Overview
The Wings Museum is open seven days a week and provides services, aircraft collections, a variety of exhibit rooms and cases, hands-on exhibits, and open cockpit demonstrations hosted by trained volunteers and Civil Air Patrol Cadets. Traveling exhibits and loans offer unique perspectives on military aviation. Such an exhibit was the Francis Gary Powers Memorial, which told his story as a U-2 spy pilot and included displays of memorabilia and photographs of the late U.S. Air Force and civilian aviator.
During the summers, the Museum hosts weekly Space Camp events tailored to different age brackets of children. The children experience the basics of the theory of flight, computer flight simulators, hand-built aircraft exercises and guided tours of aircraft and cockpits. Activities are supervised by trained staff and volunteers, at all times.
The Museum hosts multiple annual events, such as a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber Fly-in, Denventure and rides at the local general aviation Centennial Airport. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) provides the B-17, senior pilots and crew, a traveling gift store, and paid flights with reservations.
Other events include the Annual Gala, a formal affair for fund-raising; silent auctions; and visits by nationally renowned aviators as Burt Rutan and Gen. Chuck Yeager; each receiving the "Spreading Wings" Award. Annual events are also held for the local Lowry community, Buckley AFB, Colorado National Guard and on Veterans Day and other holidays.
The Wings Museum also provides over 40,000 square feet (4,000 m2) of special event space for formal gatherings, Presidential engagements, antique shows, arts and crafts expos, company parties, educational programs, local sporting venues, concerts, and military ceremonies.
On April 30, May 1 & 2 of 1999, the official Star Wars Fan Club in conjunction with Lucasfilm held "Star Wars Celebration" at the Museum's location. The first of several official Star Wars fan events, Star Wars Celebration was host to an estimated 20,000 Star Wars fans.
The Museum holds joint events with the Colorado Aviation Historical Society and shares aircraft restoration techniques with other Colorado aviation museums. See the list of museums in the Wikipedia Articles and External Links Sections.
Another resident of the Hangar 1 is the Colorado Air Heritage Museum, sponsored by the Colorado Air National Guard Air Heritage Committee, retired Guardsmen and volunteers that displays the long history of the Colorado Air National Guard.
Read more about this topic: Wings Over The Rockies Air And Space Museum