Image of the Air Force wings with the museum name underneath

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
FREE Admission & Parking

Fourth Building Grand Opening Celebration

On June 11-12, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will come alive with special activities to celebrate the grand opening of the fourth building, which will feature 10 presidential aircraft and a world-class collection of flight test aircraft, along with the Space Shuttle Exhibit and huge cargo planes. Entertaining and educational activities are being planned from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12. Throughout the weekend, the museum and a number of participating organizations will offer FREE hands-on activities for all ages, including educational demonstrations, special costumed characters, the Air Force’s customized Vapor Special Ops Supercar, plus a number of displays from the Air Force and other groups.

Grand Opening Celebration Grand Opening Celebration

Grand Opening Celebration

[hassubttitle]June 11-12, 2016 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Free Activities

Note: The following activities will be offered free-of-charge. Information will continue to be updated as the event nears.

All-day activities on June 11-12
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Air Force Recruiting Vapor Special Ops Supercar (outdoors)
- Special costumed characters (throughout all museum galleries)
- Hands-on activities, displays and educational demonstrations (second building)
- Kids' area with flight simulators and drones, plus Air Force and space-themed hand stamps (Cold War Gallery)
- Subject matter experts (fourth building)
- Plus much, much more throughout the museum!

STEM Learning Node (SLN) schedule
Saturday, June 11
Space and R&D SLN
9:15 a.m. - Former Astronaut Mark Brown
10 a.m. - Design & Test Your Own Plane
11 a.m. - How to Build a New Museum Building
Noon - Space Trivia Contest (prize value $100)
1 p.m. - From Lenses to Lasers: Fun with Light
2 p.m. - How to Build a New Museum Building
3 p.m. - Space Trivia Contest (prize value $100)

Presidential SLN
9:30 a.m. - Waves Activity
10:30 a.m. - Wind Tunnel Activity
11:30 a.m. - Density Activity
12:30 p.m. - Ozobots Activity
1:30 p.m. - Waves Activity
2:30 p.m. - Early Parachutes 

Global Reach SLN
9:30 a.m. - Aeromedical Evacuation
10:30 a.m. - SensorCraft Computer Game
1:30 p.m. - 3-D Printing

Sunday, July 12
Space and R&D SLN
9 a.m. - Space-related demos
10 a.m. - From Lenses to Lasers: Fun with Light
11 a.m. - Space Trivia Contest (prize value $100)
12 p.m. - Space-related demos
1 p.m. - Design & Test Your Own Plane
2 p.m. - Space Trivia Contest (valued at $100)
3 p.m. - Space-related demos 

Presidential SLN
9:30 a.m. - Modular Robotics Activity
10:30 a.m. - littleBits Activity
11:30 a.m. - Material Science Activity
12:30 p.m. - Bridges Activity
1:30 p.m. - Wind Tunnel Activity
2:30 p.m. - Eggbert Challenge Activity
3:30 p.m. - Student Robotics Activity

Global Reach SLN

9:30 a.m. - 3-D Printing                       

12:30 p.m. - Aeromedical Evacuation

1:30 p.m. - SensorCraft Computer Game

Updated 5/26/16
Schedule subject to change

AFM Foundation Activities

Air Force Museum Theatre shows on June 11-12
10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
- All shows cost $5 per person
- Shows will begin every 30 minutes
- Shows include Rescue 3D (10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.), Journey to Space 3D (11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.), Aircraft Carrier 3D (11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.) and Fighter Pilot 3D (noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m.)

Museum Store book signings on June 11
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Col. (Ret.) Ken Chilstrom, author of "Test Flying at Old Wright Field" (fourth building across from Space Shuttle Exhibit)
- Bill Holder, author of "Planes of the Presidents" (fourth building across from Space Shuttle Exhibit)
- Joe Ventolo, author of "XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla" (fourth building across from Space Shuttle Exhibit)

Food service on June 11-12
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Valkyrie Café (second floor above the Museum Store)
- Refueling Café (Cold War Gallery balcony)
- Food Court, including Cassano's Pizza King and e.a.t. (Cold War Gallery)
- Food Trucks, including Kona Ice, Courtland's Mobile Grill and Gringo Loco (outdoors)

Updated 5/26/16
Schedule subject to change

Participating Organizations

Special Thanks

Special thanks to these subject matter experts:

Tech. Sgt. (Ret.) Janet Barker
Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Danny Bowen
Col. (Ret.) Mark Brown
Dr. Squire Brown
Col. (Ret.) Ken Chilstrom
Master Sgt. (Ret.) Valerie Lejeune
Col. Elena Oberg
Peter Patrick
Col. (Ret.) Colleen Ryan
Lt. Col. Stephen Schnell
Dr. Jeff Underwood

Special thanks to those who are assisting as costumed characters:

Jeremy Bowles
Jim Charters
Glen Fike
Don Hatcher
David Hills
Joe Otmar
Debora and Harry Pearson
David Raper
Joe Rich
Victor and Holly Vick
Ayn Wood (costume designer)

Security Notice

Please note that for security reasons, all bags are subject to search, and weapons are not permitted at the museum complex. 

Area Lodging

For information on lodging in the area, please check with the local convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs):

Dayton/Montgomery County CVB
Greene County CVB
Butler County Visitors Bureau
Greater Springfield CVB
Miami County CVB
Warren County CVB