Exploring the National Naval Aviation Museum
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - Looking for a place where history literally takes off? The National Naval Aviation Museum is filled with aircrafts, exhibits, and many stories. Vanessa steps into history and gets a tour of the museum.
Capt. Sterling Gilliam, USN (Ret.) says the National Naval Aviation Museum is the third-largest aviation museum in the world, drawing approximately 600,000 visitors annually – making it the Gulf Coast’s most-visited attraction west of Tampa and east of New Orleans.
Located aboard the historic Naval Air Station Pensacola, the museum offers free admission and features more than 150 restored aircraft representing the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviation.
In addition to the museum exhibits, visitors can catch the Blue Angels practice demonstrations every Tuesday and Wednesday. The flight line opens at 9:30 a.m., with the show starting at 10:30 a.m. Capt. Gilliam says the practices draw an average of 3,700 people. He says around 112,000 people gathered on the flight line last year across 30 shows.
The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Visitors 18 and older must present a REAL ID or valid U.S. passport to access NAS Pensacola and the museum.
For more information about the National Naval Aviation Museum, [click here].
For Blue Angels practice information, [click here].
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