The National Museum of Naval Aviation

This is a great place to visit in the Gulf Shores / Orange Beach / Pensacola area for a day outing. In addition to the free admission MUSEUM, there is IMAX with 2 different shows and the BLUE ANGELS can often be seen practicing adjacent to the MUSEUM as well as official scheduled air shows.
Open 9 AM to 5 PM Daily-Free Admission
See Blue Angel Schedule &  Photos Below

Call the Blue Angels Public Affairs Office at (850) 452-3955 for further information

Driving directions from Gulf Shores / Orange Beach

Off Season:
The Blue Angels can be seen practicing from an area adjacent to the Museum. Signs are posted to direct visitors to viewing and parking locations, including special spaces for handicapped visitors. Bleachers are available for seating about 800 people or feel free to bring your own lawn chairs... we suggest that visitors bring hats and water, also.

Practices are held most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, unless otherwise noted, at 8:30 a.m. (weather permitting) during the season. It is recommended you plan on arriving earlier than the start time; you won't want to miss anything while parking and getting seated!

Photo copyright Lundy Wilder 2004
See photos from a Pensacola Blue Angel Air Show

The Aviation Museum has two IMAX shows, one is always their flagship movie: The Magic of Flight The Magic of Flight captures the thrill of flying! Experience a take-off in an F/A-18 fighter jet. Land on an aircraft carrier at over 150 miles per hour. Cruise the skies at Mach speed.

Photos from inside the National Museum of Aviation

Official Museum Website

The National Museum of Naval Aviation is chock full of jets, airplanes & helicopters. Free guided tours happen several times a day and are led by retired pilots. Many exhibits are hands-on like this jet cockpit where you can take your buddy's photo as a pilot.

There is a classroom area where you can even operate actual aviation related equipment like this airplane scale model in this wind tunnel.

The museum has scale models of ships that are associated with aviation like this aircraft carrier.

The NC-4 flying boat is one of the tangible symbols of aviation's historic development. Her epic transoceanic journey was during the period 8-27 May 1919. On 8 May, the three NC (Navy/Curtiss) series flying boats took off from Long Island, New York to attempt that first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by air. Two of the three aircraft (NC-1 and NC-3) were forced to land in heavy seas to take a navigation fix during the long Newfoundland-Azores Islands leg of the journey. So heavily damaged in the landings, they were unable to proceed, leaving NC-4 to continue alone.

After nearly 15 hours in the air, NC-4 touched down in the Azores and continued on to Portugal, arriving on 27 May, completing the 2,150 mile transit in 26 hours of flight time at an average speed of 80 mph.
Commander A. C. Read and his crew of five have the honor of being the first to fly the Atlantic. The actual aircraft they used is proudly on display in the center of the South Wing of the museum.

This authentic SPACE CAPSULE is on display.

Easy Driving Directions from Gulf Shores / Orange Beach:
Go East on Beach Blvd. (AL Hwy 182/ FL Hwy 282) towards Pensacola, continue on across Perdido Key . The road is called various names: Sorrento Rd./Perdido Dr. and just after you come across a bridge (Look for Food World & a Water Tower), turn right (East) on Gulf Beach Hwy/ County Road 292A.  Travel on until you see Blue Angel Parkway where you will turn right (South). You will go straight to the National Naval Aviation Museum.

Official Museum Website

See a Blue Angel Airshow

TIP: Order the Video Tour of the Museum before you leave home, and make your Museum visit much more meaningful.   Any of these videos will bring greater insight for your visit to our area.
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