We arrived at the cutest museum, located right next to the water, with seaplanes constantly coming and going. The museum itself is a decent size, and we really enjoyed seeing so many different types of aircraft. One of the coolest parts was being able to walk inside one of the planes. The staff was extremely friendly, and the gentlemen restoring planes in the side building were a hoot. One of them took the time to explain how they are bringing these historic aircraft back to life using donations, which we thought was really neat. It's wonderful to see these planes preserved rather than discarded. The museum has a small gift shop, but they do not sell food or beverages. The location is fantastic because there is constant seaplane activity, and visitors can climb up to the tower for beautiful views of the surrounding area. Overall, we highly recommend this attraction, especially for families with kiddos who love planes. It was a fun and unique experience, and we would definitely visit again! read more

Alaska Aviation Museum - Inside - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Finally got the chance to visit the Alaska Aviation Museum after passing by it numerous times over the years. This is a OK museum; if you are not an airplane enthusiast, you may find it a bit small and boring, but otherwise, it's a neat experience for those who are into aviation. There's a lot of different planes to look at here, from old airliners and single engine piston planes to military aircraft. The Alaska 737 and the mockup of a tower cab were both particularly interesting. There's a small kid's area that would probably keep younger kids entertained for 30 minutes or so. The admission price of $18 is a bit steep for what you get; I would prefer more like $14-$15 based on the size of the museum. read more

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If you have some interest in Aviation history or want to see the planes land on water, this is worth checking out. We watched the planes land and take off which made for an interesting afternoon.? read more

If you're looking for something to do and a fan of aviation, then this is the spot for you. Highlights: + three small hangers and a few planes outside to explore. Plus a small gift shop in the front +/- Depending upon your budget, it might seem like a lot, but for $17.50 per adult, it's a good way to spend a few hours out of cold and very rainy Alaskan day + There is an area that has old airplane seats to sit back and watch a video showing the Alaska at War film + museum is focused on Alaska aviation, and highlights the importance of aviation and it's impact on Alaska as well as Alaska's roll in WW2, which sadly I never really learned about in school. + Outside, you can go into an old Boeing 737 Air Alaska plane + On nicer days, you can sit on one of the chairs or picnic tables and watch the many planes take off and land. You could also go in the tower to watch and hear the radio traffic Tip: **They had a free bus from downtown that stopped every 1.5 hours (see sign for pickup information). Uber was also another option for transportation **They do have a parking lot; however, it was on the smaller side and could fill up read more

A well presented museum focused specifically on aviation in Alaska...and the location right alongside a huge float plane base demonstrates that uniqueness. It'd take a long time to read every bit of info posted, but you don't need to digest for example the full bio of every aviator to get a sense of what made the pioneers here special. Full of incredibly passionate and knowledgeable volunteers. read more

While visiting family in Anchorage we decided to stop by the Alaska Aviation Museum. We had such an awesome time. I decided to leave a comment here focusing on the great experience and customer service I received from a young lady who said her name was Kaelyn. She helped us with shirt sizing, and packaged delicate gift items with care without even asking. Her smile was contagious and made for a very enjoyable experience despite how busy they were with bus loads of tourists. read more

I echo what others have said that this is a labour of love by volunteers and aviation buffs. It's not big museum - but I found it fascinating and learned a whole lot more than I thought I would. There are thoughtful exhibits explaining the Japanese invasion to Alaska with historical artifacts and the unique aviation history of this region. There are several older and vintage planes that were fun to explore and the full size Alaska plane was fun to walk into. They pack a lot into a small space here! read more

Another museum to visit. I recommend coming here before you fly with rusts. Alaska has so much cool history.

Located near the Ted Stevens Airport, this museum is all about aviation in the state and its relationship with its people. The exhibits are detailed and truly focused on how aviation has shaped and built the state over the years. Some of the exhibits and aircraft seemed to be in a mild state of disrepair, but given that the museum appears to be largely volunteer staffed and maintained, I suppose this is to be expected. Has an extensive gift shop for aviation buffs or children. A good spot to watch seaplane traffic on adjacent Lake Hood in the summer. read more

Alaska Aviation Museum - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

We were here as part of a cruise ship tour. It was impressive. The tour guide was a bush pilot herself and knew the history of aviation in Alaska. The stories and details were amazing and the exhibits were top notch. I walked away knowing much more than I ever knew about Alaska and the aviation evolution. A must see in my book. read more

Brought a college student group here. They had just closed 5 minutes before we rolled up. Seeing us peeking thru the windows, they reopened the museum and all the outdoor, locked exhibits. Students totally enjoyed it. Had a blast. Thank you so much for accommodating us (without even asking)! read more

