Amazing experience. The other reviews have described the museum, but it's hard to explain the experience and passion that the museum volunteers and staff shared with my wife and I. We got to go on the tarmac with Kevin and he shared a bunch of history with us and also let us roam around for a bit too! Ethel and Bud also shared their knowledge and stories of their time in aviation. If you get a chance, you should chat with them. I hope to be back as the airport continues to expand. read more

When we visited this museum, most impressive were the airplane models. Photographs line the walls. Also, there is a whole room of past airline uniforms and artifacts that are fun to view. Looking at the Pan Am uniforms reminded me of the movie "Catch Me If You Can", with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Frank W. Abagnale Jr., who conned millions of dollars worth of checks posing as a Pan Am Pilot (all before he was 19 years old!) True Story. Tom Hanks also stars. This movie, for me, has one of the best visual expressions for that time period, 1966. Why am I entering this post at this time? The Airbus A380 flew over me to land at LAX, as I drove north on the 405 fwy! It flew over at 11:48 am, today. I was running errands and decided to try to go see the Airbus A380 land. I saw it, then, got off on the 105 fwy towards the airport. There she was! Parked between Quantas Freight and the Flight Path Museum. Quite a few people around taking pictures. Plus a heavy police presence. This is the second landing at LAX of the Airbus. Earlier this year, Jan or February, was the first. "This is early testing of how the airport will manage the Airbus" said my good friend David.... "For full speed ahead next year" Queen - Don't Stop Me Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq6ABCttV5s&NR=1 read more

If you're even looking this place up, then you must have at least a passing interest in aviation and airline history. As such, you must realize the enormous significance of LAX in that history. The Flight Path Learning Center is an amazing place where that history is preserved and alive. The museum contains artifacts from donors and covers a wide range of airline and military aviation history at LAX and in southern California in general. The staff is extremely friendly and enthusiastic about their museum. The building also affords fantastic views of the south complex runways. Admission is free! read more

This museum looks small from the outside, but it is like a TARDIS. Big on the inside and amazing. And they have a luxury plane DC-3. That you can board. On the LAX tarmac. How cool is that? The museum is staffed by highly knowledgeable people, some of which are former flight attendants and pilots. They are quite friendly and eager to share their experience and the rich history of LAX and aviation as a whole. There are rooms of old memorabilia, plane models from every airline old and new imaginable, hundreds of pilot and flight attendant uniforms from every airline on the planet, souvenirs, tickets, plate setting, plane seats, pins, wings, etc! If you're an airport or plane junkie, you'll love visiting this museum. We spent a good two hours in the museum and still feel like we didn't experience all of it. We even spent a few minutes on the DC-3 and the tarmac watching planes take off from the nearby runways. The luxury plane is a "Spirit of Seventy Six" DC-3 complete with vintage 76 gas station ball, a fuel truck and a luggage truck. Stepping into the aircraft is a dizzying experience, as the cabin is situated uphill while the aircraft is grounded, and takes a bit to get used to. But, it's a fun look into the vintage days of luxury flying before the rich of our time purchased and outfitted Airbus A380s for their own. They're pretty much open for five hours a day, but it's a fun five hours if you want to take the time to read all the little snippets of exhibits in several rooms. Bring the kids and watch planes take off and land. And best of all, it's all FREE!! They take donations at the door, but it isn't required at all. read more

No day of plane watching around the skirts of LAX is complete without a stop at this sadly under-attended museum in an old terminal off Imperial Highway. Great aviation history with a Vintage LA twist. read more

This museum has to be one of LA's best-kept secrets. Wandering around this old flight terminal and exploring all of the treasures this museum holds - from outlandish 1960s flight attendant uniforms to souvenirs from defunct airlines - is an intriguing way to spend an afternoon. As others have mentioned, don't miss the chance to visit the DC-3 outside on the tarmac and sit in the cockpit. :) The volunteer docents here all have background in the aviation industry, and they can answer just about every question you can pose to them. The volunteer who escorted me to the DC-3, Noah, spent a good half hour explaining the mechanics of the plane to me, and he knew his stuff. If you're taking mass transit to Flight Path, the Beach Cities Transit bus 109 stops right near the museum. You can catch it at the Metro's Green Line Aviation station. read more

Had a great time. The hosts were very nice. kids are able to get in a plane and see the inside. read more

