Lyon Air Museum

ALL 5 Stars and all bolded. I have been to many a museum both for cars and for planes. This has been one of, if not the best. I really really enjoyed my time here. It’s not overwhelming, but the collection of vehicles is just fantastic. Lots of good reading and learning as well. Highly recommend.

Small but Amazing museum must visit, it cost $14 per adult and $7 for kids over 4 years (it is cheaper to buy the ticket on Groupon if you are two adults) the museum is about the history of American army through out the history of World War II, Korean War & Vietnam war and they have airplane and vehicle they have used in the wars. Went there with my 7 years old and he loved the museum where we did stay for 1 full hour

Such a cute museum. Took my son here who is 15 months and obsessed with planes. He really enjoyed it. We both did. They have an interactive section where you can sit and a couple of the cars and cockpit. Will definitely be back. Staff was also very friendly

This place is adorable. Went for an event. Planes were awesome. They had people dressed up in old military outfits who were super nice. Cars were also great. I’d definitely come for another event.

A great museum with some beautifully restored aircraft, some of which still fly. Plus some outstanding antique cars like a Cobra GT signed by Carroll Shelby. Great view of the active runway as well. Definitely worth a visit and very near to the passenger terminal at SNA / John Wayne.

As a proud American and lifelong aviation enthusiast, I hold a deep admiration for the legendary aircraft that helped shape the course of history—especially the iconic warbirds of World War II. Tucked beside the runways at John Wayne Airport, this remarkable museum is a true tribute to our nation’s bravery and ingenuity. Here, you’ll find vintage planes like the mighty B-17 Flying Fortress and the heroic C-47 that took part in the D-Day invasion—all fully operational and lovingly preserved. Walking through this museum is like stepping into a living chapter of American history. The aircraft stand as soaring symbols of courage, freedom, and the incredible sacrifices made by our Greatest Generation. Knowledgeable docents—many of them proud veterans—share firsthand stories and deep insights that bring these machines and their missions to life. But it’s more than just planes—you’ll also discover a dazzling array of classic cars and motorcycles, all part of the Lyon family’s patriotic collection. It’s a fantastic experience for all ages, and I highly recommend the affordable family membership. Every dollar supports the preservation of these American treasures. This museum isn’t just a visit—it’s a heartfelt salute to our nation’s heroes.

Incredible collection of historical planes and vehicles. They also have a plane cockpit that kids can sit in and pretend to fly, an old WWII truck and motorcycle w/sidecar that you can sit in. Also great place for watching planes take off and land from John Wayne Airport.

This is one of the best kept secrets in Orange County. You can spend a couple of hours here or all day if you just enjoy watching planes from the John Wayne Airport takeoff and land. The price is more than reasonable. The docents share very interesting information regarding the aircraft. There is usually a special exhibit. The time we went, it was the mini car exhibit which was fascinating. The tiny movie theater where you can watch a short film about the exhibit is a nice way to cool off and learn something new. Easy parking, plenty of freedom to move around and the kids will really enjoy the area that has been offered to them. They can climb inside the cockpit, sit on a double seated motorcycle or climb into a military jeep from years ago. There is not a concession, but there is a small gift shop filled with miniature aircraft and cars. Great place to take out of town visitors to for a fun afternoon.

Martin Aviation is a full service aviation management company at John Wayne International Airport in Santa Ana,California. They were also actively involved in support functions at this years Lyons Air Museum "Hot Rods on The Tarmac" vintage auto event! Military displays of vintage memoribilia,re-enactors and over 100 of the areas finest curated pre 1950 vehicles were on hand! Lyons Air Museum also had their "Micro Cars" and vintage aircraft on display along with tasty food vendors to make this annual enthusiast and community event a one of the best yet! . . . . #martinaviation #lyonsairmuseum #hotrodsonthetarmac #cosplay #reenactors #seetheusa #carshows #santaanacalifornia #johnwayneairport #carphotography #onthetarmac #fbo #johnwayneinternationalairport #aviation

What an amazing museum! Had I not joined my friend for breakfast I would have missed this museum. Being an aviation enthusiast, I love walking in and around historic aircraft and Lyon really brings the the history to life. Was in Irvine with my girlfriend and her son for a seminar near SNA and with time to kill I took her son to visit Lyon. We arriving on a Sunday and there was no one there. Was able to spend some time with the docents talking about the displays. Was impressive to walk around their static aircraft displays, with the ability to look inside the a C-47 or B-17. The planes are meticulously restored with a fabled history. The weekend we were there featured a showroom full of mini cars. We spent about two hours, end to end looking at displays, reading the material and learning about the history. It was a great experience and would highly recommend this museum if you happen to visit the area.

