More than a century ago, man strove to take off into the skies, and with every achievement toward that end, aspirations reached higher, grew wider, soared faster and boldly landed where no man had gone before. From the first exhilarating liftoff aboard the basket of a hot air balloon that sailed over the treetops to Neil Armstrong's historic first footsteps imprinted on the moon, Long Island has played a starring role throughout the history of air and space travel. Next time winter cabin fever sets in and frigid chills curtail outdoor activities, consider taking your own journey through time at a museum that tells the tale of flight, from its very location to the engaging exhibits and striking displays within.
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is situated on Mitchell Field, which once housed a U.S. Air Force base. Roosevelt Field and other fields lie in close proximity, sites that set the stage for numerous premier flights during the early history of aircraft. The museum originally opened in 1980, displaying only a handful of exhibits across two hangars that were acquired by Nassau County when the Air Force base closed in 1961. In a quest to pay a proper tribute to Long Island's significant roles and contributions in aerospace history, an extensive renovation and expansion project took place during the 1990s, culminating in the grand opening of today's enormous glass and steel structure that covers over 150,000 square feet and includes an IMAX dome theatre and planetarium, a café, a museum gift shop and an impressive display of over 65 formidable air and spacecraft and interactive exhibits. Today's Cradle of Aviation museum was opened to the public in May 2002.
Upon entering the museum, visitors are greeted by a Grumman F-11 Tiger, the U.S. Navy's first super sonic jet. Suspended overhead, the Tiger appears to bow in welcome as the nose of the craft dips downward toward its guests. Several of the aircraft on display through the museum were manufactured by Grumman, which was located in Bethpage. Also on display are planes that were manufactured in Farmingdale by Republic, as well as those produced by other companies based on Long Island. Once inside the main exhibition area, eight galleries depict the stages of aerospace history, from the balloon days' "The Dream of Wings" through the "Exploring Space" exhibit. Each period displays aircraft as well as artifacts, period pilot attire, interactive short documentary films and cockpits to explore.
The stories behind some of the museum's acquisitions are as impressive as the planes themselves. In the "Hempstead Plains" exhibit, a Bleriot monoplane set against a backdrop of early 20th century Long Island terrain marks the first flight to take off from Long Island in 1909, flown for a distance of 25 miles from Mineola by Glenn Curtiss. Bleriots were the first planes manufactured on Long Island, and they were used in one of the nation's first aviation schools, the Moisant Aviation School, which operated out of Roosevelt Field. The "Great War" gallery showcases the very Curtiss JN-4 Jenny biplane owned by Charles Lindbergh during the 1920s barnstorming era. A 1928 Ryan Brougham, known by many as the Spirit of St. Louis, adorns the "Golden Age" area as a representation of that flown by Lindbergh in the groundbreaking first trans-Atlantic solo flight, taking off from Roosevelt Field and landing in Paris, France in 1927. The Grumman Wildcat was pulled from the waters of Lake Michigan 45 years after its plunge, the result of a botched carrier landing during a training exercise, for restoration in order to become one of the museum's many focal points of interest. Built by Republic on Long Island in 1947, the museum's naval Thunderjet is one if the oldest surviving American jets. This rare find required five years of restorative efforts by a devoted team of eight volunteers to prepare the plane for display.
The next three chapters in flight history are covered in the "World War II," "The Jet Age" and "Aviation Today" galleries and in the jet gallery, where a sizable collection of Long Island-produced war planes are displayed, including Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt, Grumman's TBM Avenger, F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat and the popular F-14 Tomcat. Long Island companies were responsible for the construction of 46% of America's World War II fighter planes.
Finally, in celebration of man's greatest epic journey, the "Exploring Space" gallery includes Grumman's lunar module that was originally constructed in Bethpage in 1972 for the Apollo 19 mission, which was ultimately cancelled. The lunar module now rests on a replicated lunar surface at the museum.
An IMAX dome theatre serves as a planetarium and as a theatre that shows a repertoire engrossing films that captivate and educate on various topics of flight history and space exploration. The museum's Red Planet cafe is designed to simulate a Mars space station.