During any of my travels, if there's an aviation museum nearby, I have to visit it. This was the case during my recent trip to Anchorage, and I sure am glad I stopped by here! The Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum is one of the smaller aviation museums I've been to, but it is wonderfully designed and gives you a real in-depth look into Alaskan aviation. From the first airlines to operate in Alaska, to the history of seaplanes traversing Alaska's many lakes, this place has it all. The only downside is the collection of aircraft they have on display. There's an Alaskan Airlines 737-200, an F-15 transferred from Elmendorf AFB, and the rest are props from back in the day. There is a large renovation hangar that you can visit that has all of the aircraft awaiting restoration, which is also quite a sight to see. One of the best parts was just taking 10 relaxing minutes to sit on the shore of Lake Hood with a G-21 Goose by your side. If you're an aviation buff like me and are ever in Anchorage, the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum is a must! read more

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This is a nice small aviation museum. It explains the aviation history of Alaska and how everything started many moons ago. Towards the end of the museum you get to go outside and get to see and enter the Alaska Airlines 737-200. Don't forget to continue towards the end part of the museum before heading outside though! When it rains, they will close up the airplane door once it starts raining. So beware if its raining out, you might miss entering the airplane. We lucked out for a rainy August day! read more

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This the smallest aviation museum I have ever visited. This is not a problem because it is so specialized. It covers the history of Alaska aviation pretty well. Its main focuses are the history of Alaska Airlines and bush pilots. The one thing I think is missing is some military aircraft. I didn't know about Alaska's role in World War 2 until I visited the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. Alaska currently has two Air Force bases. An Air Force jet would round out the collection nicely. The web site shows some military aircraft but I didn't see them. They might be too fragile to be left outside in the winter. The museum is entered through the gift shop. If no one is there, ring the bell and someone will appear fairly quickly. The museum is made up of four main areas: inside galleries, large aircraft outside, storage hanger and the restoration hanger. The inside galleries cover commercial aviation, bush pilots and a bit of military history. The storage hanger is the highlight. They have a ton of planes crammed in here. A few had been restored. The rest are in various states of decay. Even though the hanger was unheated and about 20 degrees, I spent a lot of time in here. There was so much to see. The restoration hanger is next on the tour. In here you can watch volunteers restore aircraft to their former glory. It looks like they do a really nice job. One of the planes they were working on was pretty stripped down. The parts of the plane that had been completed looked brand new. This museum is worth a visit. I spent about an hour and an half here. One highlight of the gift shop is the box of old aircraft instruments. I picked up an old Cessna airplane compass for $25. read more

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We definitely went here because my husband was interested, but I found plenty to see and read and be into for myself. It's definitely small and low-key, but with so much interesting aviation history, you can spend a bit of time reading through the displays and checking out the artifacts. My favorite part was heading out into their model tower and watching the seaplanes take off and land. They have the actual tower audio piped in, so you can hear what's being said between them and the cockpit. That there's a lake right next to the airport and it's so busy with seaplanes is unique and really awesome. It might have been a temporary exhibit, but there was as display of photos of different airport towers across the world and I really liked that, as well. read more

If visiting Alaska, especially for the first time, you have to give kudos to the impact and history of aircraft for the region. This museum has several hangers filled with vintage aircraft and fascinating displays about the many ways air travel was, and is, used in Alaska. It's a deal maker for you when you suddenly realize you are sitting right at ground zero for all the float plane take offs and landings on the lake only a feet away from you. This is an endeavor created by truly passionate pioneers, pilots and 'aircraft people' working on many beautiful projects that will hopefully outlast you and I in history. That's the thing. They really do have the talent and the ambition. For a pretty modest entry fee - you help keep the whole thing going - and you get to see some amazing history and renovation projects. And did I tell you about the float planes taking off and landing right beside you in the water? I did? Well, good. Couldn't help myself. You, too, will overflow with that enthusiasm when you visit this place. It's a hidden gem in Anchorage and well worth your time! read more

My husband is in the air force, and last winter, his squadron had their Christmas party at the Aviation museum. Clever, huh? Anyway, the place is pretty large, and perfect for our function. The room they had the catering set up in had built in seating that was made of first-class airplane seats. They have some cool stuff in there, including a flight simulator. The boys told me it was more like a child's video game though, because they've used the real flight sim here on base, but they still had a good time. I would recommend it. read more

Nice place to learn about Alaska's Aviation history. They have old restored planes from WWII

This is clearly a labor of love for a few volunteers. It's a specialized collection geared for children or people who are serious aviation buffs, but it was cool to look around. The guys working in the hangars were happy to give us the history of various planes and explain what they were working on. I had fun playing with the flight simulator and the old Alaska Airways plane was neat to check out. There's a shuttle from the airport or you can walk. You can also hang out front and watch the sea planes take off. read more

Worth a visit! This is an easy 2-3 hour visit on your way to the airport, whether you're in Anchorage for a day or a week. Highly recommend.

