The EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, curates all eras of flight. From aviation pioneers like the Wright Brothers to SpaceShipOne, visitors will find airplanes at the cutting edge of achievement.
Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
We always find machinery of the past fascinating. David studies the technology and I look for the stories of the people who created, built and used the machines. And the EAA Aviation Museum provided a rich hunting ground for both of us.
With a collection as diverse as that of the EAA Aviation Museum, it’s hard to pick a favorite. David, of course, always heads straight for the motors.
In addition to motors, many of the technological highlights are illustrated in the museum.
Fast Fact: The Woodstock, built Andy Keech, set three transcontinental records. It’s one of only two airplanes to hold records in all parameters in performance flight: speed, distance, climb, and altitude.
And for me, I found the Johnson Expedition story of this replica S-38 airplane fascinating. The “Johnson” here, was H. F. Johnson who owned Johnson Wax. He took an expedition into the jungles of Brazil in 1935 looking for — you guessed it — something related to wax.
After a lot of airplane research, Johnson picked the Sikorsky S-38 to fly. It was powered by two Pratt and Whitney radial “Wasp” engines rated at 420 h.p. Even more important, it could take off from land or water. As a plus, it could fly on one engine.
But back to the mission. Johnson was looking for the carnauba palm. Why? The carnauba leaves provide the finest natural wax in the world!
And what did Johnson accomplish? The expedition flew 15,550 air miles into mostly in inhospitable territory. However, they returned with a wealth of knowledge that helped ensure a plentiful supply of carnauba wax.
And this is just one of the many stories in the EAA Aviation Museum!
What’s in the EAA Aviation Museum?
The idea for the EAA Aviation Museum was born more than seventy years ago, in September of 1953. At that time, a handful of innovators attended the first Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in with their aircraft.
These innovators shared two main things: their passion for flight and their skills at creating revolutionary airplane designs.
Today, the museum has more than 200 airplanes. They range from homebuilts, the original focus of the organization, to air racing and aerobatics, to their innovations gallery. We found the museum’s key strength, though, in the amount of information provided with each artifact in the collection.
Indeed, their library has more than 100,000 images of the aircraft and the people who flew them. It also includes 11,000 books, various magazines, journals, and manuals.
The eight exhibits range from KidVenture Gallery to the Pioneer Airport. Indeed, families will love the interactive exhibits! Kids will enjoy the half-scale model of an F-22 where they can climb into the cockpit. This is just one fun option in the Raptor Gallery.
Fast Fact: The EAA Air Academy runs a variety of events every year for aviation enthusiasts between 14 and 18.
And the event that started the EAA Aviation Museum is still running with the name EAA Airventure. It makes the air control tower at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, airport the busiest in the state for a week each summer!
How Can Aviation Lovers Learn More About the EAA Collection?
While visiting the museum in person is an amazing experience, the EAA website has lots to see, too.
- Information about each and every aircraft in the EAA museum
More Aviation Stories in the EAA Collection
The EAA Collection is as much about the aviators as it is about the history of flying machines. These are just a few of them.
- Ernest K. Gann Story. Gann was a commercial pilot, author, sailor, screen writer, and film maker. Nine of his novels were turned into motion pictures or adapted for television. There’s a whole exhibit of his collection of photographs and mementos. They’re stored in Gann’s original converted chicken coop/writing office!
- The Rutan Voyager story – first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. The plane, built by Jeana Yeager and the second pilot, Dick Rutan, took 18-months to build. They were using lightweight graphite-honeycomb composite materials. The Rutan Voyager left December 14, 1986, from Edwards AFB in California. Then, it flew without stopping, or refueling, around the world. The record setting flight took almost exactly nine days to return back to Edwards AFB.
Fast Fact: Warren Rasor (1859-1938) was a ballooning enthusiast from Brookville, Ohio. He developed a varnish finish for the rubberized fabric envelopes that helped reduce the loss of gas in the balloons.
His longest flight in officially sanctioned events was in 1919.
That balloon flight traveled 850 miles from St. Louis, Missouri, to Parry Sound, Ontario.
Additional Collection Artifacts
In addition to airplanes, the EAA Aviation Museum has many other artifacts. A number of them are military vehicles from World War II, such as a 1942 Army Staff Car.
Many are small memorabilia including things like:
- Wiley Post Winchester 21 commissioned as a “presentation” shotgun commemorating Wiley Post’s “Around the World” flight
- Stub B Helmet produced by the Mondi Manufacturing Company of Oshkosh
- Voyager 200 4 cylinder, 110 horsepower engine
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
We visited the EAA Aviation Museum by accident on a road trip through Wisconsin and Michigan. In fact, we were just cruising when we saw a sign for Oshkosh. Since we have a friend who often attends the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in, we knew it was a big airplane community. And, as I said to David, that likely meant there was a pretty good museum there too.
I checked the Web, found the museum address, and plugged it into the GPS.
What we found went well past “good” and well into fantastic!
After leaving, we made a quick stop off I-41 at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah.
The necklace I purchased is still one of my favorite pieces.
And I just had to take a few minutes to see the working windmill in Little Chute.
We stopped for the night a hundred miles further east in Marinette, Wisconsin. The Budget Inn was small and a little on the pricey side for what it offered, but we slept well. Dinner was great pizza at The Brothers Three in Marinette.
Who Should Visit the EAA Aviation Museum?
The EAA Aviation museum is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of aviation. You’ll find a lot of “aviation firsts” and information about the people behind them.
With its many interactive exhibits it’s a great museum for families. From grandparents to kids, everyone will learn a lot about the history of flying in fun ways. We spent a couple of hours, but there’s lots to keep you busy for two or three times that.
Anyone interested in military aviation history will enjoy the Eagle Hangar. It includes Allied fighters, bombers, liason aircraft, trainers, Army and Navy aircraft, along with examples from German and Japan.
All areas of the museum are accessible for wheelchairs, using either ramps or elevators. There are also free wheelchairs and strollers for visitor use.
How Do You Visit the EAA Aviation Museum?
The EAA Aviation Museum has a community of dedicated aviators in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Parking: There are five parking lots on the grounds with on-site shuttles and trams during events. Daily or weekly passes can be purchased for cars, trucks, motorhomes, and motorcycles.
Street Address: 3000 Poberezny Road, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The EAA Aviation Museum is open year round. Check specific days and hours open on the EAA Museum website.
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening with the EAA – The Spirit of Aviation Facebook page.
Plan your visit with Google maps.
Find More Museum Reviews for Wisconsin
Check out more reviews for museum attractions in Wisconsin on guide2museums.com.
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