Front Entrance
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Established | 1983 |
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Location | Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
Type | Aviation Museum |
Collection size | 200 aircraft |
Owner | Experimental Aircraft Association |
Nearest car park | On site (no charge) |
The EAA AirVenture Museum is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics and warbirds. It's located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, adjacent to Wittman Regional Airport, home of the museum's sponsoring organization, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the organization's EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event (the world's biggest fly-in and airshow) that takes place in late July/early August.
With over 200 aircraft, indoors and outdoors, and other exhibits and activities (including occasional aircraft rides nearby), the AirVenture Museum is a key tourist attraction in Oshkosh and is a center of activity throughout the AirVenture fly-in and airshow each summer. The museum is open year-round with the exception of a few holidays.
EAA founder Paul Poberezny proposed the idea of the EAA Air Museum-Air Education center in August 1958. In 1982, Paul's son, Tom Poberezny, led the campaign to build the current updated museum and headquarters, which was opened in 1983.
The museum's collection displays more than 200 aircraft and 20,000 artifacts, including civilian and military aircraft of historic importance, and aircraft popular with aviation hobbyists—vintage, homebuilt, racing and stunt aircraft.
Some of the more historic and unusual planes include a Curtiss Pusher, Bleriot XI, Curtiss Jenny, Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro, Sikorsky S-38 amphibian flying boat, and the Taylor Aerocar flying car, as well various warbirds and Golden Age aircraft.
Other exhibits include functional replicas of the Wright Flyer and its predecessor, Octave Chanute's hang glider, French and German World War I fighters, Lindbergh's Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" replica (flown in the movie), and a replica of the historic Laird Super Solution 1931 racer.