Came by here yesterday with the youngest kid for a birthday outing. Enjoyed the large planes inside on display and they also have an interactive area for little kids. Mine got to sit inside a cockpit and some army cars. Admission was $14 for adult and my kiddo was free due to age. Upstairs has some mini airplane displays. Also small theater for an educational show. I saw staff / docents hosting tours but we skipped that since a 3 year old can't really focus for that long!

We took still another trip to the Lyon's Museum. They do a great job with special events - like the recent "mini-cars". Thank you, admin, donors, volunteers, and everyone else who helps out. This is a great Air Museum!

The Lyon Air Museum was amazing! My dad and uncle are both vets so they got a really detailed and long tour of all of the different planes and histories contained inside the main viewing area. There were even four different planes and cars for visitors to sit inside of as photo ops. The biggest highlight for me, though, was getting to watch the SNA airport runway at the perfect spot where commercial, charter, and personal airplanes would literally lift up into the sky where I could take the perfect photos of each airline on their ascent. Lyon Air Museum is mostly about war planes, but for more commercial aviation enthusiasts like myself, it's still a neat place to catch United, American, Delta, Southwest, Alaska, and even Spirit airlines in action.

The Lyon air museum is right behind the John Wayne airport. You can watch all the planes and jets arriving and departing on the landing strip from the museum which was pretty cool! we got so lucky to meet a U.S Air Force veteran who served during these times of history and happily shared his experience! (Thank you Fred) it's definitely a nice place for kids to learn and grow their passion for aircraft's! It's a Small museum but everybody is so welcoming and helpful there. They have nice souvenirs for purchase. If your around the area I'd recommend dropping in to learn some good ol U.S history.

Fun place to visit if you are local. Lots of WW2 fighter planes to see and admire. The guides are super helpful and eager to help. They want you to pick their brains.

Found this spot on Groupon and I'm so glad! I have three young boys and they all had a blast. We got to see some cool planes up close and my kids saw others landing and taking off as well. We will definitely be back. Definitely need to mention Patty at the front desk who had the best customer service and was so sweet. Ron was a worker walking around inside and he was so helpful and informative. So thankful both Patty and Ron were the ones to assist me because it made my experience here that much better!

Really enjoyed all the history here. We went on the weekend over the Christmas holiday and experienced a little local gem for any history buff or aviator enthusiast.

As soon as we entered, we were greeted kindly by the receptionist. She guided us through where to go and which parts of the museum are easily missed since she did not want us missing any of it. Everyone was so kind and knowledgeable. My kids had a blast in the area where they are allowed to sit and play in the cars! Perfect summer activity, inexpensive and educational while still being loads of fun.

Fascinating collection!! Our docent, Dave, was wonderful: So full of information and insights into the history of the planes. Made our visit very special!

Didn't know about this place. Never even heard about it before. Until my buddy who was visiting asked me if I would be interested in checking it out with him. Like you have to even hint at twisting my arm when it comes to learning about history. I even beat him there. Don't remember the cost. Check the site. Parking was free in their small lot. Not many must know about this place as well because parking wasn't an issue. The exhibits, artifacts to see up close and personal to learn about history and how the pieces played a part back in their day. Planes, cars and motorcycles. Lots of information shared which I'm sure is only scratching the surface of how things were back in the day. There's was also a screening room where a video explaining the history of aircraft carriers was on a loop. Also a place to sit and relax if need be. It's not a large museum but I still spent hours looking and and reading everything. The volunteer staff must have noticed because one of them asked me jokingly, if I was building a plane because I was taking so many pictures. Which by the way, you can find on my FB page (public) if you wanna see what I saw without needing to go in person.

We had the most amazing morning at Lyon Air Museum today. We were greeted by the friendliest front desk employee who chatted with us and made an effort to make us feel welcome. She buzzed us into the hangar where we met two gentlemen docents who were also veterans. One of the gentleman, Hal gave us the best impromptu tour of the entire hangar for about an hour. He had funny anecdotes and personal memories to share and he was an absolute gem. We loved getting to see the private planes outside the hangar as well (there's an open air viewing area that is chained off). There was a bonus motorcycle exhibit happening at the same time and we got to see Maverick's bike in Top Gun. Such an amazing experience and we can't wait to go back!

