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Museum of Flying

Museum
In Santa Monica, California
2.0 mi from Route 66

The Museum of Flying, in Santa Monica, CA, is a private nonprofit aviation museum about a mile off the old road. It tells the story of flight in Southern California, with special attention to Donald Douglas and his Douglas Aircraft Company. First opened in 1974, it shut in 2002, and a new building opened in 2012. It makes a good stop for travelers who like machines of every kind, not just cars.

What is Museum of Flying?

The museum covers the history of aviation with a regional focus. Douglas and his company sit at the heart of the story, which ties the displays to the aircraft industry of Southern California. It is run as a private nonprofit rather than as a public or government museum.

History of Museum of Flying

The museum was founded in 1974. It closed in 2002, and after a ten-year gap it returned in 2012 in new quarters, giving the Douglas story a home in Santa Monica once more.

Visiting Museum of Flying: tips

Allow about an hour. The museum has wheelchair access, and restrooms and a restaurant are about 0.1 miles away.

The Venice Heritage Museum is about 2.1 miles off, and Edgemar, Frank Gehry's shopping complex, about 2.3 miles. Heal the Bay Aquarium, under the Santa Monica Pier where Route 66 traditionally ends, is about 2.8 miles away, so the museum fits neatly into a last day by the ocean.

Practical info

Address: 3100 Airport Avenue, 90405
Phone: +1 310-398-2500
Website: museumofflying.org
Hours: Fri–Sun 10–5
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Museum of Flying

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Barney's Beanery
West Hollywood, CA · 6.7 mi from Museum of Flying
A West Hollywood roadhouse on Santa Monica Boulevard since 1927, its walls covered in old license plates.
Diner & restaurant
Carney's
West Hollywood, CA · 7.1 mi from Museum of Flying
Hot dogs and burgers served from yellow Union Pacific rail cars above the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
Diner & restaurant
Pink's Hot Dogs
Los Angeles, CA · 7.6 mi from Museum of Flying
A Los Angeles hot dog stand on North La Brea Avenue, serving since 1939 at the edge of Hollywood.