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I decided to bring my kids here but wasn't sure how they were going to like it. The website made the museum out to be a lot about models and stewardess uniforms. I almost didn't take them. I'm glad I did, though. We all enjoyed it very much. The docents were not only very knowledgeable, they were also approachable. Everyone I spoke with had retired from an airline, which gave them a unique perspective. They all seemed very proud of this. My kids went running off on there own to look at the exhibits and it didn't take long for one of the docents to begin teaching them all about tower/aircraft communication protocols. Soon after she's taking us in to the DC3. An actual retired aircraft that's sitting on the runway. The interior is in great shape and my kids actually got to sit in the cockpit and mess with all buttons. The only instructions were to have fun and be a bit gentle on the controls. Other than that the kids were practically flying the plane. This place was a blast. Keep in mind that, other than the aircraft, there aren't a lot of hands on exhibits, so if you need that sort of thing, this place might not be for you. However, it's worth a visit just for the DC3. Who knows, you may end up staying for a few hours like we did. read more

TLDR: come visit this place. It's awesome! My cousin's plane was delayed for two hours and we can't just sit in in&out and do nothing. After googling what to do around LAX, I found this place to be right next to LAX. My cousin always like plane since he's a little kid. So we decided to just go check it out. I didn't have high hope for this museum when I saw the outside of it. It looked like a regular government place with no fun decoration. Only a simple sign saying it's flight path learning center. But I was wrong. There are so many plane models and flight staff uniforms! The staffs there are very helpful. You can tell they really care about all the visitors and they are also very knowledgeable. We watched two short history videos and got to see the inside of a plane. My cousin had such a great time there the two hours delay seemed like nothing! read more

This museum is a pleasant surprise. The emphasis is on various aspects of commercial travel, and particularly LAX. The exhibits show how nice air travel used to be. :) I've been to a lot of aviation museums, and they almost always emphasize WW2. Which is fine because air power was crucial in the victory, but it's nice to visit a museum dedicated mostly to the civilian airline industry (though there is mention of WW2 aircraft production in So Cal). Another great bonus is the proximity to the south runway at LAX. I was there on a rainy day so the wake vortex off the wings of departing planes was pretty cool to watch. There was a photographer taking shots of the planes as well, so I wasn't the only one enjoying the vortexes. It was pretty slow the day I was there, which is sad because it is a truly unique museum and right under our noses in LA. If you have any interest in aviation history, take the time and visit. You won't be disappointed. read more

Great Setup and Cool Collection. Enjoyed it. And Thank You for the Hospitality. Next time You're gonna go down to LAX. Go a little early and check out this cute little Museum. ;) read more

Have to say such an incredible place! Agnes was super helpful. Look forward to future visits with new visitors!

Awesome museum for commercial aviation enthusiasts. Had a great time visiting with them. The volunteers are super friendly and engaging. Great place for plane spotting. You can even board at vintage DC-3. Wish I lived in the area, I would be there all the time. I found my new happy place when visiting Los Angeles. read more

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I had seen this place on yelp and was staying across the street. This place is a aviation hidden gem and is way larger than they appear from the outside. The displays are top notch. The amount of commercial aviation uniforms, gear, plates is so impressive. We got to put outdoors and watch as long as we wanted. The staff/volunteers are the best and so knowledgeable. Thanks for the enjoyable visit! read more

Great field trip destination for all ages. The staff is extraordinarily friendly and knowledgeable. My son loves the tours. We will be visiting again soon. Everyone should check it out. read more

This is an amazing museum. Tons of model aircraft and other things. Also has amazing views of the airport. :D

Great exhibits and docents. This muesum is definately worth seeing when you are around LAX. Amazing exhibits of old uniforms and even a DC3 to board and view. Displays include old PSA, Air Cal and Western airlines. read more

We had some time to kill before our rental car was ready so we took a short uber ride to the other side of the airport. We had a blast. The staff was awesome. The airplanes on display are great and we got to sit outside and watch the planes land. Wonderful way to spend an hour. read more

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Wow, this place is a real gem. Dustin gave me and my niece visiting from Chicago an amazing "VIP" tour. Who knew there was so much history and memorabilia of the aviation industry located right here at LAX? Now I do and this will be added to the list of must-sees for future visitors. Thanks again Dustin and all the FPM hosts and guides for your warm hospitality and incredible knowledge. read more

Along with the amazing collection of commercial flight history standards and oddities, the DC-3 tour, and uniforms throughout the years, the people were friendly, informative, and went above and beyond the call of duty to assist us. Huge thanks to everyone there! (especially Marie!) read more

