Museum Chronicles Florida Aviation History

There is always a good reason to visit the Florida Air Museum, no matter what time of year.

Known as “Florida’s Official Aviation Museum,” the museum is on the SUN ‘n FUN campus on Lakeland-Linder International Airport (KLAL) in Florida.

The museum chronicles the history of Florida aviation through its many displays, including “a salute to SUN ‘n FUN,” “Airshow Pioneers,” “Air Racing,” “Wings At War,” and more.

The Florida Air Museum is also home to the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame, a NASA exhibit, and the Howard Hughes Experience, which includes books, photographs, and artifacts from one of the largest Howard Hughes collections in the world.

The experience gives you the chance to sit at Hughes’ desk, look through the drawers, and discover the story of one of aviation’s most famous aviators, museum officials promise. Meanwhile, the Howard Hughes Flight Lounge includes the flight suits of Kathryn Hepburn and Howard Hughes, propeller remnants from a wrecked Hell’s Angel biplane, a scale model of the Hercules H-4, also known as the Spruce Goose, and more.

Museum officials periodically change the displays and add new things, so every time you visit you can be sure to see something new.

For instance, the museum is now home to a traveling exhibit from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which makes sense as NOAA and its Hurricane Hunters have had a presence at KLAL since 2017.

There is a small fee to get in to the museum, which is open year round. It also offers memberships, which allow you to bring friends and family members at no extra cost.

For more information: FloridaAirMuseum.org