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Aerospace Museum of California
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums [Edit]
3200 Freedom Park DriveMcClellan, CA 95652
(916) 643-3192
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 9 am - 5 pm
Sun 10 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
27 reviews for Aerospace Museum of California
Review Highlights
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"Very interesting facts, exhibits, things to check out." In 4 reviews -
"Second, you can't go on/in any of the planes." In 10 reviews -
"...a nice place and there are all kinds of aircraft to see." In 5 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Paul O.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2012
Unfortunately the day I went here it was pouring down in buckets so I was unable to see their entire collection of aircraft outside. However, this is an exceptional museum! Inside they have flight sims, engines, a Tuskegee Airmen exhibit, a USCG exhibit & a small exhibit on egress systems(ejection seats) as well as some very nice prop aircraft that have been tuned up!
Outside what impressed me most was their Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, a piece of living history! This aircraft took part in World War II & participated many different missions in the European campaign! You can actually climb aboard & check out the cockpit!
Even though it was rainy, they allowed me to go into a couple of aircraft. Supposedly on better days visitors have access to other aircraft as well!
There are mostly Cold War-Modern aircraft here from the Douglas A-1E Skyraider, F-4 Phantom II, MiG 17, Grumman F-14D Tomcat & even an A-10A Thunderbolt II(something of a rarity to see up close out here)!
The volunteers were very helpful, a Navy vet was showing me & my dad around the museum & had some great stories for us. I just wish the weather had been better that day so I could have explored more of the outside exhibits!
The gift store was so so, its geared towards kids more than anyone else. With lots of toys & random gifts to buy. I thought there could have been more books on military aviation but that's just me! Will go back here next time I'm in Sac though! -
Review from Peter C.
1/15/2012
I have taken our toddlers here a few times now and they enjoy it. Again, this is one of a handful of places in Sacramento where you can take a toddler and you don't have to worry about them breaking anything in sight. They can run around the floor and look at all of the different displays without you having an anxiety attack.
There is just a main floor with some interesting but older display (this is not the Smithsonian). There is also an outdoor area which is really neat because they usually will open a couple of the planes and allow you to go into them. The kids really enjoyed looking at all the knobs, bells, and whistles.
Although we haven't been, there is a nice "aerospace themed" playground right outside. You could easily spend half a day at this simple but spacious museum. -
Review from Kayla T.
Sacramento, CA
4/22/2012
My family went to visit the museum and all of us had a blast! We were a group that aged from 9 to 60's. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They have a few planes that are open for you to go in, which was very cool. I would recommend this place for anyone. It is great for a family outing.
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Review from Angel Z.
Fort Bragg, CA
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a gem! Used Yelp to find something to do while we were in Sacramento and found this. It has fascinating displays inside - including some neat NASA stuff. And outside are all different kinds of fixed wing (mostly) aircraft to checkout. The day we were there we got to go inside the helicopter, a Coast Guard Albatross and an old WW2 plane. It was great. And my 10 year old niece loved it too!
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Review from Jenny T.
Davis, CA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
This museum is great for those who are fascinated with airplanes and their history. The inside of the museum is pretty spacious with interesting facts and things to look at. There's some stimulators to go on that cost $5 to $10, but the $5 one is currently broken at the moment. There isn't much on the second floor of the building except a children's play area, paintings, and a room for computer flight stimulator.
The Air Park located behind the museum is the awesome part. There's so much aircrafts to look at and to take pictures of. 3 of them were opened for visitors to go in. The cockpit was opened for visitors to go in to sit for 2 out of the 3. That was definitely a cool experience.
The staff here is friendly and very knowledgable.
I would definitely recommend this place! -
Review from Brittany R.
Antelope, CA
8/1/2011 2 photos
Husband and I took our niece and nephew here a few weeks back on a Saturday, Thoroughly enjoyed the informed staff who were on hand while you are walking through the many planes (husband loved this the most...the kids and I walked ahead :), did the simulator for the kids but at $5 it was a little expensive for an older simulator.
Very interesting facts, exhibits, things to check out...Overall we loved it! The only draw back was the $8 admission for adults which I felt was a little pricey, but everyone loved it! -
Review from Anji W.
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is pretty awesome. I came here for my cousin's grad and I enjoyed the view as I drove here. I also enjoyed all the wonderful history and airplanes that were presented here. The people are friendly and are full of smiles. There's also a giant play area outside for me to slide around too! LoL
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Review from Daisy A.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/6/2012
great museum for kids if they like space shuttle, rockets, airplanes, jeeps, engines.
