Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, Virginia

You think of Virginia Beach, Virginia, you think of, of course, the beach.  As a suburb of Norfolk, you also have a few military bases.  It would be the perfect place to have the Military Aviation Museum, home of the largest collection of World War I and World War II era aircraft in the world.  You come here and see all kinds of military aircraft from the United States, Great Britain and Germany, and much of the aircraft can still be flown today.  Being that this is also an active airport, military planes are occasionally flown in during air shows that are hosted throughout the year.  You can also get a ride in the planes as well.  If you love military aircraft, the Military Aviation Museum is definitely a must see.

Now some of you are saying, “It is so cool to see all of these planes.  However, I am a fan of trains.  Therefore, I have no reason to visit this museum.”

The Military Aviation Museum is about planes, but for the railroad fan, there is something special for you to see.

You arrive at the museum.  You tour the visitor center on your own.  You see different aircraft plus some of the arsenal used in combat.  You are then taken on a guided tour of two hangars.  The first is the British hangar where you can see all of the British aircraft.  You are taken past the restoration hangar when some of the aircraft is being restored.  You then make your way to the German hangar.  The tour guide tells you about each of the planes in detail.  He then takes you outside and points out… a train.  Here, you will see a narrow gauge railroad used by the Germans to transport weaponry and other supplies to and from regions of their battles.  Unfortunately, it is only a little longer than the hangar, and it is currently just for display and does not run.  What you will see is a little German military railroad history.

The Military Aviation Museum is located at 1341 Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Please note that it is ten miles south of the Boardwalk and is not accessible by public transportation.  The hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm every day.  (It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.)  Admission is $15.00 for adults with discounts for children, seniors and military veterans.  You can get more information at http://militaryaviationmuseum.org.