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How Many Air/Ship/Armor/Car Museums Have You Visited, And Where?

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  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
How Many Air/Ship/Armor/Car Museums Have You Visited, And Where?
Posted by Devil Dawg on Thursday, February 6, 2014 9:38 AM

HI, folks. Based on another thread, I thought it would be interesting to see how many museums you folks have ever visited.

I've been to:

Museum Of The US Air Force (at least, I think that's what it's called now...)  Dayton, Ohio 

Naval Air Museum    Pensacola, FL

Tennessee Air Museum    Pigeon Forge, TN

Grissom Air Museum  Peru, Indiana (they've got a B-58 on display there)

Air Force Armament Museum   Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

Corvette Museum     Bowling Green, Kentucky

Cherry Point Air Museum  Havelock, NC

Museum Of Flight  Seattle, WA

There's a few more to add, but I just called out to work. I'll update later. Hope we get a lot of resonses to this!

Gary

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Thursday, February 6, 2014 10:44 AM

Aberdeen Proving Grounds.Mayland

Intrepid Air and Space,NYC

San Diego Air and Space

Submarine Museum,Groton

Smithsonian Air and Space,Washington

The Constitution,Boston

The Constellation,Baltimore

Battleship New Jersey,Camden

Gettysburg Battlefield

Fort McHenry

More on the bucket list for sure

  • Member since
    January 2014
Posted by JayF on Thursday, February 6, 2014 11:41 AM

During my trip to Great Britain last May I was able to visit the beautiful British cruiser HMS Belfast in London.

But I had such a great time at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, near Cambridge.

What an awesome museum ! Plenty of tanks and aircrafts and land vehicles and stuff, you can easily spend entire days there.

I've also been to the Ottawa Canadian War Museum, which is very cool too.

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Maine
Posted by Stage_Left on Thursday, February 6, 2014 11:55 AM

Of those that apply to this list, only the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH and the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owls Head, ME. Many are on my list to visit- but for those who don't know Owls Head specializes in early 20th Century machines- and most are in operating condition including the airplanes.

Dave

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Thursday, February 6, 2014 1:47 PM

Smithsonian Air and Space, Washington

Deutsches Museum, Munich

Royal Arsenal, London

Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, Beijing

The Constitution, Boston

Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, Oslo.

Wasa, Stockholm

Presidio of Monterey Military Museum

The National World War Two Museum, New Orleans

Maritime Historical National Park, San Francisco

Mariner's Museum, Newport News

USS Pampanito/ Jeremiah O'Brien, San Francisco

Whaling Museum of Nantucket

Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland

National War Museum, Edinburgh

Musee De L'Armee, Paris

Harrah's Collection, Reno CA

Arizona Memorial

Plymouth Plantation (Mayflower replica)

Mystic Seaport, Dayton, Gettysburg, Waterloo, Cutty Sark, Victory and Uder Hazy are on the bucket list.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Thursday, February 6, 2014 2:44 PM

Holy Cripes, GMorrison! That is one impressive list! That's a lot of traveling............

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Thursday, February 6, 2014 2:50 PM

Devil Dawg

HI, folks. Based on another thread, I thought it would be interesting to see how many museums you folks have ever visited.

I've been to:

Museum Of The US Air Force (at least, I think that's what it's called now...)  Dayton, Ohio 

Naval Air Museum    Pensacola, FL

Tennessee Air Museum    Pigeon Forge, TN

Grissom Air Museum  Peru, Indiana (they've got a B-58 on display there)

Air Force Armament Museum   Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

Corvette Museum     Bowling Green, Kentucky

Cherry Point Air Museum  Havelock, NC

Museum Of Flight  Seattle, WA

There's a few more to add, but I just called out to work. I'll update later. Hope we get a lot of resonses to this!

Gary

Ok, to continue my listing:

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum  Washington, DC

Aberdeen Proving Grounds Museum   Aberdeen, Maryland

Royal Arsenal  London, England

Royal Swedish Flight Museum    Linkoping, Sweden (this is an AWESOME museum!! Put it on your bucket list. It's the small town where SAAB is based)

Hill Air Force Base   Utah

Barksdale Air Force Base    Louisiana

That's all I can remember for now. Thanks for all the posts so far, guys!

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Thursday, February 6, 2014 2:52 PM

Oops. Forgot the outdoor museum at Hurlburt Field (home of Air Force Special Ops and the AC-130s), which is about halfway between Pensacola & Panama City Beach, FL.

