Air Force Armament Museum - History

History

Discussion of the founding of a facility dedicated to the history of the development of armaments took place at Eglin Air Force Base as early as 1972 with manpower considerations being circulated in early fall, but it wasn't until 1974 that it was conceived and approved. A former World War II-era gymnasium turned Enlisted Club near the old Main Gate to Valparaiso was adapted in 1975-1976 for the infant collection. The earliest exhibits gathered included the CGM-13 Mace missile, the F-84F, the F-101B, the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-25 Mitchell that had been displayed in Valparaiso-Niceville since 1960. Also popular was a Ryan Model 47 Firebee painted as a shark. An early-model F-102A-15-CO, 53-1799, displayed in Fort Walton Beach since 1962 and donated back to the new museum, was found to be too corroded for preservation. The museum occupied these wooden quarters until the structure was condemned in 1981 and the museum closed in October. The AFAM Foundation, incorporated in 1976 as an IRS 501(c)(3) philanthropic non-profit organization, then embarked on a lengthy search for a new site and began raising funds for a new building. By mid-1985, $1.2 million in private and corporate donations had been raised and construction of a new 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) Museum was underway and in November of the same year, the new Museum was deeded to the United States Air Force and opened to the public. The Foundation is currently engaged in raising $1.5 million for a new educational annex.