In support of an official event 

The Museum will be closed Sunday, May 25
In addition, the Fourth Hangar will be closed Saturday, May 24

Access to the Presidential Gallery will be limited from May 15 to June 5
 

National Museum of the United States Air Force
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Presidential aircraft at National Museum of the United States Air Force

About the Museum

Welcome to the official website of the National Museum of the United States Air Force -- the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world -- located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio. This site is provided as a public service by the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Public Affairs Division.

Use the top navigation bar to find information about planning your visit as well as events and activities taking place at the museum.

Meet the Director

Learn about museum divisions. 

Museum Mission

The National Museum of the United States Air Force collects, researches, conserves, interprets and presents the Air Force’s history, heritage, and traditions, as well as today’s mission to fly, fight, win … air power anytime, anywhere to a global audience through engaging exhibits, educational outreach, special programs, and the stewardship of the national historical collection. With our educational outreach, we motivate, educate, and inspire youth interest in the United States Air Force (USAF) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The statutory duties delegated by the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) are accomplished on behalf of the American People.

We are the keepers of their stories™

Playlist:
Video by NMUSAF PA
Museum Audio Tour 62: Missile and Space Gallery: Missiles
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Dec. 31, 1969 | 2:37
Dominating the Missile & Space Gallery are missiles and a space launch vehicle standing upright in the silo-like facility. The gallery is designed to give visitors a slight feeling of being in an underground silo. The vehicles represent American airmen's proud heritage of nuclear deterrence and the Air Force’s leadership in space. Since 1959, U.S. Air Force strategic nuclear-armed missiles and the airmen who operate and maintain them have been on constant alert, on duty 24 hours a day. The gallery features the service’s missiles that helped maintain peace between Cold War superpowers and have shaped the world's strategic balance for more than half a century. You will see Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles such as Jupiter or Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, commonly known as ICBMs, such as Titan and Peacekeeper. Today, with significant reductions in nuclear weapons since the end of the Cold War, the modernized Minuteman III remains the U.S.'s only land-based ICBM. Also, be sure to walk behind the missiles, near the steps, to see a Minuteman II mission procedures trainer. Since 1962, the Minuteman missile system has played an important role in America’s strategic defense. Highly trained and disciplined U.S. Air Force crews in isolated, heavily protected missile control complexes maintain, secure and operate the system. This missile trainer and model on display represent Minuteman II systems operational from 1966 through 1991. Also, while in the Missile & Space Gallery, be sure to visit the balcony to learn about Project Manhigh and other high-altitude balloon flight experiments, as well as a replica of Sputnik, the first artificial earth satellite. The launch of this Soviet spacecraft, not much larger than a beach ball, was a defining moment of the Cold War and helped spur the U.S. to create the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA. The nuclear and space missions are still important and thriving careers fields in the U.S. Air Force. If you are interested in learning more about the Air Force’s role in these specialties, visit airforce.com or visit the Resources portion of this podcast for direct links.
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Up Next

Museum Lecture Series 61: Titan II - The Few but the Powerful
01:03:58
Museum Lecture Series 61: Titan II - The Few but the Powerful
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Museum Audio Tour 62: Missile and Space Gallery: Missiles
Museum Audio Tour 62: Missile and Space Gallery: Missiles
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Contact Us

National Museum of the
United States Air Force
1100 Spaatz Street
Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433
(937) 255-3286

Plan Your Visit

Air Force Mission

The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win ... airpower anytime, anywhere.

To achieve that mission, the Air Force has a vision:

With a Total Force of more than 689,000 personnel, Airmen work to support all aspects of airpower, which includes five core missions: air superiority; global strike; rapid global mobility; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and command and control. Airpower also requires people and resources dedicated to unit readiness, base infrastructure and talent management.