The history of aviation is a testament to human ingenuity — and might provide just the inspiration you need for your next event.
After all, what could be more impressive than mingling under the wings of a plane that has touched the clouds? What could be more motivating than strategizing surrounded by the feats of engineering and science? What could be more fascinating than learning about the airships that carried out history in the wars of the 20th century? Meeting in an aviation museum will impress any attendee, from the aircraft-obsessed to total newbies.
For their next event, whether it’s a large-scale banquet or a quiet board meeting, planners should look to these aviation museums across the country.
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Garden City, New York
Opened in 2002 in Garden City, on Long Island, New York, the Cradle of Aviation Museum was founded to commemorate Long Island’s aviation history. It was built on the Mitchel Air Force Base, known as Mitchel Field. It now has more than 70 notable historic aircraft, which reside in World War II-era hangars. Planes from both world wars and even an unused Apollo Lunar Module can be found there.
In addition to being a well-respected aviation museum, it’s also a great backdrop for a wide range of social and corporate events for up to 10,000 attendees. The Reckson Atrium is the largest event space and the most awe-inspiring. It features eight aircraft or aviation-related objects suspended mid-air, as well as four stories of glass windows, high ceilings and multiple levels for event seating. The atrium can seat 1,200 people for a banquet or up to 2,000 reception-style.
Additional galleries of aircraft provide endless options for entertaining events, from small dinner parties observing the Apollo Lunar Module within the Space Gallery to cocktail receptions of up to 500 in the exhibit galleries. Red Planet Café, the museum’s in-house eatery, can be transformed into a stunning Mars-themed event space, perfect for parties of up to 250. Meeting rooms for up to 25 people are also offered. The museum’s 295-seat dome theater and planetarium is another great option for presentations or films.
The museum’s in-house caterer is full-service. Lighting is done in-house, but additional A/V requires an external vendor for events with more than 100 attendees.
“For our area in particular, we’re a unique event space, so that draws a lot of people over,” said Seamus Keene, director of events at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. “We’re not a basic catering hall. We function full-service, and the backdrop setting of having the museum is really cool.”
Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum in 1979, the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum is a nonprofit organization that is a pillar of the Kalamazoo community. The name Air Zoo refers to its number of aircraft on exhibit that have animals in their names, such as Blackbird and Wildcat. It’s a popular venue for local events, from proms and weddings to corporate meetings and grand galas.
The museum has several small meeting rooms available for rent; three that are separated by partitions can each hold 30 attendees or be combined to accommodate up to 100. These rooms feature 70-inch smart TVs. There’s also the Parish Board Room, which can seat 16 and has additional A/V included. For larger events, the mezzanine is where the museum’s Kitty Hawk Café is located. Tables are included in this rental, and the space, which looks out over the main exhibit hall, can hold up to 100 attendees.
The museum’s largest event space is the main exhibit hall, home to the exhibits and four rides and flight simulators for guests to take advantage of. The large hall can hold up to 1,500 attendees for a reception-style event or 650 for a seated event with a dance floor. Planners should know the event spaces come with time limits, and that there is a cap on free admission for event attendees; extra time and guest tickets can both be added on. This is highly recommended so attendees can explore what makes the museum fun.
“It is a lot of fun to not be in the same space all the time,” said Carissa Asklipious, group and events coordinator at the Air Zoo. “They can have their meeting in the meeting room and explore the exhibits if they’d like to. For events, it’s all entertainment included.”
The museum has two catering partners to choose from, although other caterers can be selected for a fee. The Air Zoo opts for local vendors for A/V services. In addition to using the spaces, special programming for corporate meetings, including team-building activities, can be arranged.
Kansas Aviation Museum
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita’s central location, not only in the state of Kansas but also in the U.S., gave it a unique advantage in aviation history. Before planes could fly the long distances they do today, cross-country trips required a stopover to refuel. Wichita fit the bill, and at one point, a flight arrived or left every 90 seconds. It was also integral to manufacturing in the aviation industry, building more than 100 planes each week, earning the city the nickname the “Aviation Capital of the World” in 1928.
The Kansas Aviation Museum documents the city’s long, intermingled history with the aviation industry. It’s housed in what was once the Wichita Municipal Airport, a beautiful 1930s art deco building that was later given to the U.S. Air Force, then turned into a museum in 1991.
“It’s a historic location with beautiful art deco features,” said Ben Sauceda, president and CEO of the Kansas Aviation Museum. “You can relive the historic aviation glory days here.”
The museum’s largest event space is its central atrium, which features tall ceilings painted with restored art deco designs. It can accommodate up to up to 260 guests for a seated dinner. The third-floor mezzanine area is another great event space, overlooking the atrium with views of the city. It has a capacity of 60 for seated events. The museum’s ramp area and the lawn are an excellent choice for outdoor events and can host up to 300 attendees.
Smaller spaces throughout the museum include the conference room, which is in the museum’s World War II exhibit and can hold up to 49 guests. There’s also a small theater (laid out like the inside of a passenger aircraft) that can be used for film showings accompanying a meeting or event.
Admission to the museum is free for meeting or event guests. There’s an open catering policy for events, except for a bartender the museum is contracted to use. Basic A/V equipment is provided.
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
McMinnville, Oregon
The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum comprises a 300-acre campus of buildings that double as meeting and event spaces, including an aviation museum, a space museum, and a theater and event center. The museum was founded as the Evergreen Museum in 1991 as a nonprofit with a small collection of vintage aircraft; a new campus was constructed around the Spruce Goose aircraft. Each of the museum’s events are handled through its event partner, Evergreen Events.
The space museum doubles as the largest event venue in McMinnville. Two floors of event space are available to be rented at the museum. On the main level, the space museum floor is the largest space. Events for up to 450 attendees can be held among the aircraft exhibits. This room is available after the museum’s regular hours and comes with a 96-square-foot stage.
On the museum’s mezzanine level, the main hall has warm hardwood flooring and space for up to 150 attendees. A drop-down screen, projector and microphone are provided, and access to the game lounge, a smaller space with a capacity of 30, is included with the rental. The game lounge also features two flat screen televisions and a pool table. A double conference room and executive board room are also available for smaller meetings. All spaces on the mezzanine level can be rented during the museum’s regular hours.
The on-site theater has 232 seats, while the event center features smaller meeting rooms perfect for breakout sessions that each provide their own A/V equipment. Additional buildings on the campus, such as the lodge and reception hall, can also host events. Evergreen Events uses exclusive, in-house catering, including a customizable menu.
Planes of Fame Air Museum
Chino, California
Founded by the late aviation historian and aircraft collector Ed Maloney in 1957, Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California, was created with the goal of preserving aircraft and educating visitors about the history of aviation. Once simply called “the Air Museum,” it began with just 10 planes. The museum has moved several times to accommodate its ever-expanding collection and even opened an additional location in Arizona; however, today the Chino location is the museum headquarters and contains seven hangars of exhibits on a 14-acre campus. This includes more than 160 aircraft.
The museum’s Maloney Hangar can be used for banquets or receptions for up to 300 guests. There’s a flat fee for events with up to 100, with an additional charge per guest beyond 100. Weekday breakfast and lunch meetings and events can be arranged, while the museum can be rented out on the weekends for evening events. Also included in the rental of the hangar is the open-air atrium, which can be used for a cocktail hour, catering cooking space or lawn game area.
The Planes of Fame Museum does not require a specific caterer, though it can provide vendor lists upon request. The museum provides chairs and tables, including setup and tear down, at no extra charge.
