Incredible! If you have any history seekers in your group or kids interested in tanks, this is a very cool place. PROS: Simply amazing to see all of these vehicles restored and on display, probably looking better than they did while in use. Every detail is accounted for and you can tell great care went into the displays here. There's a 25 minute intro video that I recommend you do, after you buy your tickets. It's not mandatory but it takes you through the major conflicts in US history across 3 rooms, making it much more exciting than just sitting in one room. Good history lesson for the young and old. While the race car and planes hangars were closed, we got to see the tanks and military equipment museum. It's an impressive collection ranging from WWI through modern day. There are many vehicles here that you will not find on display anywhere else in the US, and in same cases, the world (i think). There is an impressive video and narration about the encounter between a German Panzer and Russian tanks, complete with the restored vehicles and some special effects on the museum floor. It happens while you're walking around so you can stop and see it. They even talk about the restoration process and all that went into it. Although you cannot get into any of the vehicles, you can touch them. It's amazing how the tanks feel more like concrete than metal. The staff here is so nice. They're helpful and polite. I honestly have never encountered a museum staff like these guys, they're excellent. CONS: It can get expensive at $20 for adults or anyone over 12, if your party is large. Kids price is $10. Discounts for veterans. I understand it's non-profit, so the money is going to restore and add to the collection, I assume, so I can't complain. For reasons unknown, the airplane and race car buildings aren't always open, so you have to come for special events. I didn't inquire why, but you would think it'd just be laid out like the tanks were, allowing you to walk around and look at them. Call ahead to see if those buildings are open. I was a bit disappointed I'll have to come back and pay again to see that, when I would have liked to have done it in one pass. OVERALL: A truly awe inspiring experience. This might the best attraction in Massachusetts. You must see it. If you're stuck without plans on a rainy weekend, THIS IS WHERE YOU SHOULD BE! read more

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This is a Non-profit that does a lot of things most notably a Wings of Freedom Tour of the US in the summer of 2018. West coast moving to the east coast. In Stow they have the largest tank collection and old cars. One of 15 B-17 still flying and one of the last 3 B-24 still airworthy. Flights 30 mins are $450, walking tours are $15 for adults. Be forewarned, the tour of the B-17 requires crawling and squeezing through very confined spaces. The smaller and more agile you are the better, great for kids. Flights are entered via the cargo door, turn around and pull yourself into backwards onto the floor and buckle in. Once airborne, you can walk around, only windows are two side gun turrets. read more

Collings Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Stow, Massachusetts

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I was scammed by these people. I paid $20 for a tour of the bombers and then they parked us in the sun with no seating or water, while others that looked like friends and family were given tours and priority in a shaded pavilion in which there was space for all of us. After many hours I had to leave and was not given a refund. I was never given a ticket or receipt. My mistake. I plan to file a complaint with Moffett Field to ensure they are not allowed to use that airfield again. Then I was not given a refund. Just today I discovered this was not a planned stop on their Wings of Freedom Tour. It was either an unplanned, and poorly organized event thrown together at the last minute, or else a simple scam by some of the people running it, or maybe both given that they did not charge the normal rates. So. I was not given a receipt for an event that I can't prove happened, and not given a refund either. Now no response. I have given to the Air Force Museum and raised a lot of money for that group while on active duty as a US Air Force officer. While I would tend to support historical organizations like this, I would not in this case. They are a bunch of grifters, unconscionably rude, and disrespectful. I intend to file a complaint with the Base Commander at NASA's Moffett Field and ask that they not be allowed to return ever again. Just now I learned the normal fee is $15 so perhaps the person collecting money was pocketing the difference. I am a very fair person. If you rip me off I fight back. I want my money back. I've filed a Better Business Bureau complaint since they are not responsive. Reading some of the other reviews, it seems all their events are organized like they are a bunch of stoned teenagers. Do not participate in their activities. I have lots of photographic proof I was there and their planes were there on May 18 2018. I also have proof they did not have an event scheduled there for that date. I am unsure how to post those here. read more