Thank you so much to the wonderful Avis staff here in Anchorage! I have some very particular allergies and they worked really hard to find me a vehicle that was not only safe for me but completely enjoyable to drive this weekend! Thank you so much, I will come back to you when I come on my next monthly trip!:) read more

If you like bush flying, this is a fantastic museum. It's not huge, but that allows for relatively quick visit so you can enjoy the phenomenal views of real bush airplanes taking off and landing just outside on Lake Hood. The restoration shop is great to visit, especially for those who are interested in what's under the skin. I spent another couple of hours wandering around Lake Hood and watching the parade of float planes come and go. read more

I have been a professional pilot for over 25 years. This is a pilot's museum. Very interesting stuff with an Alaska theme. If you're an aviation buff, this one's for you! read more

I visited this museum while waiting for a flight out of Anchorage International- it's walking range from the main terminal. It's small and specialized but I'm a huge seaplane buff and between the museum and the seaplanes taking off from the lake, I was in my happy place. read more

My boyfriend has a passion for aviation and I have a passion for Alaskan history. The Alaska Aviation Museum seemed like the ideal place for a weekend visit. I love the idea of this place, and I know that a lot of work has been put into it, but this museum just didn't quite live up to our expectations. The museum is located near the Anchorage airport on the banks of a float plane parking waterway (quite a fitting location!). There's plenty of parking and everything within the museum is handicap accessible. The museum is built into an airline hanger, separated into 5 different parts. The three major parts of the museum showcase a lot of photos and a bit of Alaskan airway memorabilia. There are sections about famous pilots, a history of Alaskan airline companies, and a few actual planes that have flown around Alaska. Everything was very interesting and decently organized, but I just thought a lot was missing. There was no section on Haglands Airline, Era, or Ravn- which I realize aren't really 'history' to people older than me- but as a 23 year old female who's from Western Alaska I was hoping to read up a bit on them here. The 'Alaska Air' section was quite small and although it showcased some cool memorabilia, it didn't really tell a lot about the airline aside from the kinds of planes that they used throughout the years. They showcased a lot of native pilots- which was awesome, but I think they left out a few very key white pilots in Alaska's history, which was off-putting. There was a military air section that told a bit about Alaska's military history, but there wasn't an extensive amount of real information on the subject. There were just a few planes you could look at, but no real description of the planes. The planes were also stripped down for parts and were literally just 'metal carcasses' of what they used to be. There was an Alaska Air plane as well that you could go inside of- but once inside EVERYTHING had been stripped out except for a couple oddly placed seats. It was really sad, actually. I thought I would have been able to step inside a few more planes- or at least see planes that still had a majority of their parts connected to them. That wasn't the case here. Also, a lot of the planes were outside, so you had to leave the building to see them. This isn't bad- but it's definitely a 'weather permitting' sort of experience. Luckily, for us, it was sunny and warm the day we went. There was a small pilot and co-pilot seat that you could step into within the main portion of the museum. All of the buttons and steering was available to be 'played with'. It'd be cool for kids, and as adults it was fun too (I'm still a kid at heart and love that kind of thing). There's also a flight simulator you can enter, but there's no directions available on how to drive it- so it's really hard to figure out and also glitches often (freezes up and restarts or doesn't do what you are doing with the controls). I'd have to say the single part of this museum that I actually enjoyed was a 'lighthouse' style tower in the outside portion that you could enter. You could go up a flight of stairs and then watch all of the float planes leave and enter the waterway. The air traffic was broadcast over a speaker so you could hear everything the air controllers and pilots were saying- which was genuinely really interesting. That particular area was also very well-maintained and clean. Overall, this place was worth visiting once, but I couldn't see myself going back. Alaska has such an amazing air history, but not much of it was documented here. The place is run on donations and admission fees. Everything within the museum has been donated. It's such a shame to me, because I feel like there could be SO much more filling this place- but it just hasn't grown to its full potential yet. It has a great selection so far, but I do hope that it expands a bit more over the next decade or two. This place could be SO much more interesting if it had a more extensive collection of items, more written information on everything they're showcasing, and if they had planes with all of the parts still intact (also planes that you can actually step into!). I will be donating to this museum over the next few years, and I truly hope it can grow into what it can be. It can be a really awesome place if it was just thought out a bit better. read more

The aviation museum is the best place to learn about the history of flight in Alaska. Both commercial and private. The staff is friendly and they are always hosting special events like wine tasting and guest lecturers. Also conveniently by the airport so you can visit on your way to anywhere. read more