Desert Luxury Estates · Things to Do
Legendary aircraft, the stories behind them, and the chance to take to the sky in one.
Sunlight on a polished wing. The startling angles of a stealth jet. A docent who turns a machine into somebody’s life story.
Out by Palm Springs International Airport, the Air Museum keeps more than 80 aircraft, from World War II through Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War to the present, some of them still flying. Five air-conditioned hangars hold most of the collection, and there are no ropes between you and the exhibits, so you can walk right up to the wing of a Mustang or under the bomb bay of a B-17.
It suits aviation buffs and the merely curious equally well: come for two or three favorites, leave room for discoveries, and head back to the house with plenty to talk about over dinner.
Start with admission, then decide whether a flight or an evening event belongs in the day.
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults, 18–64 | $26 |
| Seniors, 65+ | $24 |
| Teenagers, 13–17 | $24 |
| Veterans & retired military | $24 |
| Children 12 & under, with a paid adult | Free |
| Active duty & immediate family | Free |
Family packs for two adults with one, two or three teenagers are $68, $84 and $99. With an EBT card and ID, Museums for All admission is $5 a person for up to four adults. Special events are ticketed separately.
Rates & ticketsWe like a morning arrival: pick your must-see aircraft first, then wander. The hangars are air-conditioned, but some aircraft and the walk from the car are outside, so on a hot afternoon start indoors and save the outdoor displays for when it cools.
Guest speakers take the stage most Saturdays at 1 p.m., included with admission.
Visitor informationSource: the museum’s admission and visit pages. Prices and hours can change.
The collection runs through five hangars in roughly the order history did: the Pacific (Navy) and European (Army) hangars for World War II, a hangar of its own for the B-17, the Korea, Vietnam and Cold War hangar, and the F-117 pavilion, opened in 2022. Look at the shapes as much as the names: a propeller fighter, a four-engine bomber and a stealth jet solve very different problems.
The volunteer docents are the museum’s secret weapon. Tell one what interests you and ask where to start.
Aircraft go on loan, into maintenance or out to fly, so a name on the collection list isn’t a promise you’ll see it that day. If one plane is the reason you’re going, call ahead.
A Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet that flew as one of Maverick’s on-camera jets in Top Gun: Maverick, and the first Super Hornet on permanent public display outside a military base. The museum dedicates it with a water salute on November 7 as part of its 30th anniversary; after that it is on view in regular hours, included with admission.
Super HornetThe museum’s “Black Devil,” restored by its own crew, has a pavilion to itself. All facets and flat panels, it looks nothing like the rounded aircraft around it, which is the whole point: it was shaped to scatter radar.
The restorationTwo P-51D Mustangs, “Bunny” and the loaned “Man O’ War,” and two B-17s: “Miss Angela” and the Memphis Belle from the 1990 film. Stand under a B-17 and imagine ten men working inside it.
The full collectionWalt Disney’s own company plane, with a Walt Disney Archives display of his personal artifacts from it, is part of a regular visit. Stepping inside the restored cabin is a separate, ticketed evening with a speaker and light refreshments; dates are below and on the museum’s Disney page.
Many of the museum’s aircraft still fly, and some take passengers. A ride in a World War II trainer or a Mustang can be the centerpiece of a whole trip; book it first and build the day around its time.
The C-47 is the sociable choice: the transport that dropped paratroopers on D-Day, with room for five to ten passengers, so a group can fly together. Its flight times can shift to fill the minimum, so keep that day loose.
| Aircraft | Price |
|---|---|
| C-47 SkytrainWWII transport, 5–10 passengers | $249 |
| PT-17 StearmanOpen-cockpit WWII trainer, 1 passenger | $395 |
| T-6 TexanAdvanced WWII trainer, 1 passenger | $595 |
| T-28 TrojanThe T-6’s successor | $995 |
| P-51 MustangThe classic WWII fighter, 1 passenger | $1,995 |
| T-33 Shooting StarEarly jet trainer | $4,995 |
From the museum’s ride overview. Confirm the length, what’s included and the final price when you book.
Book a warbird rideRead the museum’s full conditions before paying.
Give everyone something to find: the oddest tail, the biggest propeller, the plane they’d most like to fly.
Ask at Visitor Services for the form, in an easy and a hard version, find all 12 items around the museum, then show it at the gift shop counter for a prize. Running through August 2027.
Scavenger huntEvery Saturday morning a different vintage aircraft is opened up and a docent tells its story while you sit in the pilot’s seat. $5 for adults and teens on top of admission, free for kids 12 and under. Loose clothes and rubber-soled shoes help.
This Saturday’s planeNext up is Props & Hops, the aviation-themed craft beer festival among the aircraft, on Saturday, November 21. The museum’s calendar runs from the February gala to the Memorial Day Flower Drop, a Chili Cook-Off and car show in October, Props & Hops in November and Snowtopia in December.
