Museum Commentary

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Anthony Borrelli
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Museum
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  I will never forget the first time I saw "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." It was as if Indy himself punched me square in the jaw with a history book.

Ever since that evening at the drive-in, I have had a love for history.

Unknown by many people at Travis, there is an air museum on base and it goes beyond just the old aircraft parked on Burgan Boulevard.

Inside Bldg 80, 50,000-square foot facility holds collection of Air Force and military artifacts that would make even Indiana want to trade in his fedora to catch a glance.

Whether you are studying for that next promotion, writing a paper on Air Force history or just want to learn something new about the American heroes who took to the skies, the Travis Air Museum is the place for you.

Inside the Travis Air Museum, one can find a timeline of the history of flight from the Wright brothers to the famous Apollo 11 moon landing. There is a collection of uniforms through the history of the Air Force, a room dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen and even a casing to an atomic bomb.

Have you ever wondered how Travis got its name or what the inside of a C-5 Galaxy engine looks like? Well, we have that too. The Travis Air Museum covers the history of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and all the way to Operation Desert Storm.

Those who want to take to the stars, visit the outer space section and come face-to-face with a real set of rocket booster engines and an authentic astronaut suit.

And for those looking for more of the Hollywood-type stars, learn which box-office movie was filmed exclusively at Travis.

If history is not your interest, then maybe you would like our expanded engine room with more than a dozen different types of aircraft engines on display. We also feature three authentic aircraft cockpits, a display commemorating the Berlin Airlift and a hearty look back at the late Col. James Doolittle and the Tokyo Raiders.

The museum also features a fantastic gift shop if you are looking to complete a shadow box or want to pick up a gift for that special airplane lover.

The Travis Air Museum greets more than 20,000 visitors per year from all over the world. Our entrance area has been the site of countless promotions, retirements, holiday parties and even a few graduations.

If an indoor event doesn't quite suit you, how about a picnic in our airpark that holds one of the largest collections of aircraft on the West Coast? Some of the aircraft on display are the C-124 Globemaster II, F-86 Sabre, B-52 Stratofortress, B-29 Superfortress, and a C-47 Skytrain that flew in the invasion of Normandy, France.

By now you may be asking yourself what is the cost for such an adventure? Will you face the same threats as Indiana Jones -- deadly snakes, trapdoors and Nazis? Will I need a bullwhip and a cool leather jacket to get through the front entrance?

The answer to all these questions is no. In fact, the Travis Air Museum is completely free for all visitors. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to anyone with base access. Those without base access interested in visiting, may call the museum at 424-5883 or 424-5598 on the day of their visit to see if visitor escorts are available.

Last but not least, the Travis Air Museum is a non-profit organization and runs completely off donations. Many of the projects and displays are present because of the contributions of our wonderful visitors each year. The Travis Air Museum also has a dire need for volunteers each week to help maintain the displays, meet and greet visitors and preserve our Air Force history.

If you would like to take on this quest and ensure our Air Force history survives for future generations, call 424-5883 or 424-5598 and speak to one our staff about our many volunteer opportunities.

We may not supply a bullwhip or a leather jacket, but adventure is still just a phone call away.