This place is literally ten minutes from LAX and doesn't get even an ounce of the attention - I wonder why! Its an amazing hidden gem and a treasure trove of aviation history. The museum is housed in a pretty unassuming building so if you don't watch out you might mistake it for an industrial office and keep driving. They have free parking and free entrance. There is a suggested donation but nobody so much as mentions it. They seem to be sparsely staffed - there is just the one person welcoming you who is very nice but the rest of the space is pretty much a DIY type experience. There isn't even a map or route chart to tell you where to go and there are a few rooms. There is a space section, then the history of aviation which is a little oddly displayed so watch for the years. Then there are some exhibits in the center that show a few airlines but there i snow explanation as to why the focus on those. A smaller room talks about a cargo fleet, another highlights uniforms, another showcases other airline paraphernalia and then a few other things are sort of haphazardly displayed. Funnily the museum sort of intersperses with the offices so not sure of you can go in there or not. There is also an aircraft outside that is part of the museum but no way to get to it and nobody tells you that you need to ask for assistance but then staff showed me out and into the aircraft which was actually really cool. I am not sure why this spot isn't more advertised. The museum itself seems stuck in the 80s or 90s but all this fabulous information about the history of aviation and space is housed here - definitely worth the visit!! read more

This place is actually very nice. If you're in the area you should drop in. It doesn't take too long to walk through but it is cool to see all of the items they have collected over the years. They also have special programs and things to do for younger kids so make sure to check out their website. read more

I finally checked this place out - there is a bunch of aviation memorabilia, including a huge collection of flight attendant uniforms. I totally dig that stuff. I remember wanting to be a stewardess when I grew up. I didn't take that career path, but it's just fun to look at how commercial aviation has changed throughout the years. Nostalgic 50s/60s music was playing, and they had the scanner on for ATC communication - super cool. I was here for an hour, until closing time at 3 p.m. I am sad to say that this was the only time the staff seemed to take notice of me - when they wanted me to leave. And it's not like anyone said I should come back next time, or they were sorry they had to close. I asked one of the staff a quick question about how I would take a tour of the DC-3 just outside. He said "you can just get one of the staff to take you there, but it's closed now." DUH ... you're only telling this right after you asked me to leave. And whenever I stopped for 10 seconds to look at something on the way out, someone else reminded me that the exit was this way or that way. When I got into my car, I looked at my watch - it was 2:55. It was a very disappointing end to an otherwise cool visit, and the reason I took two stars off. Call me a b*tch, but I was glad I held off leaving a donation in the box at the beginning of the visit. :( ... Maybe I will go back sometime and hopefully have a better experience. read more

If you are interested in aviation, this museum is a must see. It could be the best kept secret in Los Angeles. The highlight of the museum is a DC-3 that staff will let you board and they even encourage you to sit in the cockpit. Other interesting exhibits are vintage promotional airline posters and uniforms. The staff claims they have the largest collection of vintage airline uniforms of any museum, and from what I saw they are probably correct. Was here for two hours and still didn't get to see everything. It is actually much larger inside than it looks from the parking lot. As previous reviewers have written you also get great views of the runway and arriving planes. If you have a few hours to kill in the LAX area this hidden gem is time well spent. Parking and entrance is free, although donations are accepted. read more

I had some relatives come into LAX on a very short layover and looked for something to do that was close to the airport but wouldn't wear them out too much. We went here and had a great time. None of us are flight fans, but we enjoyed our tour and our guide. We stayed until 3, when they close. Parking was easy, and there is so much to see and read, that I could have stayed longer. Directions from the airport: One Yelp reviewer said to look for the "Imperial Terminal" sign on Century Blvd., but we couldn't find the sign. You have to go under the Sepulveda tunnel south to Imperial Hwy, then make a right. The Learning Center is not well marked with a sign so you will need to watch the street numbers. We used an app my cousin had on his phone to find it. I do plan to go back again! read more

Visited this AMAZING museum with my daughter today. The best part about it is its location, right up against the LAX tarmac. You can stand against their big back window and watch planes take off and land while listening to the control tower radio traffic, and there are volunteers who are aviation enthusiasts and can tell you what you're seeing: what type of plane, when it was made, why it's cool to see it, etc. It's absolutely a joy to watch the airport from this extremely intimate perspective. Also cool: the museum exhibits of airplane types and history, the photos of LAX over the decades (like the 1910s, when Inglewood was a long series of barley fields), and the airline uniforms from other eras (like the orange polyester PSA flight attendant uniform with a micro-mini skirt). And you can go outside to climb aboard a 1940s-era DC-3 and walk around the interior. Very welcoming, very casual, very child-friendly, and FREE. read more

I went here as a student looking for information on a wilbur and orville wright plane. i thought that i wasn't going to like it at first, but when i met the ladies that worked there (elanor and marie) it was a whole other story!!!!! they were very nice and took the time to show me video about the plane i was looking for. they had some very interesting outfits to try on and a great veiw of lax!!!!! i got to go into a plane and sit in the pilots chair and try on his hat!!!! it was a great experience!!! read more

I passed by this museum almost every day when I lived in The LA area, but never visited until last weekend when I was in town for a private event held here. If you have even a passing interest in commercial aviation, you need to check it out. The learning center isn't huge, but there's a lot to see and learn about the history of air travel. My airplane-crazy four year-old was absolutely enraptured by all of the models on display, and there was a lot of interesting information on all of the exhibits. Talk to the docents to learn even more. A nice bonus is that the center is positioned very near LAX runways, so you (or your four year-old) can watch the planes and ground vehicles do their thing from the large windows. Suggested donation is just $5 per family; I've had disappointing coffee that cost more than that. read more

You can listen to ground control while scanning the tarmac. Pretty cool spot for planespotting.