Whether you're a recreational aviator, an active military pilot, a retired Grumman engineer, a lifelong commercial pilot or a young hopeful who daydreams about a future career as an astronaut, the Cradle of Aviation museum provides a fascinating and enjoyable day for everyone. Aviation history's tour begins with the gravity-defying kites and balloons, and then progresses through the early gliders and biplanes. From the first World War through the Gulf Wars, and through an inspiring period of manned space travel, machines that were designed to carry us up into the skies, above the clouds and amidst the stars of space have evolved and transcended far beyond man's early expectations. Much of that advancement happened right here on Long Island. Experience the pride and lose yourself in the history of air and space travel at the Cradle of Aviation museum, located on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard in Garden City. For directions, hours of operation and more information about the aircraft and current theatre shows, visit www.cradleofaviation.org
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is situated on Mitchell Field, which once housed a U.S. Air Force base. Roosevelt Field and other fields lie in close proximity, sites that set the stage for numerous premier flights during the early history of aircraft. The museum originally opened in 1980, displaying only a handful of exhibits across two hangars that were acquired by Nassau County when the Air Force base closed in 1961. In a quest to pay a proper tribute to Long Island's significant roles and contributions in aerospace history, an extensive renovation and expansion project took place during the 1990s, culminating in the grand opening of today's enormous glass and steel structure that covers over 150,000 square feet and includes an IMAX dome theatre and planetarium, a café, a museum gift shop and an impressive display of over 65 formidable air and spacecraft and interactive exhibits. Today's Cradle of Aviation museum was opened to the public in May 2002.
Upon entering the museum, visitors are greeted by a Grumman F-11 Tiger, the U.S. Navy's first super sonic jet. Suspended overhead, the Tiger appears to bow in welcome as the nose of the craft dips downward toward its guests. Several of the aircraft on display through the museum were manufactured by Grumman, which was located in Bethpage. Also on display are planes that were manufactured in Farmingdale by Republic, as well as those produced by other companies based on Long Island. Once inside the main exhibition area, eight galleries depict the stages of aerospace history, from the balloon days' "The Dream of Wings" through the "Exploring Space" exhibit. Each period displays aircraft as well as artifacts, period pilot attire, interactive short documentary films and cockpits to explore.
The stories behind some of the museum's acquisitions are as impressive as the planes themselves. In the "Hempstead Plains" exhibit, a Bleriot monoplane set against a backdrop of early 20th century Long Island terrain marks the first flight to take off from Long Island in 1909, flown for a distance of 25 miles from Mineola by Glenn Curtiss. Bleriots were the first planes manufactured on Long Island, and they were used in one of the nation's first aviation schools, the Moisant Aviation School, which operated out of Roosevelt Field. The "Great War" gallery showcases the very Curtiss JN-4 Jenny biplane owned by Charles Lindbergh during the 1920s barnstorming era. A 1928 Ryan Brougham, known by many as the Spirit of St. Louis, adorns the "Golden Age" area as a representation of that flown by Lindbergh in the groundbreaking first trans-Atlantic solo flight, taking off from Roosevelt Field and landing in Paris, France in 1927. The Grumman Wildcat was pulled from the waters of Lake Michigan 45 years after its plunge, the result of a botched carrier landing during a training exercise, for restoration in order to become one of the museum's many focal points of interest. Built by Republic on Long Island in 1947, the museum's naval Thunderjet is one if the oldest surviving American jets. This rare find required five years of restorative efforts by a devoted team of eight volunteers to prepare the plane for display.
The next three chapters in flight history are covered in the "World War II," "The Jet Age" and "Aviation Today" galleries and in the jet gallery, where a sizable collection of Long Island-produced war planes are displayed, including Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt, Grumman's TBM Avenger, F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat and the popular F-14 Tomcat. Long Island companies were responsible for the construction of 46% of America's World War II fighter planes.
Finally, in celebration of man's greatest epic journey, the "Exploring Space" gallery includes Grumman's lunar module that was originally constructed in Bethpage in 1972 for the Apollo 19 mission, which was ultimately cancelled. The lunar module now rests on a replicated lunar surface at the museum.
An IMAX dome theatre serves as a planetarium and as a theatre that shows a repertoire engrossing films that captivate and educate on various topics of flight history and space exploration. The museum's Red Planet cafe is designed to simulate a Mars space station.
Whether you're a recreational aviator, an active military pilot, a retired Grumman engineer, a lifelong commercial pilot or a young hopeful who daydreams about a future career as an astronaut, the Cradle of Aviation museum provides a fascinating and enjoyable day for everyone. Aviation history's tour begins with the gravity-defying kites and balloons, and then progresses through the early gliders and biplanes. From the first World War through the Gulf Wars, and through an inspiring period of manned space travel, machines that were designed to carry us up into the skies, above the clouds and amidst the stars of space have evolved and transcended far beyond man's early expectations. Much of that advancement happened right here on Long Island. Experience the pride and lose yourself in the history of air and space travel at the Cradle of Aviation museum, located on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard in Garden City. For directions, hours of operation and more information about the aircraft and current theatre shows, visit www.cradleofaviation.org