SEATTLE — On Sept. 19, the Museum of Flight will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a birthday party and 50 cent admission (the original ticket price).
Visitors are encouraged to dress for the party’s 1960s theme.
Festivities begin at noon with a nod to the the museum’s artist-designed astronaut statue program, Astronauts on the Town. Next will be a 60’s costume and fashion contest that is open to all visitors (the audience chooses the winner).
Family activities throughout the day include a Scavenger hunt, and a design-your-own-astronaut coloring project. An archivist will also be on hand to answer questions about preserving family photos and other personal treasures.
The museum has come a long way since its founding Sept. 14, 1965. It was originally formed as the Pacific Northwest Historical Aviation Foundation (PNHAF), and was located in some small offices near the Space Needle at Seattle Center until 1979. The name was changed to Museum of Flight in 1981, and the doors were opened at its current Boeing Field location in the newly-restored Boeing “Red Barn” factory.
Now the museum campus sprawls across 15 acres with four buildings and one under construction.