This is a great place. The museum offers numerous models of aircraft, and plenty of historical treasures. The restored DC-3 is a nice touch, but the proximity and the view of LAX is awesome. This is a good spot for plane-spotters or people trying to film aircraft. You are pretty much on the runway, and aircraft are pretty close to you. You should visit this museum. The staff is nice and they are willing to talk and help you. read more

This was a pretty cool experience. It was like taking a walk back in time. Tons of photos and uniforms, model planes and more.

This place is AMAZING! We didn't have enough time to see everything the museum has to offer. It's open from 10 am to 3 pm and five hours truly wouldn't be enough time to see it all. We got to get in a DC3 that was converted to a private jet that eventually retired in the early 80s. The volunteers are knowledgeable in every aspect and very friendly and enthusiastic about the museum. This should be on everyone's to do list. It's a non-profit organization museum, it's free and donations are up to you and greatly appreciated. ENJOY! read more

Cute little museum with all things related to the big bird in the sky. It's got model airplanes from different airlines past and present. They have two rooms full of outfits worn by flight attendance and pilots. It was very interesting seeing pictures of flight stewardess wearing short short skirts and knee high boots from the 60's. When we were there, the new Luftansa 747-8 came in and we got to see it land right out in the back of the museum. It's the new Boeing four engine aircraft. They even have a DC-3 plane in the back where you can go in and sit in the cockpit. It's an old corporate jet from Union 76. The museum is free but they accept donations. There's no gift shop. It's a good way to spend 1-2 hours of your time when you're in the neighborhood. read more

One of LA's best kept secrets! The best place to watch planes take off and land... they provide a telescope and a platform for little ones to stand on so they can see out the window. It is all glad so you'll have an excellent view of LAX from where ever you are. This place harkens back to commerical flying's glory days... with memorabilia from defunct airlines like PanAm and TWA. Everything from uniforms to luggage to tickets to actual airline seats! It is all well kept and the staff is highly knowledgeable all having been part of the industry somehow. They also show a movie which used to be about the history of LAX which is very entertaining but today it was about the landing of the space shuttle Endeavor... a wonderful montage of footage! We'd been here many times since it is practically right across the street from where we live but never with our 2 year old son. The people working there today were wonderful and immediately engaged our son in conversation and then took him out to board the DC-3 they have on display there and even let him sit in the cockpit and pretend to fly! On our way out they handed us a little bag full of treats for him... a coloring book, luggage tag, ruler, magnet and some other cute things. How nice! A must see for any aviation fanatic but even if you are not you will still enjoy this museum. read more

This is an awesome place to come and reminisce about Commercial Aviation! The majority of the museum overlooks the South complex airfield (the busier side) at LAX so you get to see aviation in action! If you're young or old, the Staff here will have you wearing a smile from war to eat before yore gone... Heck, you might even want to take on a career in Aviation by the time you're done with your visit. read more

Such a great museum! Loved seeing the old airline uniforms , wings , first class dinner silver wear and getting to sit in an old DC3 plane from the 1930s. Must check it out ! read more

Flight Path Museum - Museums Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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What a cool place! We had so much fun here, got to listen to the flight tower, watch runways, go inside an old place, look at 100's of different flight uniforms. It was just a very cool, historical experience. read more

This place had a lot of model plane, pictures of history of LAX and some old uniforn worn by the flight attendent of the old days. Overall, a cool place to hang around while you are in the neighborhood and need to kill some time. The senior folks tending this place were very friendly and helpful. Thank you. Add one star since this place was free admission. read more

I cannot recommend this place highly enough. A true gem of LA and LAX. One of the best run, informative, comprehensive aviation history museums in the world. Anyone even remotely interested in aviation, and particularly those working, or who have worked in the industry, this is a MUST visit. But simply as a learning center and museum it's amazing. And the building is like the Tardis, you enter and it just keeps going and going and going, Knowledgeable and really helpful docents, really top notch exhibits and displays. And FREE!! One of LAX and LAWAs proudest achievements in my opinion. Highly, highly recommended. read more

My husband, 2 year old daughter and I really enjoyed our time at this museum. The staff were very helpful and informative escorting us to the 76 airplane to explore and around the museum. We weren't in a hurry so we relaxed and enjoyed looking at the model planes, uniforms, reading and learning about the history of LAX and of course watching the planes go by. We a very nice time. read more