You’re invited to experience a one-of-a-kind collection of military aircraft, vehicles, and artifacts used in various wars of the 20th century. The collection has been restored with unparalleled authenticity to share with the public.
Did you know? The Hellcat, housed at FHCAM, was originally built in 1945 as a night fighter and was never used in combat. It was later modified to be an unmanned drone for aerial target practice. It has a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial engine with a water-methanol boost and a 2-stage, 2-speed supercharger.
Activities listed are included with the price of a general admission ticket. No additional purchase required. Participation is first come, first served and may be limited depending on attendance volume. Activity schedule is subject to change based on weather and other factors.
Walking Tours: These docent-led tours are available on the second Saturday and Sunday, and the third Thursday of each month. They focus on pre-scheduled topic areas and involve walking about the hangars to view artifacts related to the topic. Walking tours range from approximately 90 minutes to two-and-a-half hours in length. They are limited to 20 guests on a first come, first served basis.
Behind the Barriers Tours: These tours offer guests the opportunity to get closer to a particular artifact or set of artifacts, depending on the tour focus area. Docents will lead the group behind the barriers for an up-close look at the subject matter. Tours last between 60-90 minutes and are limited to 10 guests, on a first come, first served basis.
Lectures: Lectures are held in Battlefront Theater, offering guests a chance to sit and learn through instruction and audio/visual displays. They are mostly static, though depending on the topic, may include some time in the hangars looking at artifacts. Lectures can accommodate up to 40 guests, on a first come, first served basis. They generally last between 60-90 minutes.
Ad-hoc Docent Tours: We have volunteer docents on site during open hours. If you’re interested in an ad-hoc tour during your visit please inquire with one of our Guest Services Associates when you arrive. Planning a visit in advance and looking for a specific topic for your tour? Please reach out to our team so we can coordinate the details with you to make sure we have a docent with expertise in your topic when you arrive.
Runups: Aircraft engines need to be started as part of the annual maintenance cycle. Runups are scheduled between March and October and will generally include two engines (could be two planes for single-engine aircraft, or one plane for multi-engine aircraft). Guests will have an opportunity to observe the process, including startup and taxi, of each aircraft involved. They generally last approximately 45 minutes, including a brief overview of the process from one of our mechanics. We also offer a post-runup Q&A session in Battlefront Theater, beginning 15 minutes after the end of the runup and lasting approximately 30 minutes.
Artifact Experiences: Provides guests with an opportunity to “experience” a specific artifact. Depending on the artifact, this could be sitting in the artifact, touching or looking into a section that is normally not available for public access. These activities are normally offered during specific windows of time and are limited to the number of guests we can get through the experience during the window.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Simulator Experiences: These provide guests the opportunity to experience an artifact-themed topic through a set of virtual reality glasses or computer-based simulator. We offer several different types of VR/Simulation and generally couple them with an artifact experience or other related activity to enhance the guest understanding of what the particular encounter would have been like.