Collings Foundation - Proof I was there. A photo I took and posted in Facebook - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Stow, Massachusetts

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America, fuck yeah! the Collings Foundation is running a nationwide tour with their collected and restored aircraft. the Wings of Freedom Tour showcases the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and P-51 Mustang planes. you can walk through the planes (the cockpits are off-limits but visible) and take photos. it's astounding to see how cramped they were - imagine being in one of these, flying high in the sky, under fire?! admission is $12 for adults, $6 for kids, and free for WW2 vets. proceeds go to the foundation so they can maintain the aircraft. yes - they're functional. for a few hundred, you can fly in one; for a few thousand, you can learn to fly one yourself. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! this past week they were in the White Plains airport, but the tour is likely coming to a small regional airport near you - check the schedule here: http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedule-wof.htm read more

The Collings Foundation has provided me with many great experiences at their museum in Stow as well as events held on the grounds there and at local airports with the Wings Of Freedom Tour. A quality experience from a great group of hard working folks! read more

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Yesterday, we toddled over here, expecting to see a few old cars and planes in a barn. Were we surprised! This joint is huge and gorgeous, and there's hours of enjoyment to be had. There's a treasure trove of airplanes, stage coaches, and swanky antique cars. It's all nestled in a gorgeous estate, tucked off the shores of Boon Lake. It even has kick ass gardens around it. The Cars: I estimate there were close to 100 cars, ranging from old antiques like Mercers, to Formula 1 racers (Love the midget Racers!). There's also an impressive array of Luxury cars (my fave was the Auburn Boat tail Speedster. Vroom! vroom!). They have Al Capone's 1940 Cadillac. Apparently, when they bought it, there were still 2 machine guns in the trunk (No shit!) The planes! Wow, they had everything from a Red Baron Biplane, to a Jet fighter. Apparently collecting old Military planes is a big part of the collection. There's flight simulator pods, too. And, all sorts of WW2 Military transport on display. This is definitely worth a trip. Now here's the Debbie Downer...You only get to go once a year to their Open House (this past weekend), or to special events. Otherwise, you can't get in. That sucks, because this place is all the Museum of Transportation ought to be. Mind you, if you go to the Open House, they have plane rides, and all kinds of nifty exhibits, and even had a Mock Machine Gun Pit, complete with Dudes in WW2 era gear to demonstrate. Even BBQ. I'd have photos, but I was a dumbass and forgot my camera. Next chance to enjoy the fun is a WW2 Invasion Reinactment in October. I might show up for that. read more

I have been going to many of the annual events here. I really enjoy seeing all of the historical airplanes and the vintage automobiles. It is great to see the past living again and for our children to see everything. This is real history. Not to mention all of the race cars here too! The WW II re-enactment is awesome on Columbus Day weekend. This is a must see for all Vets and their children. The only down side is that a few years ago they doubled the prices to $20 per adult and $10 per child. So to bring my father-in-law, a WW II Vet, here and bring his memory's back to life is worth the price to hear the stories he tells my son while there for the first time, but it gets expensive fast, buy a drink, eat, maybe pick up a baseball cap, now were in over a hundred bucks. So I leave with a bit of buyers remorse because I wanted to have a nice day with the family and not break the bank but I did. Tip, bring your own food and drinks, don't spend on merchandise and remember it's the same show every year. Take pictures, and enjoy. read more

