Air and Space Museum

As you move through the museum, it’s difficult not to stand in awe of the mint-condition aircraft, including the Spitfire Mk. XVI, the Navy F6F Hellcat and the A-4 Skyhawk jet. The museum’s latest acquisitions are no less stunning, including the Wright EX Vin Fiz, built in 1911. You’ll also see smaller, but no less important, artifacts, such as the Apollo XI Space Pen, which was used as a quick fix for a faulty circuit breaker, allowing the crew to return safely home. The beautifully restored airplanes on display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum give you a newfound appreciation for the engines and machinery that propelled these classic military aircraft during World War II, Korea and the Vietnam conflict and for the evolution of that technology over the decades. The Air & Space Museum's display of space age technology does no less than inspire, giving insight into man’s long-held desire to journey to the stars and recounting how in the last century that desire became reality.

San Diego Air & Space Museum lets you go on a voyage of the imagination inside its unique 3D/4D Zable Theater, where you can see such lifelike films as Jetpack Adventure, Fly Me to the Moon, and Robots of Mars. The museum also occasionally features unique special exhibits on various themes, such as “Space: A Journey to our Future”, which looks at the dreamers and thinkers who risked their lives to explore the great unknown and push the boundaries of the known universe.

After you’ve had your fill of San Diego Air & Space’s comprehensive collection, be sure to peruse the aeronautically-inspired souvenirs on sale at the museum store. Bestsellers include the brass pocket compass, a replica MA-1 aviator jacket, and the World War II aircraft Aloha shirt.

Please note: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Guided tours of the aircraft restoration area are only available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and excessive noise may be experienced on the tour.