This was a bucket list adventure, for my son and I. We went to the World War II spectator event on January 25. The museum is full of World War II aircraft, cars, motorcycles, and memorabilia from the war. They have a fantastic display of real flight ready aircraft to see. They also have a great exhibition of model aircraft and all sorts of things from World War II. But at the event, my son and I attended we were able to see the planes up close on turmac. The pilots allowed everyone to get inside their planes. The I icing on the cake was to watch the planes takeoff. I can say for a fact, this was one of the greatest events my son and I have ever witnessed. Especially for him who is a future aviator in training I would like to thank all of the pilots and the staff at Lyon air museum, for their gracious acts of kindness. They made this 49-year-old feel like he was 11 years old. I and my son can't wait to go back to explore this museum once again. They have a spectacular event coming up on February 15 if you want to see some real live aircraft come out and enjoy The Lyon air museum.

Lyon Air Museum is an aircraft museum that exhibit a collection of authentic aircraft, rare vehicles, and war memorabilia of the 20th century. It is base at John Wayne Airport in OC. Founded by Maj Gen Will Lyon, this 30,000 sq ft museum houses a fleet of operational aircraft and vehicles-jeeps, cars & motorcycles. Admission ticket was $14 bucks. Museum was very organized and extremely clean. Most of the museum volunteers were former USAF officers and pilots. They bring a breadth of knowledge and experience about the aircraft and the WW2. You can spent 30 mins to see the entire museum but I spent 2 hrs just because I love aviation. Overall, I like LAM and I recommend you visit.

Absolutely amazing place. Well worth the drive and money. Kids love it. Great way to get educated on the history of our military

This is a great museum. It's relatively small, but there's lots to see. The best is the movie about aviation. About an hour long. There are tons of real airplanes inside and the middle of the museum opens up to John Wayne airport where you can see the planes taking off and landing. Not a lot of people and there are docents to answer your questions. Clean and pretty well maintained. Nice place overall. It would be fun to attend a holiday party here.

Absolutely Amazing. I never knew this was so close to me in Orange County. The planes are gorgeous, the space is bright and beautiful, and stuff is knowledgeable and very welcoming. If you're a fan of aviation history, beautiful machinery and just a nice day of activities, this is the spot.

Such a cool museum next to John Wayne airport. Please make sure to ask the staff questions about the planes. They have amazing stories, many are WW2 veterans. Parking was super convenient. The museum was full of amazing planes and cars.

What a wonderful hidden gem!! Came here with a group of 13, 12 and 10 year olds and they had a great time. The docents are wonderful friendly and very knowledgeable. You can tell the collection is well taken care of and we were told that everything works! There is even a couple of vehicles that you can touch and play with. Not to mention the flying simulator. Bathrooms were very clean and the facility is well taken care of. The kids are already asking when we can go back.

The little Lyon Air Museum that could. It may not be big, but everything in here is in tip-top condition and these are some gems. Plus the location is great, being on the opposite side of the runway from John Wayne Airport with all the private planes and helicopters parked out front and commercial jets roaring off the runway all day. The museum is the brainchild of Major General William Lyon and all the major artifacts are from his personal collection, that he decided to share with the world by opening this museum. General Lyon passed away in 2020, but his legacy lives on and is well kept by the staff at LAM. For a relatively small museum, there are some big multi-engined aircraft in here and they are immaculately maintained. The Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress is probably the biggest and most famous for its role in bombing Germany in WWII. The example at LAM named "Fuddy Duddy" though wasn't a combat veteran, but was completed in 1945 and served mostly as a transport for General Dwight D. Eisenhower and later starred in movies like "Tora Tora Tora". It is perfectly preserved here with its polished chrome finish and bright yellow markings. The B-17 is accompanied by a Douglas A-26 Invader named "Feeding Frenzy" and a North American B-25 Mitchell named "Guardian of Freedom", both twin-engine WWII medium bombers. Other planes of note are the civilian DC-3 and USAAF C-47 Dakota cousins, both built in the Douglas Aircraft factories. Another hobby the General enjoyed was collecting vintage hot rod racing cars with many examples placed beneath the wings of the aircraft. They are all custom built and some even are related to the planes themselves. You'll notice that some of the racers are streamlined tear-dropped shapes. That is because they started life as external fuel tanks on fighter planes and ended up as surplus that inventive geniuses strapped engines and wheels on to race at famous courses like the Bonneville Salt Flats. Don't forget to go into the mini theater at the far end of the hangar to watch the "History of the Hot Rod" movie that will get your engine revved up.