I just returned from a Collings Foundation event hosted at the Worcester Regional Airport. Let me preface this review by stating that I've been to a number of past Collings Foundation events at both the Worcester Airport and their facility at Stowe, MA. I'm a huge fan of their work to preserve physical history that may otherwise be lost. Their events have always been well organized, that is until today. Their event today at the Worcester Airport was advertised to start at 2 pm. They were going to have the B-17, B-24, and B-25 bombers as well as a trainer version of the P-51 fighter. Walkthroughs and access to the static displays of the aircraft is $15 for adults and $5 for children. You could opt to take a ride on one of these historic planes for a fee. A 30 minute flight on the B-17 or B-24 is $450, a 30 minute flight on the B-25 is $400 and a 30 minute flight in the P-51 trainer is $2200. While these flight costs may sound high you have to remember that it takes a lot of money to keep these historic aircraft flying. On my way to the airport I noticed they had put some signage advertising "WWII aircraft" with an arrow pointing down the access road to the airport. Unfortunately, there was no similar signage at the entrance of the airport itself so those unfamiliar with the airport may have driven straight past the entrance looking for further signs to the event. Inside, I found zero signage directing people where to go for the event. Fortunately, WRA isn't a big airport so it didn't take long to find a table set up at the South end of the building with some poster boards on the wall behind featuring photos of some of their planes as well as a description of what the Collings Foundation is and what they do. There was no signage instructing people where to pay the entrance fee. Near the South end of the building I encountered about 30-40 people sitting and standing in the wing, obviously waiting. About a dozen people were milling about just outside the door, in view of the B-24, B-25 and the TF-51. They were refueling the B-24 so it was clear why they weren't yet letting people out to view the aircraft. Once the refueling of the B-24 was completed and the fuel truck departed, someone, who I presume was a volunteer for the foundation (hard to tell since the volunteers were not wearing any identifying vest/hat/T-shirt) came over near the door and said, "Tell them they can let the people out now" and that person went inside to let the people inside know they could come out to the planes now. The people inside began coming outside and walking towards the aircraft. Then another volunteer, put up his arms and said, "I'm sorry folks, we aren't quite open yet". These customers were now just as confused as the volunteers apparently were. Eventually, they were ready and we were told to go back inside and pay at the table. There were two tables and neither had signage, but one was for signing up for the flights and the other was where you paid your entrance fee. No signs telling people the fees for entrance or advertising the cost of the flights. After paying my fee, I and a group of others, were shooting photos of the B-25 and TF-51 when some brusk individual started yelling saying that everyone had to clear away from the B-25 and the TF-51 unless you were scheduled to fly on one of those aircraft. They then proceeded to string a series of cones and connecting line to separate those aircraft off. Why they didn't do that BEFORE they opened the gates to everyone is a mystery. Later they towed out a Spitfire fighter and parked it beside the B-25. The B-25 was off limits to viewing up close as it was going to be flying soon so they still had cones with a line separating it from the static displayed B-24, but the line didn't go all the way to the fence so a number of people were walking past the end of the line and near the fence, well behind the B-25, to view the now parked Spitfire which had its own line and cones to keep people back. Apparently, they weren't supposed to do that and someone shooed them away from the Spitfire and out from the area behind the B-25. Why they didn't string the line all the way to the fence if they didn't want people to go there is another mystery. Sadly, I saw zero evidence of any leadership or organization at this event. It started late, you couldn't tell who the volunteers were, there was no signage, no instructions to the customers and poor crowd control measures allowing people to unwittingly wander into areas near aircraft where they weren't supposed to go. This was completely unlike any previous Collings Foundation event that I've ever been to in the past. I can only hope that they get their act together before the event tomorrow, at the Worcester Regional Airport, or there are going to be a lot of confused and unhappy folks. read more

Impressive collection - visit during their annual open house. Maybe take a ride in a WW2 fighter? Thanks, I'll watch. Beautiful location.

My husband took a ride on a B-17 and was so thrilled for the experience. I went with him to watch and we arrived 45 mins early as per their instructions. We stood watching their people set up their wares to sell until after 9:00(plane was supposed to leave then). Not one person acknowledged the people who paid BIG BUCKS for a flight. It was like we were lining up to buy a hot dog!,, They need to rethink their staff and train them to be friendly to people waiting for rides, not ignore them by put stuff on tables to sell!, Very unfriendly staff read more

The place to go for vehicle fans. Don't waste your time on the "Museum of Transportation" in Brookline, MA. Head right to Stow.

this outfit is awesome. I can't wait to go back again in june. I have taken a flight on the 909 the B17 and wish that I could afford to do it again. everyone who is enthusiastic about vintage cars and planes needs to be in stow or when the wings of freedom flight comes to an airport near you. read more