• VISIT

    Plan Your Visit

    • Plan Your Visit
    • Adult Programs, Team Building & Guided Tours
    • Virtual Reality
    • Birthday Parties

    Exhibits

    • Campus Map
    • Aircraft Exhibits
    • Aircraft Lists
    • Aircraft Projects
    • Exhibition Updates
    • Aircraft Restoration

    Events

    • Upcoming Events
    • Event News
    • Event Photos
    • Past Events
    • Event Space Rental
  • LEARN

    Education Center

    • About the National STEM Academy
    • Educator Resource Center
    • Lending Library
    • Education News
    • STEM News
    • STAR Partners
    • Education Donations
    • STARBASE Robins
    • Volunteer Opportunities with the National STEM Academy

    Field Trips & Education Programs

    • Virtual Field Trips
    • ‘On the Go’ Outreach Programs
    • Guided Tours and History Programs (Ages 5 – Adult)
    • Ace & Wonder Wings STEM Program (Pre-K – 5th)
    • Mission Quest Flight Simulators & Space Programs (6th – Adult)
    • Homeschool Programs

    Education Events

    • Summer Camps
    • STEM Labs and Events
    • Educator STEM Conference
    • Space Week
    • Birthday Parties
    • Scout Programs
  • SUPPORT

    Giving

    • Annual Fund
    • Education Donations
    • Memorial and Honor Gifts
    • Endowment Funds
    • B-17 Flying Fortress Fund
    • Playground Remodel Fund
    • Restoration Project Support

    Join Us

    • Membership Friends of the Museum
    • Sustaining Partners
    • Star Partners

    Get Involved

    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Kroger Program
  • SHOP

    Products

    • All Products
    • Armed Forces Gifts
    • Books
    • Clothing
    • Georgia Gifts
    • Lithographs
    • Miscellaneous

    Products

    • Museum Souvenirs
    • Patches
    • Posters
    • Puzzlers
    • Robin Air Force Base
    • SR-71 Blackbird
    • Toys
  • ABOUT

    About the Museum

    • About the Museum
    • Awards Received
    • Foundation Board of Directors
    • Board of Governors
    • National Board of Advisors
    • Museum Staff
    • Board Member Access

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Tell Us How We’re Doing
    • Subscribe for Updates
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Flickr

    In the News

    • All News
    • Blog
    • Connecting with Veterans
    • News Articles
    • Military History
Supporting the U.S. Air Force Museum | Welcome to the Museum of Aviation Foundation Website
(478) 926-6870
Email Us
Connecting with Veterans
Museum of Aviation
  • VISIT

    Plan Your Visit

    • Plan Your Visit
    • Adult Programs, Team Building & Guided Tours
    • Virtual Reality
    • Birthday Parties

    Exhibits

    • Campus Map
    • Aircraft Exhibits
    • Aircraft Lists
    • Aircraft Projects
    • Exhibition Updates
    • Aircraft Restoration

    Events

    • Upcoming Events
    • Event News
    • Event Photos
    • Past Events
    • Event Space Rental
  • LEARN

    Education Center

    • About the National STEM Academy
    • Educator Resource Center
    • Lending Library
    • Education News
    • STEM News
    • STAR Partners
    • Education Donations
    • STARBASE Robins
    • Volunteer Opportunities with the National STEM Academy

    Field Trips & Education Programs

    • Virtual Field Trips
    • ‘On the Go’ Outreach Programs
    • Guided Tours and History Programs (Ages 5 – Adult)
    • Ace & Wonder Wings STEM Program (Pre-K – 5th)
    • Mission Quest Flight Simulators & Space Programs (6th – Adult)
    • Homeschool Programs

    Education Events

    • Summer Camps
    • STEM Labs and Events
    • Educator STEM Conference
    • Space Week
    • Birthday Parties
    • Scout Programs
  • SUPPORT

    Giving

    • Annual Fund
    • Education Donations
    • Memorial and Honor Gifts
    • Endowment Funds
    • B-17 Flying Fortress Fund
    • Playground Remodel Fund
    • Restoration Project Support

    Join Us

    • Membership Friends of the Museum
    • Sustaining Partners
    • Star Partners

    Get Involved

    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Kroger Program
  • SHOP

    Products

    • All Products
    • Armed Forces Gifts
    • Books
    • Clothing
    • Georgia Gifts
    • Lithographs
    • Miscellaneous

    Products

    • Museum Souvenirs
    • Patches
    • Posters
    • Puzzlers
    • Robin Air Force Base
    • SR-71 Blackbird
    • Toys
  • ABOUT

    About the Museum

    • About the Museum
    • Awards Received
    • Foundation Board of Directors
    • Board of Governors
    • National Board of Advisors
    • Museum Staff
    • Board Member Access