Kids get to play some hands-on science projects at this area where they could get easily hooked.
There are about 15 airplanes parking outside in a large lot for visitors to see. They are impressive.
Staff will tell you storied about planes and give you update about what they have done.
In a nutshell, this is a nice museum to take the kids to if they are interested in airplane. -
Review from Daniel W.
San Luis Obispo, CA
5/12/2011
We took our kid there; he loved it, and so did we. The place is well put together, and while it's not the Smithsonian in terms of number of exhibits, it's informative and absorbing.
More than that, the docents are great; warm and inviting, and very knowledgeable. -
Review from Ann L.
2/7/2009
First time to the Aerospace Museum of Calif. We went on the FREE Annual Sacramento Museum Day Sat 2/7/09. We took the FREE shuttle route #5 from 10th & O and it dropped us off right in front.
This museum is pretty big. Lots of engines to see in the main indoors area. Then there's the upstairs to see over 30 original art pieces on loan from the Air Force Art Collection.
Outside in the back is where you can see 38 current Aircraft such as A-1E Sky Raider; F-14D Tomcat; F-104B Star Fighter; Blue Angel, etc. Some of the planes you can go inside and look around & take lots of pics. That's cool.
There was one Morphis Motion Ride Simulator, normally $5, the line was long to get in it, but that looked like fun for the kids.
Recommended if you like old planes, helicopter, plane engines,etc.
Feb 9-Sept 6, 2009: Special Exhibit: Journey to our Future (Additional Fee)
They have a small gift shop, we didn't stop in.
Adults: $8. Space special exhibit $17.95!
Seniors (65 and over): $6.00, Space special exhibit $11.95
Youth (13-18): $6.00; Space special exhibit $11.95
Children (6-12): $5.00
Children under 6: FREE
Active Duty Military: FREE (with ID)
Members: FREE (with membership card)
Open: 7 days a week, excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and Easter Sunday.
Mon - Sat 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Sun 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Website:
http://www.aerospacemu...Listed in: Places to go in…
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Review from phillip w.
San Francisco, CA
10/8/2008
Was here to take part in the Travel Trade Show, I thought it was a pretty good venue considering the whole avaition and travel idea can work well together.
The last time I was next to planes like these was when I used to work at the airport for China Airlines. The Blue Angels were parked there and we got to go pretty up close to them. Took some photos with the planes and got to touch them thinking that i might tip a plane over.
But this place for a museum its pretty nice, you can go out back and check out some of the older airplanes as some of the new ones. Now this museum isnt extremely big and you wont spend the whole day here unless you plan on learning every single detail about engines and what not. Furthermore I dont remember the names of these airplanes nor do I know all the schematics and what not. But I did have a good time being able to view the old and the new planes, and best of all I do have pictures. I'll post those at a later time.
Now inside the main building they do have some models of other planes, I believe a turbine near the entrance to the back and they also have this simulation which is kind of fun. Its not extreme and it doesnt really depict the reality of going like mach speed or anything but its a fun experience for kids.
There were also docents that were able to answer my kiddy questions. O yea I do remember they did have the plane from Top Gun there..well at least it looks like it hahaha. -
Review from Serious C.
Sacramento, CA
We went to see the Star Trek Exhibition here. Admission was $14. It'll be there 'til January 5, 2011 and it was pretty cool. The history, the costumes, .. a lot of reading in a dim area. Photos are not allowed but they offer picture opportunities for exponential prices. I think we heard a lady pay for two pictures on the captain's chair for $45.
Alongside the exhibit, you are also admitted to see the rest of the museum. Inside they have planes and plane parts but they also had a couple simulator rides (pay extra). Outside in the air park, they have numerous planes as well as a fire engine.
Staff wore these maroon vests.. I thought it was just a group of retired visitors but-- it's the staff. The younger ones (teenage age) of the staff were busters.
The gift shop is minimal.. Nothing really caught my eye so I didn't even bother to check any prices.
I thought it was a nice visit. I'm looking forward to see what other exhibits are to come. -
Review from qirk z.
Los Gatos, CA
5/6/2007
Yea, nothing special about this place....
Went as part of a group trip for the Da Vinci Experience. The cost for this "2 for 1" was double the price if you were just there for the airplanes.