Fun for the kids! We brought our toddlers and they had a good time. It was a fun little outing. We stayed no more than 1.5 hr and their favorite part was riding the motorcycle and trucks they have on display. I wish they had more of those as it wasn't as interesting for them to just walk around and look at planes etc but it was still a fun time! We used the Groupon so the price was right. If we paid full price, I would've felt like we overpaid for sure.

The best plane museum in Orange County that many people are unaware of. Look it up on line to see what it has and visit it with WWII history buffs or take a group of scout's.

Thanks to Groupon I found out about this aerospace museum next to the John Wayne Airport. It's pretty small so it should only take you 1-2 hour max if you read every single display. There are several military aircraft, vehicle and motorcycle displays. I try to visit every car museum whenever I can, so it was a nice surprise to see some rare automobiles in there. If you're looking for a unique venue for an event, you might want to consider this museum. You get a cool backdrop of John Wayne Airport's runway.

Super knowledgeable friendly staff. There's a great interactive section for kids too. It's definitely warm but they have a small theater with air conditioning if you need a break. Fantastic area to watch planes take off and land as well. They have rotating exhibitions, currently it's roadsters. Takes about an hour or so if you take time, read everything and talk with the volunteers.

Definitely a great place to learn about the the man and airplanes that served in World War II. There are some interactive exhibits that let your kids (and the kid inside all of us) to climb into some vehicles. Watch their calendar and they occasionally have events that also let you out to the tarmac where you can see all the airplanes and jets that use John Wayne Airport take off and land up close. Very cool experience. Take some time to read all the posters and exhibits and see some of the cramped quarters flyers and gunners had to endure to fight for freedom. Enjoy!

What a beautiful display of planes all under one roof! I didn't want to leave. You can hear air chatter because the airport is there and see all the planes on the runway. The collection inside the museum hanger was spectacular. A little bit of everything and lots of interesting history. I asked the lovely gentleman working there so many technical questions regarding the aircraft and the guys were sooo sharp! They answered all my questions and even gave me a lot more insight on the planes. I love the vibe in this place!

Large, clean, open, well maintained hangar with a great selection of beautifully restored aircraft and land vehicles. Staff are knowledgeable and happy to discuss exhibits or history that influenced the vehicles displayed. Descriptions provided for each exhibit is a plus, and the information is clear, educational, and interesting. Has an adorable small theater that shows historical films. Bathrooms are very nice and clean. Giftshop has plenty of unique gifts for beginners and experts of the air.

Small museum based upon General Lyon's personal collection. Knowledgeable docents. Location is on the north side of John Wayne (SNA) airport, opposite side of the field across the runways from the passenger gates.

Amazing day with my family and my grandpa came from east coast he was a us marine loved it.

museum tucked away behind John Wayne Airport. Costs 13 bucks to get in and the parking. Take about an 1-2 hours to look through and read everything. Cool Mix of airplanes, cars, and small little exhibits. Also large windows to check out planes taking off .

Yes, the museum is small. But it's pretty darn cool. Plenty of free parking outside the front entrance. You can probably enjoy just about everything in about 1.5 hours, 2 hours tops. I highly recommend having one of the docents give you a tour. They've got great stories and you'll discover things you wouldn't learn otherwise. Get the Groupon! It's crazy to pay full price when Groupons are frequently available. No replicas here. Real World War II planes, Jeeps, etc. plus a fair number of cars and motorcycles previously owned by Steve McQueen. But the real stars here are the WWII planes. You can even get underneath some of them and peek inside. It's pretty incredible. Located literally next to the runways John Wayne Airport. The planes takeoff and land right next to the building. There are huge windows so you can watch all o the action. Well worth a visit.

Fascinating museum, both in terms of its collection, and its history. The docents are all retired military, so they're really into the stories.

