Museum Spotlight: Hill Aerospace Museum

Hill Aerospace Museum F-4 Phantom, Photo Credit: Kerri Phillips

Just about five miles south of Ogden, Utah lies Hill Air Force Base, and on the northwest corner the base sits the Hill Aerospace Museum. Founded in 1981 and first opened to visitors in 1986, the Hill Aerospace Museum hosts approximately 160,000 visitors annually. This number may be small when compared to a larger museum like the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, but this museum delights its visitors all the same.

Founded as part of the United States Air Force Heritage Program, the museum hosted its millionth visitor in 1996. According to its website, the museum boasts over 90 military aircraft, missiles, and aerospace vehicles. Aerospace ground equipment, military vehicles, uniforms, and a variety of ordnance are also showcased.  Some major exhibits at the museum include: World War II, Dawn of the Jet Age, the Cold War, Women Airforce Service Pilots, and American Aerospace Pioneers. As you enter the parking lot of the museum, a vast yard filled with aircraft and helicopters with a beautiful mountainous backdrop opens in front of you. An F-4 Phantom is poised by the gate, with a bright paint scheme often utilized by training squadrons.

Inside the gated aircraft yard visitors can follow the paved sidewalk through various military aircraft accompanied by identification signs. Some of the larger aircraft in the outdoor exhibit are the C-124 Globemaster II, the C-130B Hercules, the B-52G Stratofortress, and the B-29 Superfortress. Guests are also treated to a variety of helicopters, propeller driven aircraft, and jets as they follow the trail through the aviation displays.

C-124 Globemaster II, Photo Credit: Kerri Phillips

 

B-1 Lancer, Photo Credit: Kerri Phillips

As many Utah visitors have found, the Hill Aerospace Museum is a nice little gem and a must-see for aviation enthusiasts passing through. In addition to the amazing outdoor display of aircraft, there are many historic artifacts for visitors to learn about within the indoor complex. So if you are passing through Utah and taking in the sights, make sure to swing by and take the family to Hill Aerospace Museum and take in a little piece of Aviation history.

2 Comments

  1. This museum is a great place to take family and friends. I think it’s a shame that only 160,000 people get to this a year. Thanks for the good article. Utah really has a great aviation and aerospace heritage (that is saying a lot, since I grew up in the shadow of Boeing in Seattle!).

  2. Don’t forget about the Learning Center! That’s where all the flight simulators and cool science stuff is! If you ever decide to “swing by and take the family to Hill Aerospace Museum. I guarantee, it’s an experience you won’t regret or forget. (By the way, I just happen to work there!)

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