I came here after my kiddo had already visited because he talked so much about it. I've driven by so many times but this was the first time I stopped in to check it out. We walked in and we paid our entrance fee at the front and were told if we were interested in a membership we could use our entrance fee to pay towards that cost. My kiddo led our visit around the entire museum. I loved how interactive the areas were specially the cockpit area. The volunteers and staff were friendly and my kiddos enjoyment of the space solidified my interest in a membership which I ultimately got. Since then we have been back multiple times. We've enjoyed all our visits and check in goes smoothly since we already have a barcode. At our last visit I ended up setting the 5 minute timer for the cockpit area since we waited so long to get in. Probably the most popular space in this entire museum. While my kiddo and I played and several other families waited their turn patiently a parent walked up and asked how much longer we'd be there since her kid had been waiting a long time. Wild to me because we had been waiting in line that's not really a line but some seats in the back and not once did I see this parent waiting. She must of waited a whole minute before speaking to me. I told her we just got in and that I had set my 5 minute timer. She said she didn't see the sign and others pointed her right to it. Right in front of her face. She asked if I worked here. I said no but that the 3 volunteers out there did to redirect her and enjoy my 5 minutes. As one of the most popular attractions here it would be beneficial for volunteers to monitor the line and timers per group. It's insane to me that grown people can act like this or just oversee other waiting groups and act more impatient than a toddler. The space is way too small to be insufferable in a place to enjoy, explore and take turns. Front staff is great. Most volunteers are great. The volunteers in the cockpit benefit from helping maneuver cockpit time and potential lines. This is a well cared for museum and an enjoyable way to spend the day. Our family enjoys it and will continue to be members till my kids want to be. read more

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Hiller Aviation Museum is one of the more unusual aviation museums I've ever visited. It is just about 11 miles south of SFO off Hwy 101 adjacent to the San Carlos airport. The aircraft & artifacts are mainly from the collection of Stanley Hiller of the Hiller Aircraft Corp that has been developing helicopters and other experimental flying machines since the late 40's. So many of these unusual copters, gyros & flying platforms are on display, plus anything else Stanley had collected over the decades. There aren't a lot of more recognizable aircraft, but you learn a lot by reading about these rare, one-of-a-kind flying machines. On slow days, you buy your entry ticket in the gift shop and go through the entry hall that is dominated by a full scale replica of the X-Prize winning SpaceShipOne hanging from the ceiling. As you enter the main gallery, you have turn of the century wood & fabric biplane replicas of the Wright brothers & Glenn Curtiss along with early not-so-successful flying machines. Moving onto the middle 20th century, the Hiller Aviation Corp. designed some offbeat personal aircraft with personal vertical takeoff craft 70 years before their time. There are also more conventional winged aircraft like the Grumman Albatross (propeller seaplane) and Aero L-39 Albatros (Czech jet trainer), 2 totally different planes with similar names sitting right next to each other. Above them all is the mother of all remotely piloted drones, the Boeing Condor from 1988 with a huge wingspan of 200 ft! If you go out the back, you get to climb through the nose section of a Boeing 747-100 jumbo airliner from the 70's & 80's. The gift shop is one of the more extensive that I've seen with lots of souvenirs for all ages and aviation memorabilia for enthusiasts. read more

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What a cool birthday venue! We just celebrated our son's third birthday here and the whole coordination process and bringing in caterers/vendors was seamless. They make it very easy for the host! The museum is so fun! Although it looks small, it is full of fun activities and different planes/ structures for kids to explore. My son especially loved the 747 in the yard, and the fact that it looked over the San Carlos airport was just an extra benefit. Definitely recommend coming here for a visit and/or to celebrate a kiddo's birthday! read more

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I came here this past Wednesday evening for a private event. It was good to be back. A great place for a private event. My second time here. I always enjoy looking at airplanes and remember the history of aviation. read more

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Beautiful Museum and exhibits. I like that for the most part it is wheelchair accessible minus a few exhibits that are too small to accommodate a wheelchair. Plan to visit for at minimum 2 hours. Lots of interesting stories to read. I recommend visiting. I can finally drive by and I dont have to say, I am going to go there someday. I finally made it after driving by it for over 35 years. read more

We have been wanting to go here for a while now and a bit of a rainy day made it the perfect spot to spend the afternoon. What a treat this place is for any age person. Hands on things for the Littles and a wealth of information for everyone. I couldn't believe how many planes were in there, crazy! A real treat was to be able to go outside and watch the planes take off and land. I am pretty sure this is the kind of place where you could go over and over and always see something new! read more