My son really enjoys history and happened to be around the same area as this museum and decided to check it out! My son was really enjoying it, but unfortunately I wasn't really interested until Bill noticed us and walked over and explained everything and shared the history of each item on display! He was very joyful and enthusiastic which made it an enjoyable experience. Highly recommend!!!

A great place to visit for kids, teens & their parents. Multiple WW II planes & vehicles including one of Hitler's limousines. They are up close & touchable. The museum also has a very knowledgeable staff who lead excellent docent tours. In addition, they have circulating exhibits of interest. When I was there they had an exhibition of racing cars made from old airplane fuel tanks. I highly recommend this museum. Parking is free & vets get a (small) discount on the admission price.

Great planes & cars. Helpful docent guide. Easy parking and wheelchair access. Lots to read, if one is so inclined. Spent about an hour there with my 95 year old mother in law. Amazing that all the planes can be flown and vehicles driven or ridden. Gift shop could use a patch and a decal or too. Easy access off 405 or 55 or 73.

This place sucks, save your money. Staff are rude and over priced tickets. Everything is crammed together like and looks my over crowed garage at home.

Cool air museum for kids and adults right near John wayne airport! A small section for kids to get into a small airplane cockpit, simulator, a few trucks. My 10 y/o, 4y/o and I spent about an hour here.

Great history. If you love airplanes, this is the place. Such historical aircraft on display. I read about these planes, saw movies and TV shows but seeing them in person cannot be beat.

Pretty cool, honestly. I got a deal for $14 for 2 on Groupon, and it was a pleasant surprise to visit here. Lots of history, automobiles, planes, and Hitler's car.

I have not seen a better representation of historic vehicles from World War 2 since I visited Washington DC! Such an impressive collection of aircraft and rare vehicles from the last Great War! Also a great venue for a celebration! This isn't a "cut and paste from Google review"! Just an honest to goodness take on the museum... Enjoy!

Lived in Orange County for 20+ years and never visited this place. I've always had a passion for planes and was super excited to visit. We went on Saturday afternoon. Not too busy. I would say you could get through the museum in about an hour depending how much you want to know. Also, we were lucky enough to be there during Fords exhibit with their cars. I would definitely come back!

A hidden gem on the west side of the Orange County airport. It's tucked back in among other buildings, facing the runway. The cost to enter is fair with discounts for youth, seniors, and veteran...and you can purchase your tickets ahead of time online. It's a smaller museum but has a lot of military aircraft and vehicles tucked into that small space. It's a good place to spend a nice afternoon at.

A great place to visit and see the history of our Air Force. They have a great history with a lot of planes and vehicles. Great place to take the family and the kids will enjoy.

Worth the visit, great for kids and any fan of aviation. All displays are outstanding. Really enjoyed the Lyons museum. Planes are just breathtaking, and right off the flight line you can get some really great views if planes taking off from John Wayne airport.

Unlike most air museums, the aircraft displayed at this place are all fully operational. In addition, the actual crafts themselves are truly historic (participated in the Tokyo bombing raids and the Normandie invasion in WWII). The story behind General Lyon himself is equally fascinating. He remains active at age 94, and was flying these planes himself in his nineties! If you can, find Gerry. He is a WWII pilot himself, and he gave me a private tour of the museum in fascinating details.

When a rare So Cal storm derailed our plans to visit aircraft museums in San Diego, I did a search for museums that are closer to us and found this one right in our own backyard. Didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised! Great exhibits with lots of history, explained by very friendly docents and volunteers. Every vehicle here is fully operational, too, including a DC-3 that flew the D-Day mission. There's a comfy theater showing a pretty interesting documentary, so don't miss that. And it was rather exhilarating to see and hear jets taking off right outside, on the John Wayne runway! Just a heads up that this museum is in a hangar that has no A/C but does have large fans blowing.

Very nice and clean air museum. The docents are friendly and knowledgeable. The one we met, Skip shared a cool story about one of the vehicles and jelly donuts! It's a great place to bring children too. Stroller friendly and you can see the runway over at John Wayne Airport. There's also a place to take a group photo in front of one of the airplanes. The simulator and plane that children can get inside the cockpit are closed for now due to COVID. Parking was easy and free.

Great historical airplanes and autos. Worth seeing. Great for kids 6 plus . Great place for the kids to run around and play for couple of hours. Extra tip. Afterwards, park in the front parking lot and plane watch its alongside the landing airstrip of john wayne airport