Jessica P.
Yelp
Ended up here unplanned because of a road detour. The plane outside was enough reason for my group to go check out the rest. I completely expected to be bored and waiting in the car - I do not consider myself a fan of museums. They tend to be very cookie-cutter with everything in glass cases, and very sterile. This museum is not those things. It was fascinating. Each section has a different style, and it is set up as kind of a self-discovery thing with no set order to view each area. The hangar is huge. It used to house blimps during WWII that patrolled the area to watch the coast. The day we visited, the lights were very dim, and we could hear the echo of an air-raid siren from one of the displays. It was eerie and I think it set a good tone for the visit.
We stayed for quite a while, as each of us was drawn to watch the historical videos. I especially enjoyed one about the last bombing run of the war and how the truce announcement happened from Japan. There is a section of training cockpits that visitors are allowed to climb up and sit in. You can go outside and into the Mini Guppy plane, hear your footsteps echo against the metal walls, and imagine what it might have been like in the air. You can walk into an air-raid shelter meant for families, read about its construction and use, and wonder how six people were supposed to fit in there. One of the smaller side rooms is full of miniatures - vehicles, buildings, ships, flags - that showed a lot of the of countries involved in the war (not just the US!) and some of the specific battle locations beyond the few that we learn about in school. If you stay and read the plaques, they have stories and photos of just a few of the veterans who laid down their lives to keep the world safe, or who made it through and donated or lent their memorabilia to this museum so hopefully people can learn and remember. It is so important for people to see this stuff, and I give kudos to the people who keep this place going. This museum is a treasure. I went in expecting boring stuff in glass boxes and it ended up being quite an emotional experience. I would definitely 100% go here again and I would love to give more than five stars.
Extra notes: Veterans get a discount on admission. The gift shop has some great and unusual stuff (loved the book I bought!). I couldn't get any cell phone reception but they have free wi-fi. You can take all the photos you want (although photos don't do it justice). Might be a good place for kids as long as they are able to follow "don't touch" and "don't run" instructions.