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:00 PM

Devil Dawg

Holy Cripes, GMorrison! That is one impressive list! That's a lot of traveling............

Hard for me to walk by one without going in. You never know when you'll be back.

Forgot McLellan in Sacramento.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    October 2012
  • From: Mt. Washington, KY
Posted by Geezer on Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:09 PM

GMorrison - quite the list and the appropriate attitude!

Let's see, but not too many.

USAF Museum in Dayton,

Patton Museum of Armor at Ft Knox,

USS Alabama and the aviation museum adjacent,

USS Texas

Naval Aviation, Pensacola

A roadside Graveyard no longer there near Jacksonville Fl area.

Small naval (a destroyer and sub, I think) in the same area as the Texas,

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (u-505)

Oshkosh - and behind the scenes

Lyle.

www.spamodeler.com/forum/index.php 

Mediocraties - my favorite Greek model builder. 

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:12 PM

GMorrison

Devil Dawg

Holy Cripes, GMorrison! That is one impressive list! That's a lot of traveling............

Hard for me to walk by one without going in. You never know when you'll be back.

Forgot McLellan in Sacramento.

That is the exact same logic that I use. Never know when you'll be back, and never know what you might see. The Charlotte airport supposedly has a nice air museum, but I have yet to make it to that one. Work seems to get in the way at the most inopportune times....... I'm gonna try to get to that one this spring or maybe summer.

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Maine
Posted by Stage_Left on Thursday, February 6, 2014 6:06 PM

Oops- thanks to the replies I remembered:

Gettysburg battlefield

USS Midway, San Diego

Part of the wall that overlooks the St Lawrence River, defending the old part of Quebec City (some of the guns were still in place when I was there in the late '80s)

Fort Knox, Prospect, ME- overlooking the Penobscot River

Dave

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Thursday, February 6, 2014 6:14 PM

Reno Air Races, but that's not really a museum.

I did see Glacier Girl though, along with all of the other "heavy metal"

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Friday, February 7, 2014 7:11 AM

Devil Dawg

Devil Dawg

HI, folks. Based on another thread, I thought it would be interesting to see how many museums you folks have ever visited.

I've been to:

Museum Of The US Air Force (at least, I think that's what it's called now...)  Dayton, Ohio 

Naval Air Museum    Pensacola, FL

Tennessee Air Museum    Pigeon Forge, TN

Grissom Air Museum  Peru, Indiana (they've got a B-58 on display there)

Air Force Armament Museum   Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

Corvette Museum     Bowling Green, Kentucky

Cherry Point Air Museum  Havelock, NC

Museum Of Flight  Seattle, WA

There's a few more to add, but I just called out to work. I'll update later. Hope we get a lot of resonses to this!

Gary

Ok, to continue my listing:

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum  Washington, DC

Aberdeen Proving Grounds Museum   Aberdeen, Maryland

Royal Arsenal  London, England

Royal Swedish Flight Museum    Linkoping, Sweden (this is an AWESOME museum!! Put it on your bucket list. It's the small town where SAAB is based)

Hill Air Force Base   Utah

Barksdale Air Force Base    Louisiana

That's all I can remember for now. Thanks for all the posts so far, guys!

Just remembered:

USS North Carolina Battleship (+ all the little ships and submarine next to it)   Wilmington, NC

USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier    Charleston, SC

Fort Macon      Morehead City, NC

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Friday, February 7, 2014 7:13 AM

GMorrison

Reno Air Races, but that's not really a museum.

I did see Glacier Girl though, along with all of the other "heavy metal"

Are the Reno Air Races still active? I am under the impression that the race doesn't happen anymore, but I don't know where I heard that. I would love to see that race, though...... 

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    January 2014
Posted by simon s on Friday, February 7, 2014 9:45 AM

Here in the UK

Hendon RAF museum

Imperial War Museum in london  mostly ground based exhibits

Imperial War museum at Duxford just outside Cambidge (the usa air momorial wall - a bit like the Vietnam wall) that lists the aircew lost in WW2

Cosfod air museum - attached to Hendon and the main restoation center

Coventry air museum a small private museum where I managed to get inside a Vulcan bomber, F- 104

F-4 and mig 21

Bovindon Museum - which is the home of the Royal Tank regiment - if you are a afv fan it's absoulote heaven they have got the first ever prototype called Little Willy several WW! tanks (about 6 I think) all the way up to modern day equipment. As you have to drive past the training area you never know what you could see.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Friday, February 7, 2014 10:32 AM

They do indeed still run.