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This is a convenient museum off the 101. We've brought our boys here as well as grandparents - it's pretty convenient for them (lots of seating, not too much walking required). The kids enjoyed walking through the cockpit, sitting in some of the different planes, and playing with the simulators. They also have different activities such as making / flying paper airplanes. I have to admit I was a little bored myself, but we did get membership for some of the themed events throughout the year and also to apply a discounted rate towards summer camp. Overall I'd recommend if your kids have interest in airplanes. read more

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What a lovely aviation museum! We've driven by this place for years and finally decided to check it out. It was about $23/person per adult but there are some extras in there that you can pay for e.g. flight simulator. I was surprised that a lot of the paid activities closed quite a bit earlier than the actual museum close time! The museum is quite compact but they did a good job filling it with so many different aircraft, prototypes, activities, etc. I was surprised to learn that so many brave people died due to the earliest versions of personal aircraft. It was really haunting seeing these vehicles in person knowing that many took them for rides in the early days and quite a lot of them perished as a result! The museum was decorated in a Halloween theme due to the season. It was kind of funny seeing all these gigantic decorations including skeletons sitting in the cockpits of some of the aircraft. I liked the paper airplane section. It's been decades since I've made one and it was really fun launching it with their launcher! We also tried a drone simulator (on a computer) since it was free. It was fun! I learned a lot about the different types of flying vehicles and some famous people in aviation. There's quite a lot of information to read so it could definitely take you awhile if you want to read everything! There is also the front part of the PanAm plane that you can check out outside. It was really cool sitting inside in the seats and also checking out the cockpit area. The gift shop had a lot of model airplanes to my delight. I don't collect them but I'm sure these would make great gifts to an airplane enthusiast! Nice museum and I would recommend checking it out if you have a few hours to spare! read more

I came here with my family for the Haunted Hangar event in October and we loved how decked out the Halloween decorations were! On select dates during Halloween season, there's a witch that flies in a helicopter and then throws down a pumpkin. It's a very fun event to watch and the little kids got so excited for it! There were also lots of crafts and hands-on activities (launching bottle rockets, crane for dropping parachuted dolls, flight simulators) and play areas to keep young museum goers entertained as they learn. There were also sections of actual aircrafts where visitors could climb into the cockpit and explore historical flight vessels. We had a great experience here because of the rich history displays, passionate volunteers, family-friendly activities and immersive museum. It was about $23 per adult for admission. I really appreciated the extensive segment on women and people of minority ethnicities' role in aviation history. This museum is a passion project and will inspire anyone to see how historically impactful (and dangerous) the journey was for people trying to fly. I highly recommend this museum for families with children of all ages. There are events throughout the year for holidays, as well as educational youth camps. read more

Hiller Aviation Museum - Witch pumpkin drop for Haunted Hangar - Museums Near Me - San Carlos, California

We went for the Biggest Little Airshow and my little boy was beside himself with excitement. When I chided him for repeatedly trying to touch the RC airplanes on display one of the pilots reminded me, "He's a curious child, and that's a good thing." This attitude permeated our experience. The show was really fun, and the museum was hands-on and engaging for kids and adults alike. We had a great afternoon and I wholeheartedly recommend the museum and its events for any family. read more

Hiller Aviation Museum - Biggest Little Air Show 2025! - Museums Near Me - San Carlos, California

The extended family went to Hiller Aviation Museum and there was something to do for everyone! There is a lot of hands-on experience for the kids, informative exhibits for the adults and interactive activities for all. A must go to if you have any interest in aviation! Also check out the gift shop, it has many unique offerings. read more

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Lots of exhibits about Aviation especially woman aviators or worked in the industry that help pioneer the technology that we take for granted. They have a membership plan that you can a discount if you show them your same day ticket. They have lots of special events as well. read more

Hiller Aviation Museum - Museums Near Me - San Carlos, California

Cool aviation exhibit with flight simulation. The museum is awesome itself. I think an hour to two hours in this museum is more than enough to see everything. Unfortunately the Gen X and older staff are rude to kids. I have never heard adults be so condescending to kids in a museum until I went to Hiller Aviation. read more

Fun small museum and very hands on interactive stuff to see and do for young to middle age.