The Experience was a downer, yes there was some history behind each invention/gadget; there were some you could touch and run a simulation, others were off-hands. There were also a small row of arts and a short description. It's probably more fun if I were in 5th grade, but I'm not. There is some knowledge to be gained by seeing the actual demonstration, but I didn't think the value was there for the drive up to Sac, the exhibit was small.
The tour is at your own pace, maybe 30-45min worth.
You also gain admission to the aerospace museum, same building, the other 2/3 of the building. You get to see all sorts of planes, some you can go up close and peek into the cockpit, others you see the spacesuit or g-suits. Upstairs are some arts. Outside is a large collection of planes, which were cool, but I prefer an air show. It was too windy on this day, don't plan to go here if it's raining.
Out past the planes is a softball field, the museum is adjact to a park of some sorts.
Good photo ops. Sadly but It's skip unless you're already in the area. -
Review from Ty D.
Sacramento, CA
2/6/2012
I went on the free museum day and had a lot of fun. There are a bunch of planes outside including one of the first Blue Angeles from late 60's early 70's. I love planes so i really enjoyed this place. I dont know what els a plane lover could ask for accept mabey a stealth bomber there. I would like to go on a day that isnt free cause their were too many people. It would easily be worth $8 for me!!!!!!!!
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Review from H I.
Lee's Summit, MO
1/16/2011
My main reason for the four stars is it's an Aerospace museum, which is cool by itself. Their exhibits are well done and quite informative. They're one of the few who have an expanded space-travel exhibit, which was amazing.
Their static display of vintage aircraft outside on the tarmac is excellent...considering we received a impromtu tour from a retired WWII vet/volunteer who took us aboard a genuine troup-carrier and gave us details of it's history, which you can't get at most static exhibits.
It's definitely worth the visit. If you ever find yourself in the Omaha area you should also visit SAC. -
Review from Matt C.
Sacramento, CA
2/3/2007
I went on "Museum Day" (free admission to all Sacramento area museums)......and was very disappointed.
Compared to the Railroad Museum.........the new Aerospace museum is rather spotty and still in its formative stage.....
Had I paid $9 admission, I would have been yelling "RIPOFF"
However, I got in for free......so I won't ask for my money back.....LOL -
Review from Leopard S.
Sacramento, CA
10/5/2010
I went to check out the Star Trek exhibit and was pleasantly surprised to be able to check out the museum of planes and exhibits as well. The Star Trek exhibit was phenomenal-a must for any Trekkie/Trekker. History of the shows and movies, costume displays, walk-on displays and more.
The air museum was wonderful-they had a couple of planes outdoors you can walk inside. The staff was very informative-I found the art paintings to be especially interesting.
Well worth it for $16/person. I'm not sure of the price for kids, but this is definitely something for everyone. Lived in Sacramento nearly all my life and came to the Aerospace Museum for the first time today. -
Review from Erica S.
1/2/2009
My husband wanted to visit here on our recent trip to Roseville so we stopped by. Adults are $8. What caught my attention when we first drove up was the cool looking playground for the kids. There was a rocket-shaped playground, perfect for kid parties. The inside of the museum included jet engine, plane engine, a few planes, cockpits, ejection seats, and rocket engines. The docents were really friendly folks. They had stories to tell. The docent we spoke to flew a B-7 60 years ago. There were also some videos running for visual learners.
Outside were at least 30 different planes /jets. All were unique and part of history in some way. They looked much bigger when close up or right under it. There were a few available in which we were able to walk in. I felt nauseous inside some only because the planes were so old and rusty. I couldn't believe people sat in some of these during long flight hours. One had a stretcher that it made me wonder if someone actually died in there. It was very interesting and I would totally recommend it for kids. More of a guy thing though. -
Review from Gabriel M.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2010
I went there to check out the Star Trek exhibit, and it was really good. Lots of reading to do, unfortunately sometimes in really dim light so my eyes hurt.
We couldn't take photos (which is quite normal in a museum) but they had a photograph there to take pictures of you in two of the sets. Unfortunately they charged a stupidly high price for them : 25$ for a digital copy on CD!! I should have taken the printed copy and scanned it in high quality, I would have had 2 photos for 20$...
Talking about sets, it was GREAT! I just wish there would have been more. There was Enterprise's original bridge, Entreprise-D hallway and transporter pads. They also had a not-so-good little camera trick making you disappear on screen while standing on the pad...
Anyway, a must-see for Trek lovers. Watch-out, big big spoilers there! -
Review from Christina H.
