more warm. I definitely won't go back any time during summer again. Just plan for that! They have so many planes it would take an hour or 2 with children and that can be a long time to be in the heat!

Beyond being a great and growing museum for aviation enthusiasts of all ages, the Warbird Rides are a fantastic present for the daredevil in your life. For my boyfriend's 60th(!)Birthday,he thought he might like a P-51 Mustang ride. We hit a bit of a snag when it was discovered that the Mustang would be downed for maintenance on his special day. But Laura Sanchez worked with us to come up with a great alternative. Volunteer Tour Guide Jack gave us a private tour of the museum as we waited for the cloud cover to lift. Jack clearly loves what he does. His entire tour was filled with great stories and historical context. Then, Pilot Kevin let us know that skies had cleared enough for my bf's 1st ride of the day in a Stearman biplane. What fun!! That was followed by his 2nd ride, with aerobatics, in the Texan T-6. Wow!! That blew him away. It's a bucket list adventure that will be a lifelong memory. And it's surprisingly affordable. Go ahead, make a loved one's day!

Fascinating place. I took my three year old and he loved it. It's was a great way to spend an hour and a half or so hanging out doing the father and son thing. It wasn't busy, so that was great. Two stars because the folks who work there were very very unfriendly. Unfriendly to the point that I felt uncomfortable and out of place. Maybe it's not everyday that they see or expect ethnic minorities visit the museum, or whatever, but had I not risked disappointing my son, I would have left before paying. Not a single smile or acknowledgement - grumpy attitude and grumpy looks. Not even a hi to my three year old, which I would understand if it was busy, but there was nobody else there. I felt bad for my son who was excited and just wanted to engage, but I think we both picked up on the uneasy tension. Anyway, once we paid, we didn't have to interact with anyone until we were back in the store trying to buy something and leave - same unfriendly attitude. Any how, the visit was a let down. As much as I'd like to visit because I only live ten minutes away, I don't think I'll be going back.

Very nice museum. Planes are authentic if you call ahead you can request someone to give you a personal tour. 80% of the planes are flyable. Planes from WW1, WW2, Korean and Vietnam. Great place to take veterans - it is hot so come early.

I'm not a huge plane guy but still a very cool museum. Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. If you're a student you get $4 off admission.

Awesome! Since I was a little child, I have always had a fascination with airplanes. Especially the ones featured here. WWII through the Vietnam era. Mr. Cavanaugh's collection is nothing short of breathtaking. I absolutely loved seeing this collection ,most of which is in working order and in immaculate state of cleanliness. I hope to someday be able to come back and see the new additions to the collection. Unfortunately I was just a little early in my visit to see the P-51 Mustang. The only tip I would offer is that you come early, as the planes are housed in hangars that get a little hot. Then again, I am from a up north and this Texas heat is a butt-kicker...

Stopped in with my family yesterday and experienced what amounted to absolutely ZERO customer service or anything of the sort. The girl behind the counter didn't greet anyone or even make eye contact. After We told her we had been there only once-about two years ago; she refused to engage in conversation. We paid the admission, then again zero guidance on where to go, etc. I would rather just drop my admission in a donation box and skip that whole bit and go in by ourselves with some signs pointing us along the way. I would like to say I will be back, but doubtful.

NIce presentation of numerous aircraft. Some Eastern Block. If hubby were rich he would spend $300K on the Grumman Albatross they had for sale. Nice! You can also take a ride in some planes...for about $1500 for a half hour. Hubby and son had a blast. They told me how it was. I didn't go. I was sick. BUT, I will be back!

All the reviewers are right! This place rocks! The BF is a major junkie for war planes, and I am just a history geek, in general. We went on a Monday, but called ahead and asked if there was any way to get a tour guide, as it was so recommended on here. She said, of course, and set up a time. Out guide was great, and the tour was so awesome! The planes are amazing. They had WAY more planes of the era than any museum I've ever been to. Be it a replica (because literally no planes survived WWI), or original, these planes were so fabulous. We were constantly saying how big, or how small certain planes were compared to what we thought they were. The whole staff is great and I would go back again and again.

Our whole family loves Cavanaugh (but my 2 year old probably loves it most of all). Since the walkways are so wide and the hangars are rarely full, there is plenty of space to move around (in toddler terms). The staff is great and the crews that work on the planes are super passionate about what they do and will happily talk about their planes. The place is super clean and the planes are gleaming and beautiful. There are even some planes outside that you can touch.

This was a pretty neat museum that I'm glad I got to tour. My sister found a deal on Groupon so she decided to take me and my nephews when I visited them. Lots of cool history and the people who work there are very passionate about their planes and the museum itself. They keep the facility clean and constantly keeps up the maintenance. The friendly front desk person even told us about their future events and even hold events there, such as birthday parties and weddings. I geek over planes so I was like a kid in there!

