Air Zoo

Anyone been to the Air Zoo? We%26#39;ll be visiting in August with 14 %26amp; 17 yr olds who are very interested in all things aviation.

Air Zoo

Haven%26#39;t been yet, but supposed to go this Thursday. I%26#39;ll let you know how things went when we return home on Friday.

Air Zoo

Yes, I have been there, although it was a few years ago. Very nice museum, alot of vintage air craft. Definately worth visiting if your in the area and interested in an aircraft museum. I will go back someday.

I%26#39;m sure they have a website. Should have pictures and more details.

ps. It%26#39;s not the Smithsonian mind you, but it is a place you can spend several hours if your so inclined.

I%26#39;m used to visiting the Dayton Air Force Museum, so the Air Zoo was on the small side. However anyone interested in aviation will enjoy this place. It is very nicely done. Stop by the McDonalds near the Air Zoo and see if they have any 25% off coupons left.

I went a few years back and remember being a little surprised at the price (high). Since I only had a half hour to kill, the guy let the kids and I browse quickly for free (my lucky day). They had a vintage airplane that they were giving rides in (probably for a fee?), some simulators that my kids were too young for, and a truly cool collection of a wide range of planes. My daughter was really into Snoopy and the Red Baron at the time, and they had a Fokker triplane! My most meaningful experience there was sitting inside of an actual carrier from WWII that dropped the soldiers, my grandfather included, onto Normandy Beach. That gave me chills and almost tears. Go! It%26#39;s a great museum.

I went a few years back and remember being a little surprised at the price (high). Since I only had a half hour to kill, the guy let the kids and I browse quickly for free (my lucky day). They had a vintage airplane that they were giving rides in (probably for a fee?), some simulators that my kids were too young for, and a truly cool collection of a wide range of planes. My daughter was really into Snoopy and the Red Baron at the time, and they had a Fokker triplane! My most meaningful experience there was sitting inside of an actual carrier from WWII that dropped the soldiers, my grandfather included, onto Normandy Beach. That gave me chills and almost tears. Go! It%26#39;s a great museum.

Just a short follow-up: we visited the Air Zoo on August 14th, driving from the Detroit area and arriving around 11am.. The plan had been to stay the whole day at the Air Zoo and then overnight at a local hotel before driving back the next day.

The museum was nice, but much smaller than we had anticipated. Our group included one grandmother (who had had a private pilot%26#39;s license), two moms and four kids, ages 11, 12, 14, and 17. As my oldest son is looking forward to starting college next year studying aeronautical eng. with a minor in aviation science, we%26#39;re into the whole aviation scene. This air museum was pretty light on facts and information, but had a pretty building with a few hands-on activities.

By concensus, we decided that the prime audience for the Air Zoo would probably be kids ages 9-12. The simulators are the same Microsoft program we have at home (but they do twirl around!). The space shuttle ride is interesting, but short and light on content. There are also 2 amusement-park type rides , mainly for younger kids.

The highlight of the main museum is the 4-D theater production of a WWII bombing run over Europe. We all enjoyed it very much. The most impressive plane on display is the SR-71 Blackbird. But the Blackbird display sort of highlights the shortcomings of the museum: it%26#39;s just a plane on a platform. There%26#39;s no information on display with it; no signage; no specs. The program has a little info, but not enough for us. We wanted more information!

More interesting is the Flight Information and Research Center, located nearby on the airport grounds. There are many more planes on display in this building and all of them have signage explaining the use of the plane and some history. There are also many static displays of weapons, maps, related aviation accessories and war memorabilia. There are also a lot of framed photographs and art prints. And you can read actual diaries and letters from throughout history. This building also has a video theater, and there are a variety of miniature planes, cockpits, etc. for the kids to climb into. It was also nice to be able to see a couple of commuter planes take-off and land while we were there next to the airport runways.

All in all our visit was okay, but probably not worth the overnight trip. Families with younger children would probably enjoy it as part of a longer trip (we also got to Cereal City in Battle Creek while we were in the area).

If you attend the zoo, make sure that you visit both buildings. I think the way that some of the blogs read, that maybe some of you only seen the one. There is a short walk between the two, you will enter in the new facility, but the older facility is a hanger. It houses several more vintage planes. Enjoy!