More than 300 aircraft, including some very usual, rare and one-of- kind planes, are housed in 5 hangers and lined up on 80 acres outside. The displays are short on information but the staff, most whom seemed to be retired air force, are extremely knowledgeable. Many air museums are free because they’re government owned and run but this one is private so there’s an admissions fee, kind of high at $15.50. The tram tour of the grounds, if you don’t want to walk it, has an additional fee.
The museum also gives bus tours of the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), located on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. AMARG, also known as the boneyard, is where all of the excess US military and government aircraft are stored. It’s cool to see hundreds of planes lined up across the sand but the tour is a bit dull. You can see the planes from the surrounding streets and skip the tour unless you’re a real airplane affectionato.
The hangers are fairly accessible. A paved path leads from hanger 1 to hangers 3 and 4. The outside display area is packed sand with a few soft areas. It’s not hard to push across but the area to see is so large that it’s a good idea to have a helper. The tram tour car isn’t wheelchair accessible.The space museum has many written display cards which are laid flat and therefore hard to read. The AMARG tour requires advance notice for an accessible bus. Make sure that the driver secures the wheelchair correctly because the bus travels a few miles on city streets before entering the base and slowing down. We’ve found that drivers are not always familiar with the right procedures and don’t understand the necessity of securing a wheelchair.
Parking for RVs is located in a large sandy lot across from the museum’s main entrance door. Museum
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