Sacramento, CA
11/11/2008
I decided to take my Dad here while he was visiting over the summer. It's a nice place and there are all kinds of aircraft to see. The museum will fall short if you've been anywhere like the San Diego Air and Space museum, but for our area it has a lot to offer.
The space shuttle exhibit they had was interesting as was seeing a Phantom II, a couple of MIGs, helicopters and numerous engines. It's a place for aircraft enthusiasts and even though I am not one, I didn't find the admission price to be too steep. I guess I don't find anything that offers an educational experience to be a ripoff.
There were ample volunteers available for questions and it's always nice to spend some time with the old guys who have seen and done so much in their lifetime. I was able to make my Grandfather's day when I brought him a miniature F-51 Mustang (what he worked on during the war) that I bought in their gift shop. -
Review from Brak S.
Sacramento, CA
4/10/2007
Not the best place to bring toddlers. First of all, they make you walk through the gift shop to get into the place. I hate that. While other places have prominent gift shops (Railroad Museum, Sac Zoo, Towe Auto Museum), they don't make you walk through it. And with toddlers, sometimes that is all it takes to set them off and ruin the start of a fun day. Second, you can't go on/in any of the planes. Not one, zippo. That sucks! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy and appreciate looking at cool planes as much as the next guy, but you gotta at least open one up for viewing. Again, the Railroad Museum has got this place beat. You can go on several trains and see inside many more. My kids agree squarely with me on this point ("Dad, why can't we go in"). The docent claimed the museum was threatened with an ADA lawsuit. I don't know if that is true, but come on, make a little effort to make the planes more interactive. Oh yes, the simulator, I guess that is where the interactive part comes in. Well, there were no age restrictions, but I'm pretty sure that thing isn't suitable for toddlers. And I doubt that thing is ADA accessible. Then there is the stiff fee per ride (I think $5) on top of a relatively high entrance fee. And, while it wasn't crowded when I went, I can imagine the line backing up on a busy day.
Okay, okay, the place isn't all bad. There were lots of planes and a couple of helicopters to look at, mostly WWII, Korea, Vietnam war era. As well as a Blue Angels plane inside. The kids favorite was the Flying Banana, a banana shaped helicopter, imagine that.
I'm giving it 3 stars because I think this is a good place for adolescent and adult aircraft enthusiasts to get an up close look at various war era aircraft. -
Review from Julie H.
Oak Hills, CA
6/29/2010
A small albeit very interesting aerospace museum. Actually attended a military retirement party here (after hours). Easy to find and parking is ample.
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Review from Steve R.
Rancho Cordova, CA
4/8/2010
I had heard this was Rancho's best museum. The plane exhibits are top-notch and fascinating, but the rest of the displays seem very tired and not well organized but still interesting. What a beautiful space.Even the giftshop is splendid.
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Review from Metallic O.
San Jose, CA
1/10/2009
World class aerospace museum. Check it out for yourself!
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Review from John S.
Monterey Park, CA
6/1/2010
This place was great. I went there with my family on our way back down from Oregon. It was cheap ($5) and a lot of cool features. Plus you were able to go into a lot of the planes and talk to people that actually flew them. It was very interesting and definitely worth stopping by if you are in the area.
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Review from David B.
Sacramento, CA
10/27/2010
Again, the spirit of Sacramento is captured with historic preservation. McClellan AFB is where I retired from, and the way the former depot has been transformed into a business park is quite remarkable. Part of the remaining facilities includes the Aerospace Museum of California. Moved from it's original location, the museum has grown into an impressive display of military aircraft, along with some flight training simulators and space exploration gear. Now requiring a charge for entry (The old place just asked for donations) the price is reasonable, and well worth it! Though the exhibits are billed as the finest in California, there are larger museums for military aircraft in the state, one right down the road at Travis AFB, another along Highway-99 just outside of Merced at the old Castle AFB site. McClellan's claim to fame in the category of unique exhibits are two Mig fighter aircraft that were built in Russia. These planes actually were flown against U.S. fighters, bombers and ground troops during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. A portion of the main building houses a Star Trek threater, which I didn't try (Though I truly am a fan of the original series..) I think what the staff has done with this facility is amazing. It is worth your while to just walk and gawk at the many restored planes.
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Review from Gonen W.
Moraga, CA
2/16/2009
We were there on a rainy day so all the external exhibits were closed. The Space section is small and can entertain for about an hour (and costs extra!). The Airplane section is larger but has less interaction for kids. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go there unless you have a few hours to burn (and some money... not cheap).