My son loved this place!! Very nice and never crowded!! It's also cool watching the planes take off and taxi near the museum. :)

Me and my boyfriend went there for our first time on Sunday and we had a cool time , museum is small so we finished looking at everything in about 45 min , interesting place.

This place never gets old. Each time we go we learn something new and meet someone with a wonderful story to share about their love of planes. My 6 year old loves old war planes and would come here every day if he could! He has been able to meet many pilots and has watched several take-offs. This is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Great selection of well maintained planes and other historical items. Attended Addison Days and they moved the tank complete with movie shooting and started up one of the aircrafts. Great experience and one of the more complete museums.

Great place! Well worth the trip. Call ahead and see if anything is flying. Watching them fire up the old planes and leave for a flight is fun.

Skipped another place b/c of bad reviews. Glad I did. Airplanes are displayed in hangers and appear to mostly fly-able... with future projects tucked away in the back and in corners. My 10 yo daughter and I loved it. A little tough to find as it is on a narrow street in the heart of the active airport. Awesome!

Well worth a visit. This museum has a much larger collection (four hangars) than you might expect. Volunteer guides are very informative as well.

The best air museum i have been to other than the smithsonian. They have a lot of rare flyable planes. An extensive air gallery. A me109, yak, migs, spitfire, and choppers. A must see.

I scheduled a visit here to surprise a military- and aircraft-loving 10-year-old, and it was a major hit! Even my tween daughter had to admit it was a great way to spend a couple of hours. Easy to get to, easy on the wallet (watch out for that awesome gift shop!). There are 4 large hangars or aircraft and some others parked outside as you move from hangar to hanger. WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and even some civilian craft. As a bonus, there are also some vintage cars, a Sherman Tank, and an anti-aircraft gun. Kids were also delighted to go through the "restoration hangar" where they were working on other aircraft. If you go in the hot months, head out early in the day. The hangars have fans but this is of course Texas so it's not 72 degrees in there! You can take a break in the air-conditioned "canteen" breakroom and grab a cold drink if necessary. Only disappointment was the fact that they only take 18-years-up in the "warbird flights" they offer (couple of hundred bucks and up, depending on the plane). I may have to go back without the kids for that! Easy to get through it in less than an hour if you don't care to really get into the detail, a couple of hours is better though. Don't miss this one if you're a local, it's worth it!

Not a big fan. Found it quite boring. Nothing really interactive or exciting. Some planes were cool though! But that's about all.

Really clean and nest aircraft here. A great gallery of war planes.

Lots of really great planes. My young son loves airplanes and he loved seeing so many up close.

Loved it and happy to pay the $10! I was dying to fly in the fighter jet but i'm not an oil tycoon that can afford the fuel. There are 4 hangars compared to the other museums 1 room. It was raining and I was more than happy to get soaked looked at the jets outside of the hangers. The air force veteran was very friendly and informative (thank you Sir). If you like planes you will love it, if not it will be as boring as any other kind of museum.

We took the self-guided tour and found the displays to be beautifully restored and preserved. They have a wonderful art gallery, but small children will become uninterested very quickly here. Adults who have the time can be very enlightened about our country's participation in several global conflicts. I think aviation enthusiasts will probably appreciate the museum more than those who are just looking for something to do. At any rate, the aircraft on display are beautiful along with some other military equipment. We walked through in about an hour or so because it was very hot. However, if you take time to read and learn about the displays, you could easily spend 1/2-day there or more. Gift shop has a good variety of things to offer for all ages. We had fun with our 2yr old grandson. He loved the planes!

This review is for the plane flights. I purchased a certificate for a P-51 flight in Dec 2014. The plane was booked thru March, which was OK since it's winter. Come April, the plane was down for maintenance. it was down all spring, summer, fall.... Still down. Never got any kiind of communication from the Cavenaugh - no offer to fly a different plane. Nothing. Almost a year later and they will not give us a refund. AND, they're still showing the P51 on the site! Do not book unless you know the plane will fly!

Thank you to David who provided a detailed guided tour through the museum and war history. He taught my teenage kids Socratically about war planes technology development including weaponry. I did not quite realize the bravery of World War 1 pilots whose death rate was exceedingly high. My twelve year old daughter has a new appreciation for the people of history thanks to his presentation.

I go to a lot of aviation museums and this one is worth stopping-by. They have a large collection with a lot of variety, but the focus is on military aircraft. The exhibits aren't extensive, but you'll see a lot of aircraft that aren't too common (Grumman Panther, Corsair and a pair of Skyraiders!). They have a nice layout where you can walk around the airplanes and they're usually working on a couple of them while you're there.