I've been wanting to come here with my family as my child wants to be a pilot one day. It was the most beautiful memory created! This place is amazing and very interactive for children of all ages. Of course there are areas where we respect and there's boundaries with ropes but there are also plenty of little interactive activities for the kids to enjoy and learn. The planes and aircraft's are intriguing to see in person as you really put yourself in different parts of history. I want to give a huge shoutout to Eric the volunteer! He really made our first time experience so wonderful and heartfelt. Overall highly recommend this place and would definitely come pay a visit again! read more

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Been bringing my kids here since they were toddlers and while they're much older now we can still find engaging activities and exhibitions. I love how you can see life size planes here with all the facts and even simulations! It's such an awesome attraction for the Bay Area. read more

Great educational facility. We brought our preschoolers here on a class trip and the staff was great about walking the kids through some fun workshops with plenty of free play interspersed. The kids loved going into the cockpit of the 747 and pretending like they were flying a helicopter in the simulator. They then got some of their energy out by playing with foam blocks and the parachute drops. Plenty of parking onsite. The only con is that there is no food sold onsite so you will need to bring your own. read more

Great collection of aircrafts! They have a lot of simulators. We would most likely visit it again.

We didn't have enough time to visit the museum itself, so we stopped by the gift shop to buy something for our one-year-old to play with. I asked an employee if I could use the restroom, and she said yes. When I came out, my partner and I were briefly talking about our next plans while our son ran around near us in the empty area by the restroom, happily playing A few minutes later, the same employee came up to us and told us that this was a paid area. We hadn't even been there for five minutes. The interaction felt unnecessary and rude, and it really left a bad impression. It honestly soiled our plans to come back in the future. read more

I want to change up the pace, scenery, and do something different today. I've seen this all the time going towards Moffett Field, Redwood City, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Signature Aviation OAK - Oakland Int'l Airport. I've been meaning to do this for a very long time. Finally, today, I'm at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos. I'm also very familiar with this neighborhood. This was a cool, and neat Exhibit. And it's also a great Venue, for holding something like an Event. read more

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Came here for the Thanksgiving Turkey Drop and loved our time here. The tickets were sold out and it was busy yet there was plenty to do at the museum. The kids loved the interactive games and getting on some of the planes. There was face painting and free samples for attendees. The turkey drop itself was fun. They dropped a sack full of foam turkeys from a helicopter and the kids got to run over and grab one. The staff came over with a box of extras and made sure every kid had one. Decent size gift shop and parking available. read more

Do you have a child? Do you like airplanes? Have you ever wanted to fly a plane? If you answered yes to any of these, proceed to Hiller, buy the membership, and be amazed! I was unaware of the hidden gem that is Hiller until we stumbled upon it after visiting the San Carlos airport (see my review of the restaurant there - it's ah-mah-zing). Immediately, I loved it. The staff is so friendly and wonderful, the exhibits capture the attention of both young and old patrons, and the interactive portions of the museum can't be beat! My favorite is the helicopter - I've actually succeeded in not crashing it once ;) My son's favorite is by far the parachuters and the plane in the back where you can move the rudders (I think that's what they are) from the cockpit. Honestly, probably my favorite way to spend a day is breakfast at the San Carlos airport (watch all the planes take off) followed by a trip to Hiller. Be sure to get tickets to the upstairs flying simulation if you want to really test your flying skills - such a blast! read more

Took our son here on a whim today. He enjoyed all the activities and loved that there were tons of opportunities for pretend play and to see what the planes looked like inside. There was an event when we came and we were also able to go outside and paint a plane plus plane watching area is a plus! I took out a star for a couple of things: 1) I thought it was pricey for what we paid for considering we were done with the entire museum including all activities within an hour- however, if this place is mostly self funded, I guess I am OK with the price I paid for. 2) All the staff members were friendly- EXCEPT for this Caucasian lady in the gift shop who reprimanded us cause she thought my son was lost but we were LITERALLY less than a foot away from him. I was very surprised because she could have said it in a nicer tone but totally told us off. Probably won't be coming back for that reason. read more

We came here on a weekday and my son had so much fun. I enjoyed that it wasn't too crowded on a weekday. He enjoyed the foam pit and being able to run around outside next to an airplane. There were a lot of things to see through the history of aviation. There were a few simulators open as well. Upstairs you can listen to one of the radio towers while overlooking the airport. My husband enjoyed the simulations and how interactive the museum is. There's even a place where you can make paper airplanes and launch it. There's a good amount of parking. Bathrooms are in the lobby. A pretty big museum store. You can even become a member here. read more