There was the bad crash in 2011, but there were some safety measures taken and the races are every September. I last went in 2010.

It's a real lot of fun. Spring for the pit passes if you go it's essential.

Along with all of the overachiever Bearcats and Mustang modifieds I saw an FW 190 and a Wildcat in the air, never thought I would see that.

Got inside a Vulcan?

I am truly envious there's one in California I think out at Castle AFB but I haven't been there yet. So many museums so little time.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    January 2014
Posted by JayF on Friday, February 7, 2014 11:19 AM

Simon, did you know that at the Duxford IWM there is a Land Warfare Hall, with a bunch of armored vehicles of all types and era ?

My girlfriend said that I grinned like a young boy seeing gifts under the Christmas tree when I entered the building !

Also, when I was there they were actually filming the upcoming movie Monuments Men (almost went for a coffee with George Clooney (joking), but when she learned that, it was my girlfriend turn to grin like a teen ! Big Smile)

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Friday, February 7, 2014 12:51 PM

I have been to a few over the years-

Planes of Fame- Orange County Airport (long since closed)

San Diego Air and Space Museum

Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Smithsonian Air and Space

Los Angeles Museum of Science and Industry

Ft DeRussy Museum Hawaii

Ft Benning Infantry Museum

Ft Polk Museum

Ft Irwin collection

Ft Lewis Museum

Deutsches Museum Munich

Dachau Barracks Museum/Memorial

Camp Chitose collection Hokkaido Japan

Camp Roberts Museum

Museum of Flight, Seattle

El Toro MCAS Museum (now closed)

March AFB Museum

McClellan AFB Museum

George Patton Memorial Museum, Desert Training Center

Chino Planes of Fame Museum

and while not really a museum per se, the Edward AFB open houses used to be like going to a museum.... incredible stuff there on display on the flight lines, in the hangers, and in the air...

Arizona Memorial- Pearl Harbor

US WWII Submarine Memorial, Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station

 

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Illinois: Hive of Scum and Villany
Posted by Sprue-ce Goose on Friday, February 7, 2014 1:24 PM

Ft. Knox, Ky : Patton MuseumHmm 

Ft. Sheridan Museum , Illinois ( now long closed ) 

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago....not strictly an aircraft museum........but does have a Spitfire mkI and Ju-87B STUKAStick out tongue

Illinois Railway Museum

First Army Museum, Cantigny

Volo Auto Museum, Volo, Illinois.........for Batmobile, Dragula, Batboat, plus military armor display

Don't seem to be able to locate a Manstein museum

Visited various American Civil War battlefields during my enlistment in the Federal Cavalry

I don't have much time for travel lately so museum visits have suffered Crying

  • Member since
    January 2014
Posted by simon s on Friday, February 7, 2014 2:33 PM

jay when I last visited (several years ago now) the land warfare hall was closed due to refurbishment - I think - some what annoying as I wanted to get some pics of the soviet cold war stuff they have got. I shall be going there again shotly though.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Friday, February 7, 2014 2:48 PM

HMA Belfast (haven't been there since the 80's, must go back some day)

Imperial War Museum

RAF Museum Hendon

Bovington tank Museum

Duxford (that's the closet one to me, only 45mins drive away)

BBMF, got a guard tour through the hanger and got to climb into the Lanc and C-47.

Not a lot when I think about it.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Friday, February 7, 2014 5:14 PM

stikpusher

I have been to a few over the years-

Planes of Fame- Orange County Airport (long since closed)

San Diego Air and Space Museum

Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Smithsonian Air and Space

Los Angeles Museum of Science and Industry

Ft DeRussy Museum Hawaii

Ft Benning Infantry Museum

Ft Polk Museum

Ft Irwin collection

Ft Lewis Museum

Deutsches Museum Munich

Dachau Barracks Museum/Memorial

Camp Chitose collection Hokkaido Japan

Camp Roberts Museum

Museum of Flight, Seattle

El Toro MCAS Museum (now closed)

March AFB Museum

McClellan AFB Museum

George Patton Memorial Museum, Desert Training Center

Chino Planes of Fame Museum

and while not really a museum per se, the Edward AFB open houses used to be like going to a museum.... incredible stuff there on display on the flight lines, in the hangers, and in the air...

