Looking for something interesting and unique to do in Northwest Arkansas? I suggest that you check out the Arkansas Air and Military Museum in Fayetteville!
This happens to be the only museum of aviation in the state.
We loved our recent visit and learned so much about the history of aviation in Arkansas and beyond!
Plan Your Visit to the Arkansas Air and Military Museum
Location:
The Arkansas Air and Military Museum is located at the airport, Drake Field, in Fayetteville.
The address is: 4500 S School Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701
Days and Hours
Please check the website for the days and hours as they are subject to change.
Also, be aware that some of the older facilities that house the museum are not air-conditioned so they do go to earlier hours in the summer.
I would also suggest checking/following their Facebook page for up to the minute information about changes that might happen due to weather or special events.
Admission
There is an admission fee and at the time of our visit it was $11 for adults and $6 for children. Ages 5 and under were free.
You don’t have to reserve admission in advance..
If you live nearby they also have a yearly membership that you can buy in order to go as often as you want.
Accessibility
The museum is wheelchair (and stroller) accessible.
Tours
You are allowed to wander the museum on your own or you can schedule a private tour. We had a private tour and absolutely loved all the extra tidbits of information that we received.
Here are some more great Arkansas Museums that you might be interested in visiting.
What will you find at this museum?
This is a small, but fascinating museum. One thing that I thought was very interesting is that many of the historic airplanes on-site still fly!
They have over 2,000 artifacts that range from small personal items all the way to 40-foot-long aircraft.
The entire museum has an emphasis on Arkansas aviation history which means that most of the items belonged to or were associated with Arkansans who served.
You will see uniforms and medals and canteens from various Arkansas service men and women as well as military aircraft and service vehicles of all types.
One of the highlights is walking inside a C130. You can even sit in the cockpit and imagine flying this huge aircraft!
There are also pre-WWII aircraft, racing planes, and a few unusual aircraft that I had never heard of… including one called the “flying banana!”
Many of the displays are permanent, but there are also rotating exhibits and some temporary aircraft.
How are the aircraft displayed
One of the things I enjoyed the most about this museum is that many of the aircraft reside in an all-wood hanger at Drake Field that is listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places.
You really feel the history as you step inside this amazing building!
Is this a good museum For children?
Absolutely! This is definitely a kid-friendly museum.
My daughter, Emily, and I toured the museum with her husband and toddler daughter.
Even though she was too young to understand much about the aircraft little Lyla loved being here. You are allowed to go inside several of the airplanes and vehicles and she had SO much fun with this.
Older children would especially love learning about the history and the interesting stories from the aircraft as well as seeing and sitting inside some of the military vehicles.
The museum also offers a summer camp for kids ages 8-14 that combines aviation, engineering, and military in a hands on way.
At the time of our visit school was still in session and the museum was offering story times with an aviation bent for younger children.
Booking the Museum?
Yes! You can actually hold events here such as reunions, weddings, and corporate parties. I think this would be an amazing event venue.
History
It was in 1943 that ground was broken at Drake Field, then called Fayetteville Field, for a new all-wood hanger.
The hanger was meant to house planes used by the 305th College Training Detachment and designed to hold 40 aircraft.
The crazy thing is that the building was only used by the College Training Detachment for 2 days! At that point their contract was up and they left Fayetteville.
In moved the Fayetteville Flying Services, a commuter flying service. The field was last used for a commuter flight in September of 1999. Now all commercial flights are held at the airport in Bentonville. (XNA)
Plans for a museum here began as far back as 1985. The hanger was restored and in 1986 the Arkansas Air Museum began!
For a while there were actually two museums on the property as the Ozark Military Museum moved here from the Springdale airport. However, in 2012 the two combined to become the Arkansas Aviation and Military Museum.
(All of the above information is from the museum website. You can go there to read more about it!)
I highly recommend this great Arkansas museum! Have fun on your visit.
Thanks for stopping by!