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Fun little museum right off the 101. Pros: A lot of authentic airplanes, parts and salvaged fuselage. For any kids into mechanical stuffs this is a dream come true to see it close up. Awesome 747 body in the back lot- don't miss it. Wouldn't recommend bringing babies - the space is tiny and there's often a line inside to see the cockpit. Has your typical children's museum hands on activities like crafts, blocks and build a plane. Pretty stacked schedule of events, although most are geared towards age 5-10. Cons: Small so it's really not a whole day thing but the kids were well worn out after just a couple hours. Admission is a little pricey but pro tip one visit already chips away over half the membership which also gives discounts for their kids summer camp. read more

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Awsome place! Cool to see a 737 outside that you can go inside next to a small airport to See small aircraft take off / land, really cool to see! read more

We have been members for a year. Our almost 4 year old loves going atleast 1x a month. Parking is so convenient and its a great way to spend a weekend morning learning something new about airplanes! read more

came here on a whim with my toddlers (2&3yo) and had a great time. We spent about 45 mins inside the museum touring and another half hour at the outdoor exhibit . There are a few aircraft's the kids can actually sit in, as well as a nice open soft play area, crafts/legos and simulation games. I loved the outdoor exhibit with plenty of tables/umbrellas for a snack/lunch. open daily 7 days a week 10-5pm. FYI stroller friendly, plenty of parking, starbucks next door and gift shop inside with lots of cool aviation gadgets read more

Quite a small museum that's probably more appropriate for kids than adults. We came and paid $22 each and were disappointed by the limited exhibits. We spent less than 90 minutes here to see the whole thing. The best part was getting to see the inside of a 747 cockpit. read more

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I have driven by this museum many times over the years with the intention of going one day and over this winter break, that day came! I attended the "Noon Year's Eve" event with my family and it was a great time! We purchased tickets online and the checkout process was easy and smooth. On the day of the event, we were not sure how crowded it would be and upon arrival, the parking lot had already been filled and traffic was being directed into the overflow lots in nearby buildings. It was organized and the walk to the museum was not too bad. The museum itself was great. The variety of aircraft on display was plentiful and appealed to my son. He had a great time sitting in each of the available aircrafts and pressing the buttons and pretending to fly. They also had flight simulators and some other interactive exhibits that kept the kids entertained. Overall, the museum was great, however, there are a few points of feedback that would help the organizer of the specific event do better next time. Event specific feedback: 1) I believe they might have oversold this event as the amount of people and lines for everything was very long. Perhaps they can decrease the amount of available tickets so that it didn't feel like a mad dash to stand in line the entire time. 2) I did not see any staff at the aircraft display regulating the lines, so what may have seemed like a 10 person line (which shouldn't have been that long) ended up being a much longer wait because families were left to self regulate their time at an exhibit. So for example, a child could spend a whole 10 minutes sitting in a plane while their parent made a phone call (this actually happened) and did not have the decency to shorten their kids time to allow for the evergrowing line of kids that waited patiently for their turn. If there was a staff member to help move people along in a reasonable manner, it would have been a more pleasant experience for all without feeling like all we did was wait in line after line. 3) I did like the fact there were multiple balloon drop areas. Perhaps more balloon drop areas spaced out to avoid a larger crowd gathering in one area would help (especially since it is cold/flu season with tons of people pushed in together as closely as we were). Overall - The museum was great and I will probably go back again on a regular day to fully take advantage of all the exhibits without the large crowd that the event brought in. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Very nice small aviation museum. Lots of things for the little ones to do. Paper airplane launcher was a favorite. read more

Hiller Aviation Museum - Museums Near Me - San Carlos, California

20 dollar ticket gets you a wonderful exhibit to a great aviation museum. Great War replicas , some experimental aircraft, some actual retired military planes, and some retired commercial plane cabin and seats . It is child friendly and quite fun to visit. read more

Hiller Aviation Museum - WW I replica - Museums Near Me - San Carlos, California

My son wanted a surprise gift for his 8th birthday. So I took him and my daughter to Hiller Aviation Museum. They have a gift shop and huge variety of aircrafts displayed throughout the museum. We adored Hiller's Membership staff named Eric. He made our family feel special and provided my son Michael with a memorable 1st aviation museum experience. Truly inspiring and magical to have someone like Eric who is passionate working for your team. We have a new family birthday tradition! They also have a special camp program for kids, which I am interested in signing my kids to join. read more

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It is such a delight to stroll through this museum. See all the different planes from small to big and also to get your hands on a flight simulator. The docents are all super friendly and so knowledgable - all pilots themselves. I loved the section on women in aviation and of course the Red Baron Replica. The entry fee of $18 is completely worth it. You get so much more than a museum, it's an experience. There's also an outside portion of the museum with a nose cone of a 747. I loved it here and this was my second visit. read more