Arizona Memorial- Pearl Harbor

US WWII Submarine Memorial, Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station

 

Impressive list, stik! You've got a few on there I would love to visit. I see the McClellan AFB Museum on your list. Is that in Anniston, Alabama? 

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Friday, February 7, 2014 5:16 PM

GMorrison

They do indeed still run.

There was the bad crash in 2011, but there were some safety measures taken and the races are every September. I last went in 2010.

I remember when that Mustang crashed. Very disheartening, to say the least. Good to hear that the race is still active. 

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Friday, February 7, 2014 5:21 PM

Bish

HMA Belfast (haven't been there since the 80's, must go back some day)

Imperial War Museum

RAF Museum Hendon

Bovington tank Museum

Duxford (that's the closet one to me, only 45mins drive away)

BBMF, got a guard tour through the hanger and got to climb into the Lanc and C-47.

Not a lot when I think about it.

I would definitely LOVE to see the War Museum in Duxford! I've been to England three times since 2006, and never got the chance to go up there (they were all business trips). 

But, I did get to go to the Farnborough Air Show in July 2006 during my first trip to England. That was a great experience. They had the "official" roll-out of the AIRBUS A-380 at that show, and I got some incredible video of it flying & many, many stills of it on display. The airshow happens once every two years, so if you ever get a chance to go, DO IT! All of the most modern planes from all over the world show up at this event. Just incredible! 

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    April 2013
Posted by minimagneto on Friday, February 7, 2014 5:27 PM

I've been to the Canadian War Museum, and the Canadian Aviation museum, both in Ottawa. Both AWESOME!

Among other things, both museums contained some fantastic models and dios.  

One little thing about the war museum that bugged me a bit: the builders of the models there are not credited. I mean, maybe we model builders are not 'artists' per se like Picasso or Rembrandt, but when a modeller gets work displayed in a museum, it should be credited.  In my opinion.

The Aviation museum does credit the builders.  Here are some (uncredited, lol) snap-shots I took there:

-Blake

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Friday, February 7, 2014 5:28 PM

I haven't yet had a chance to go to Farnborough. Best thing is, my last 5 years in the army were just down the road, but I wasn't able to get off when it was on. Though I remember one year seeing some of the aircraft flying in.

Duxford is defiantly worth a visit.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Friday, February 7, 2014 6:45 PM

Devil Dawg, McClellan AFB is near Sacramento, CA. It is where they modified the Doolittle Raider aircraft before they were embarked upon USS Hornet. They had a very good display on that mission and a bit about each individual raider aircraft. Next on my list to hit here are USS Iowa and USS Lane Victory, which are berthed near one another here. There is also the Ft MacArthur museum close by, but I have yet to go in there when it is open. I have been up to the old gun battery mounts many times. Those have been used in a few older movies back in the day.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Houston, Texas
Posted by panzerpilot on Saturday, February 8, 2014 12:04 AM

Several in the States. though not a very extensive list, to include the 82nd museum at Ft. Bragg as well as the Smithsonian.

I had the opportunity to go to Normandy for a week a couple of years ago. Lot's of various museums. I didn't see a Tiger tank, but was amazed at how small the armor was up close compared to a lot of modern day stuff. Point Du Hoc, Utah, Omaha, Juno, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to see the B-26 at Utah beach, in the museum there. It looked in perfect condition.

Gotta get to Dayton and to the UK museums one day.

-Tom

  • Member since
    May 2005
Posted by pyrman64 on Saturday, February 8, 2014 9:02 AM

  • Motts' Military Museum (Groveport, OH)
  • Patton Museum of Cavalry & Armor (Ft Knox, Ky)
  • National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH)
  • World War II Vehicle Museum & Learning Center (Hubbard, Ohio)
  • Historic WACO Airfield Museum (Troy, OH)
  • Museum of Science & Industry (Chicago, IL)
  • WWII Victory Museum (Auburn, IN)
  • Kruse Automotive Horse Power and Carriage Museum (Auburn, IN)
  • U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Museum (Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD)
  • NASA/Kennedy Space Center (Merritt Island, FL)
  • USS Cod (Cleveland, OH)
  • Central Ohio Fire Museum & Learning Center (Columbus, OH)
  • Fire Museum of Greater Coincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)

Greg H

"There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell." Gen. Wm T. Sherman (11 April 1880, Columbus, Ohio)

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