| Kansas Aviation Museum |
Avg. visitor rating:  (49 visitors) |
Exhibits | Reviews | Links |
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- Warm-Up...
- Within five years of the Wright brothers' 1903
flight at Kitty Hawk, Kansans sought to enter the
air age with craft of their own design.
Entrepreneurial and experimental spirits rode
high as daring pioneers sought their fortunes in
the wide-open prairie skies.
The first successful Kansas plane, the 1910 Longren Flyer, was built in Topeka. It was quickly followed by a wide variety of craft developed by over 60 manufacturers throughout the state. The nation's first commercial airplane, the Laird Swallow, was created in 1920 by the Wichita team of Laird, Moellendick and Burke.
They were joined by such pioneers as Stearman, Rawdon, Knoll, Prescott, Mooney, Beech, Cessna, Lear and many others. Whether they built one plane or thousands, they all added their genius to a vitalnew industry burgeoning in the center of this vast nation.
- Take Off...
- Even with that early start, practical and
widespread aviation is a relatively recent
phenomenon. Many of aviations's artifacts are
scarcely a half century old, yet they are
irreplaceable monuments to the industry's
pioneering days.
The former Wichita Air Terminal building, now the home of the Kansas Aviation Museum, is one such monument. It was the focus of Wichita's commitment to a fledgling industry that would completely change our society's perception of distance and travel. That commitment enabled Wichita's aviation companies to produce most of the free world's single engine aircraft, thus earning the city the title "Air Capital of the World."
Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building was begun in 1929 and dedicated in 1935. Hailed at the time as one of the outstanding buildings in the U.S., the Art Deco structure with its abundance of aviation related motifs garnered praise from around the world.
Throughout its rich and varied history, it hosted scores of celebrated guests and witnessed the growth of aviation into a dominant force in the world. Thus the use of this fine old building to house an aviation museum is a fitting tribute to the pioneers of yesteryear, the doers of today and the dreamers of tomorrow.
- Flight...
- The Kansas Aviaton Museum, in recognition of
Kansas' place in aviation history, is the only
museum in the country to focus on general
aviation. Opened in 1991, it displays aircraft and
artifacts from the earliest days to the present
and into the future, houses an extensive research
library and is becoming a center for aviation
education.
You can become a part of this historic and ambitious project. Join the Kansas Aviation Museum. Donate your time and expertise, your Kansas-related aviation artifacts, your cash and in-kind gifts. All donations to KAM are tax-deductible, thus benefitng both you and the museum.
Your membership will help KAM preserve the rich aviation heritage of Wichita and Kansas, thus of the world. Together we will work toward the realization of our dream: a completely-restored building housing a world-class treasury of Kansas' aviation history. It is the Kansas Aviation Museum. Its dedication to the past is exceeded only by its faith in the furture.
- Who we are, What we do
- The Kansas Aviation Museum conducts a number
of activities throughout the year, all geared to
bringing people to the museum, honoring aviation
greats and promoting the appreciation and love of
all things aeronautical.
These activities include the annual Aerodrome Days, River Festival flyovers and static displays, the annual Wright Brothers banquet, member events and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.
The museum is the official site of the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame and the Governor's Aviation Honor Awards. KAM's research library is founded on the Robert Pickett and Edward Tihen collections, vast accumulations of photographs, publications and other aviation materials.
These, other collections and numerous acquisitions support the museum's stated mission of becoming the foremost repository of information about and artifacts depicting Kansas' pre-eminent role in general aviation.
General Information
- Hours of operation
- Tuesday through Friday: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Saturday: 1:00pm to 5:00pm - Admission
- Adults: $2.00
Ages 6 to 12: $1.00
Under 6: Free
Group tours and rates available by appointment only. - Admission and hours subject to change
- Free Parking
Reviews / Comments by our visitors
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External pages about this museum
| http://www.ccnet.com/~craner/kam.html |
| http://www.saranap.com/kam.html |
Last updated: 02/14/00.
Send corrections/additions by e-mail to museum-info@brooklyn.cuny.edu