Hiller Aviation Museum - Museums Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Founded by Helicopter innovator and inventor, Stanley Hiller, Jr. He designed the worlds first coaxial helicopter when he was only 15 and by 17 won an Army contract to produce his XH-44 helicopter. During the heart of covid shutdowns we would drive by this museum almost every day when dropping our oldest off at language school. Because of the founder they have the largest collections of helicopters I have ever seen. It's very cool to see some of the oddball designs, they have a glass display case of scale model concepts that looks like GI Joe toys. Don't miss the 747-100 nose section outside, its a "flying tiger" airline restoration, if you walk around to the back you can go inside. They have the passenger section with galley on the first floor and the more premium classes up the stairs with cockpit. There's a WW2 Red Baron replica inside, there are also some complicated helicopter and flight simulators your young kids will crash in continuously or keep flying in dizzying circles. read more

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We just had my son's birthday party here and it was an absolute blast. The birthday party coordinator--Heather was super helpful and accommodating. Having a birthday party here is definitely pricy but we really enjoyed it. I loved that everyone is able to stay after the party and check out the museum if they so please. The museum is enjoyable for both children and adults which is super convenient for a child's birthday. read more

This is a diamond in the rough and this museum exceeded my expectations. It is located right behind the San Carlos Airport. They have free parking available. You purchase your tickets in the museum gift shop, which is stocked with toys, t-shirts, astronaut food, kites, souvenirs and puzzles. I must admit, that at first, I thought the $18 admission fee was a bit excessive. However, it was more than I expected. The museum was very interactive. Instead of benches, it has old airplane seats to sit on. They have tons of model aircraft in the building. They have an area where you can fly a drone simulator or fly an actually drone in a netted area. There is also a tower where you can drop parachute men, take a photo in a blue angles cockpit or land a plane at SFO on a simulator. The museum does a good job showing you the evolution of flight. They have info-boards and videos that help guide you through the museum. There are a few aircraft that you are allowed to get in and work the controls. You will find a small play area with some large foam blocks and a toy plane that kids can get in. It is not a very large area, but kept the little ones entertained for a while. They periodically host special events here such as Paint a Plane and Haunted Hangar. They also have Family Wednesdays where kids under 17 get in free. Check their website for any upcoming events and specials. They do offer some add-ons here. For an additional $10 you can do an actual flight simulator. Or for $5 you can do a computer flight simulator upstairs. With the museum being on the backside of the airport, you have a few options to view the active runway. Inside the museum, upstairs, you can view the runway through the window while listening to actual air traffic control. There is also a grandstand and replica tower in the museums courtyard that you can view the runway as well. Speaking of the courtyard, it is very nice and has a lot of picnic tables back there and a small replica runway. The highlight of the courtyard area is the nose compartment of a 747. You can sit in some of the seats or sit in the actual cockpit. It also serves as a museum and has some plaques and artifacts. You will have to climb a small spiral staircase to get to the cockpit. This place has aircraft all over the place, hanging from the ceiling, outside, inside....There is so much to do here. I throughly enjoyed this place. You can easily spend about two hours here. This is a must visit if you are in the area. It has an aviation component and a history component. read more

For years I was driving on 101 by the museum but only recently visited it. We went there with our 3-year old grandson, not knowing what to expect and if there was anything there of interest to a child. Not only the exhibit is highly educational for adults, but it has a number of attractions for kids - from a gnome hiding in a cockpit to a paper plane launcher and kids-only play zone. The museum is filled with unique planes and helicopters, interactive exhibits, and flight simulators. And, of course, the front part of an actual Boeing 747 where you can sit in the pilot's chair. I would highly recommend visiting the unique museum with your entire family. Oh, and they have picnic tables outside where you can enjoy your food while watching planes take off and land at the San Carlos airport. read more

Unassuming museum off the 101. Looked underwhelming from the outside, but actually had a lot to offer in the inside! It's not too big, and probably ran through the thing in an hour, but it's not super expensive like other museums in the area. History of flight with different simulations and models. I'm not a huge plane person nor is my toddler, but everyone had fun there! read more

A decent museum that has cool exhibits that is geared towards older kids as there is a lot of reading. Really the membership is key to make use of this museum as it is not big enough to justify the relatively expensive individual entry but I find my kids get a good hour or two out of it every few months. They have AMAZING summer programs for kids which my kids really enjoy and they host really interesting programs like kid day or bubble day and most importantly model train exhibits. read more