MUSEUM MAGIC / ROAD TRIP Road Trip! Olympic Flight Museum

This month I invite our readers to take a road trip to the Olympic Flight Museum. The museum is located at the Olympia Regional Airport, in Tumwater, about an hour drive north of Longview. I have always enjoyed visiting the museum with its displays of working aircraft, extensive model collection, and aviation-themed art. Most of the aircraft at the museum are operational and you may see them fly during the annual Olympic Air Show, held every Father’s Day weekend (June 17-18 this year). The displays at the Olympic Flight Museum center predominately on WW2 through Cold War era military aircraft. Models of civilian commercial aviation and NASA spacecraft are also shown.

What makes the Olympic Flight Museum a unique experience is the ability to actually get into some of the aircraft, such as a vintage army helicopter or navy jet fighter. Children especially will enjoy being able to touch the controls, and adults will be fascinated to see how small the space is for the pilot on these aircraft. As the museum is located at an airport, visitors may be able to go out back to see aircraft on display outdoors on the tarmac. From within the designated outdoor displays there are opportunities to see airplanes and helicopters coming and going to the airport, adding to the authenticity of an aviation experience.

If You Go

The Olympic Flight Museum

7637-A Old Highway 99 SE, Tumwater, Wash. Easy to access from I-5.

Admission $7 adults, $6 military/first responder/seniors, $5 children 6-12 and kids under 6 free. Hours of operation: 10am-4pm Saturdays and Sundays. For more info: Please visit the museum’s website at www.olympicflightmuseum.com and don’t forget to mark your calendar for the annual air show this Father’s Day weekend (June 17-18)!

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101/Hwy 103) Long Beach, WA. 360-642-2400 • 800-451-2542

• South Columbia County Chamber Columbia Blvd/Hwy 30, St. Helens, OR • 503-397-0685

• Seaside, OR 989 Broadway, 503-738-3097; 888-306-2326

• Astoria-Warrenton Chamber/Ore Welcome Ctr 111 W. Marine Dr., Astoria 503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807

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