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Tell Us How We’re Doing
    • Subscribe for Updates
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Flickr

    In the News

    • All News
    • Blog
    • Connecting with Veterans
    • News Articles
    • Military History

Blog

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Blog
  • ‘We are just getting started.’ Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins celebrates 35 years

‘We are just getting started.’ Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins celebrates 35 years

  • Posted by Lacey Meador
  • Categories Blog, Events, News Articles
  • Date October 28, 2019

BY WAYNE CRENSHAW
OCTOBER 24, 2019 05:00 AM, UPDATED OCTOBER 24, 2019 05:00 AM

Nov. 9 will mark 35 years since the Museum of Aviation opened its doors for the first time in what had been a surplus storage building.
Bill Paul, the museum’s first employee, is still there today. He said he hoped at the time it would grow to add a larger building, but didn’t envision what it would become.
“It just caught everybody’s imagination around here,” he said. “We’ve had unbelievable support from the community and the Air Force.”
The museum had just a few planes when it started and drew 30,000 people in 1985, the first full year of operation.
Today it has four large exhibit buildings, 85 aircraft and draws nearly 500,000 people a year. It is the second most visited Air Force museum and the fourth most visited museum in the Department of Defense, Paul said.
The museum is celebrating the anniversary with a gala on Nov. 9 that will feature U.S. Sen. David Perdue as the keynote speaker. Former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn and retired Maj. Gen. Robert McMahon, former commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center and current assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, will also speak.
The event will include a dinner and a dance party with Big Mike and the Booty Papas band.
Paul said the original building was pieced together from eight portable surplus storage buildings from Dobbins Air Force Base. That building is still there today. It’s the first on the right as visitors enter.
The museum operated out of that building until 1991 when what is today called the Nugteren Hangar was added. Later came the Eagle Building, which is the main building today, then the Century of Flight Hangar and the World War II Scott Exhibit Hangar.
After 37 years with the museum, including his time helping it get open, Paul is leaving soon to become curator of the Air Force Missile and Space Museum at Cape Canaveral.
Paul said he is sad to leave but sees nothing but more growth for the Museum of Aviation.
“We are just getting started,” he said.
Tickets to the gala are $100 and can be purchased at museumofaviation.org. The deadline is Nov. 4.

The annual Auction/Raffle & Taste of Local Cuisine to benefit the Museum of Aviation Foundation will be held July 20. AMY MADDOX TELEGRAPH FILE PHOTO

Tag:#aviation, Anniversary, events, Museum of Aviation

  • Share:
author avatar
Lacey Meador

Previous post

Museum of Aviation has more than half a million visitors this past year
October 28, 2019

Next post

Museum of Aviation hosts healing wall in honoring POW Vets
October 28, 2019

You may also like

1703bfd0-e5dc-4bba-a7e5-ad2e4f55748c-medium16x9_NIGHTATTHEMUSEUM_0019_frame_516
Warner Robins Night at the Museum Event
10 February, 2020
928a2fa4-60d6-44b3-8ce3-e389a9593ccd_750x422
B-17 Restoration Project at Museum of Aviation
31 January, 2020
2vZZlBEg
Museum of Aviation gearing up for 24th annual marathon
15 January, 2020

Search

SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES

CONNECT ON FACEBOOK

TOPICS

  • Aircraft Restoration
  • Blog
  • Connecting with Veterans
  • Education
  • Events
  • Exhibitions Updates
  • Featured
  • General
  • Korean War
  • Military History
  • News Articles
  • Personnel
  • STEM
  • Vietnam War
  • WWII
Museum of Aviation Foundation, Inc. Logo

(478) 926-6870

information@museumofaviation.org

education@museumofaviation.org

Site Design by Loudmark

VISIT

  • Plan Your Visit
  • Adult Programs & Tours
  • About the Museum
  • In the News
  • Virtual Reality
  • Birthday Parties

ATTEND

  • Upcoming Events
  • Past Events
  • Event Space Rental
  • Birthday Parties

LEARN

  • Education Events
  • Educator Resource Center
  • Education Resources
  • Birthday Parties

CONNECT

  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe for Updates
  • Volunteer

Copyright 2016-Present, Museum of Aviation Foundation, Inc.

The MOA Foundation, Inc is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 58-1451656) which serves to support the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base. The Foundation is not part of the Department of Defense nor any of its components and has no government status. Any acknowledgment of Foundation supporters and donations represents a partnership with the Foundation and our efforts. Nothing implied nor stated on this website represents a relationship between Foundation supporters and the Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, nor Robins Air Force Base.

  • Privacy Policy & Terms
  • Financials

Are you ready to learn?

Check out our youth and adult educational programs today!

Get Started Now