Museum calendarSmall, ticketed evenings after hours, about 90 minutes with a speaker, light refreshments and a look inside the aircraft. Super Hornet evenings are $50–$65, and places are limited, so book ahead.
| Date | Evening | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Nov 7, 2026 | Super Hornet evening | LCDR Evan “Squints” Goss, F/A-18 instructor pilot |
| Sat, Nov 28, 2026 | Super Hornet evening | Cmdr. (Ret.) Frank “Walleye” Weisser, former Blue Angels pilot |
| Sat, Jan 2, 2027 | Super Hornet evening | Capt. Jeremy “Silas” DeBons, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School |
| Sat, Jan 16, 2027 | Disney Gulfstream interior tour | A Walt Disney Archives speaker |
| Sat, Feb 20, 2027 | Disney Gulfstream interior tour | Becky Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives |
| Sat, Mar 6, 2027 | Disney Gulfstream interior tour | Bob Gurr, Disney Legend and Imagineer |
| Fri, Mar 26, 2027 | Super Hornet evening | Capt. (Ret.) A.J. “Face” McFarland, test pilot |
| Sat, Apr 3, 2027 | Disney Gulfstream interior tour | A Walt Disney Archives speaker |
| Sat, Apr 17, 2027 | Super Hornet evening | Cmdr. Cassidi “Butch” Reese, F/A-18 test officer |
Our family approach: choose three aircraft, ask one good question at each, then take a break. No ropes doesn’t mean every plane can be touched or climbed into, so follow the docents’ lead.
The museum’s own café keeps the outing in one place, but its posted schedule is labelled summer hours (Thursday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), so check the café page before counting on lunch. If lunch matters, plan it in town afterward; our restaurant guide has ideas.
Leave a few minutes for the gift shop on the way out: aviation books, models, clothing and gifts, with collections for the F-117, the Mustang, the Super Hornet and Walt Disney’s plane. A model of the plane someone just fell for makes a good souvenir.
Head for 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA 92262, on the east side of the airport. Put the museum itself in your map, not the passenger terminal, which is on the other side of the runways.
Parking is free. On big event days the museum posts its own parking and arrival instructions, so check the event page first.
The museum is ADA compliant, and every hangar is accessible by wheelchair, walker or scooter. A few wheelchairs can be borrowed free, first come, first served. Climbing into a cockpit or onto a flight has its own physical requirements. Visitor & access information
The forecast is in our weather guide.
Our ideas, not museum packages.
Arrive at opening, spend a couple of hours with the planes, then drive into town for lunch. The afternoon is for the pool and the quiet that makes a day out feel balanced.
Book your warbird ride first and ask when to arrive. Explore the hangars before or after, catch the 1 p.m. talk on a Saturday, and keep the evening loose in case the flight time moves.
A focused morning here, lunch downtown, then the Palm Springs Art Museum, which keeps different opening days, so check both. They are separate museums about ten minutes’ drive apart.
More days out: the Aerial Tramway, The Living Desert and Sunnylands. Evenings: concerts and shows.
We think so, for aviation fans, curious families and anyone who likes engineering or history. No ropes, knowledgeable docents and more than 80 aircraft make it more personal than most museums. A flight is optional; a visit on the ground is a full outing.
$26 for adults and $24 for seniors, teens and veterans. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult, and active-duty military and their families are free.
We suggest two to three hours for a first visit, longer with a flight, a Saturday talk or an open cockpit. Don’t squeeze a flight into a tight gap between other plans.
Riders must be 13 or older, with a parent or guardian present and a signed release for 13 to 17. Younger children are very welcome in the museum, and free with a paid adult.
Mostly: five air-conditioned hangars, plus aircraft outside and the walk from parking. Check the weather even if you plan to stay indoors.
The Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet that flew as one of Maverick’s on-camera jets is unveiled on November 7, 2026, and on display in regular hours after that. Evening experiences with a pilot or engineer and a look in the cockpit are ticketed separately.
The Disney Archives display is part of a regular visit. The restored interior is shown only on separate, ticketed evenings; see the museum’s Disney page for dates.
Friendly dogs on a leash are welcome in the museum. They can’t go on flights.
No. The Air Museum is the aviation museum by the airport on Gene Autry Trail. The Palm Springs Art Museum is downtown at 101 Museum Drive, with its own tickets and hours.
A morning among the warbirds, the afternoon by your own pool. Explore our Palm Springs homes, a short drive from the museum, and let our concierge team help with the rest of your desert days.
Planning source: the Palm Springs Air Museum’s visitor, admission, aircraft, ride and event pages. Checked October 28, 2026; confirm current details before your visit. Desert Luxury Estates is not affiliated with the Palm Springs Air Museum and does not sell its tickets or flights.
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