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An F-14 Tomcat on display at the museum's entrance

The National Museum of Naval Aviation is a military and aerospace museum located at 1750 Radford Boulevard, on the grounds of Naval Air Station Pensacola. It opened in 1962.

The 300,000 sq. ft. museum houses more than 150 aircraft and spacecraft on display, including four former Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawks, a United States Coast Guard helicopter, biplanes, a K47 Airship control gondola and tail fin, the plane that President George H. W. Bush trained in, and the S-3 Viking used to transport President George W. Bush to the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003.

In addition to the displays, the museum operates an IMAX theater, museum store, and cafe. Also the museum is the home of the National Flight Academy, a 6-day program designed (in partnership with the Escambia and Santa Rosa school districts) to teach 7th through 12th grade students about the importance of science and math in aerospace careers. The Academy is currently planning a 245,000 sq. ft. expansion to the museum which would add classroom and dormitory space for the students during their stay.

The museum is open 9:00AM to 5:00PM every day except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Parking and admission to the museum are free, though donations are welcome. Some exhibits inside the museum, such as the IMAX theater and flight simulators, charge separate admission.

Captain Robert L. Rasmussen, a retired Navy captain and Blue Angel, is the current director of the National Museum of Naval Aviation. He hand-sculpted many of the statues in the museum as well.

Features & exhibits

IMAX Theater

Hourly showings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Flight Deck Museum Store

Oopen 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Cubi Car Café

Open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

USS Cabot Flight Deck

Replica of aircraft carrier USS Cabot, with actual deck planks taken from the USS Lexington.

Blue Angels atrium

Spacious room on north end of museum with seating available for large functions. Four A-4 Skyhawks, former Blue Angels, are suspended in formation from the ceiling.

Flight simulators

  • Motion-based flight simulator: 15-seat simulator that offers two virtual reality missions: a Blue Angel flight and a Desert Storm sortie
  • Top Gun Air Combat Simulator Center: 10-minute preflight briefing and 20-minute ride in the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat simulator

Art gallery

Collection of Naval aviation artwork.

Emil Buehler Naval Aviation Library

Collection of manuscripts, 8,000 books and manuals, and 400,000 declassified Navy photos for researchers. Open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Other exhibits

  • Recreation of Hoa Lo P.O.W. camp
  • Sunken Treasure - recreation of WWII fighters at the bottom of Lake Michigan
  • Home Front USA - World War II-era small town memorabilia
  • Naval Aviation in Space - Apollo command module, Skylab 2
  • Lighter Than Air - dirigible exhibit
  • Cockpit trainers

Collection of aircraft

The expansive collection of aircraft on display at the museum include the following:

Pre-World War II

World War II

Korean War Era

Vietnam War Era

Modern Era

External links

External link

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