Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona

Main Hangar, Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona

Main Hangar, Pima Air & Space Museum (staff photo)

The Pima Air & Space Museum, located at 6000 E. Valencia Road in Tucson across from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, is one of the largest in the world. Opened in 1976 with 35 aircraft, it has evolved into the largest non-government-funded air museum in the United States.

Its collection includes a vast collection of more than 300 historic planes and spacecraft, housed in both interior hangars and exterior spaces, and spread over 80 acres.

Exhibits include fighters, bombers, cargo planes, helicopters, commercial aircraft, VIP planes, trainers, MIGs, and much more.

We've toured the galleries on multiple visits, and highly recommend it to all with an interest in aviation, the Air Force, and aircraft history.

Indoor Exhibit Areas

B-29 Superfortress "Sentimental Journey" (staff photo)

Several indoor areas house vintage airplanes ... a partial list of aircraft is as follows:

Main Hangar - SR-71A Blackbird, A-10A Warthog, F-107A Ultra Sabre, F-14A Tomcat, Wright Flyer Replica
Hangar #3 - B-24J Liberator, B-25J Mitchell, C-47 Skytrain
Hangar #4 - B-29 Superfortress "Sentimental Journey", F-86E Sabre, PT-17 Stearman, C-46D Commando
Space Gallery - X-15A mockup, OQ-3 Radioplane
390th Memorial Museum - B-17G Flying Fortress "I'll Be Around"

The 390th Memorial Museum is also located on the grounds. The facility is a treasure of World War II images, memorabilia, and personal histories of the achievements of the 390th Bombardment Group (H), an Eighth Air Force unit that was based in England from 1943-1945. It houses restored B-17G-110-VE 44-85828 (#828), which came to be known as “I’ll Be Around".

Also located at the museum is the Space Gallery, which includes the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame in the Dorothy Finley Space Gallery. Established in 1985 as a joint proclamation including the Governor of Arizona, the Aviation Hall of Fame celebrates Arizona’s long and proud aviation history.

Directory of galleries and other facilities and tours at the Pima Air and Space Museum

Directory, Pima Air & Space Museum (staff photo)

Outdoor Exhibit Areas

Dozens of other airplanes are positioned outdoors on the desert floor. A partial list of airplanes is as follows:

B-36 Peacemaker
B-52 Stratofortress
B-47 Stratojet
C-124 Globemaster
B-58 Hustler
F-84F Thunderstreak
TF-102 Delta Dagger
F-106 Delta Dart
T-29B Flying Classroom
C-133 Cargomaster
C-117B Super Gooneybird
C-119 Flying Boxcar
Lockheed F-94 Starfire
F-100 Super Sabre
F-86 Sabre
Boeing VC-137B, "Freedom One"
C-54 Liftmaster
C-141 Starlifter

F-117A Nighthawk S/N 84-0810 "Dark Angel" is being added to the collection of the Pima Air and Space Museum in 2022.

Boeing 747 SOFIA

NASA's retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft has been transferred to the Pima Museum for future display. The Boeing 747-based plane made its final flight, to Tucson, on December 13, 2022.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alex Miller)

Visiting the Pima Air and Space Museum

It is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Phone 520.574.0462 for detailed opening hours.

Purchase admission tickets just inside the main entrance. Parking is free.

You can tour the indoor and outdoor galleries yourself, on your own pace. Or you can join docent-led tours, either on walking tours or tram tours. The staff, docents, and volunteers are exceptional, and conversations with these experienced aviators can be as educational as seeing the planes themselves. During our last visit, we had a fascinating conversation with a veteran of the European Theater; he offered detailed, first-hand accounts of his bomber experiences ... we could have listened for hours to his commentary!

We recommend a minimum of three hours to tour the inside hangars and view the outside airplanes. But you could easily spend the better part of an entire day touring the airplane galleries.

Dress accordingly on hot summer days, use sunscreen, wear comfortable shoes, and bring bottled water with you if you plan a lengthy excursion through the outdoor exhibits.

A well-run restaurant "The Flight Grill" is located onsite as is a well-stocked Museum Store.

Bus Tours of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG

AMARG Tour Information

In the past, AMARG bus tours have originated at the nearby Pima Air and Space Museum, phone 520.574.0462

At the present time the tour has been indefinitely suspended by request of the U.S. Air Force.

YouTube Video of Davis-Monthan AFB AMARG boneyard bus tour in Tucson, Arizona (May 2015)

Tucson Area Map

The map below shows the location of the airplane galleries in southeast Tucson. It is directly across East Valencia Road from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and is conveniently accessible from Interstate Highway I-10 via Exit 267 - East Valencia Road. It is about 5 miles from Tucson International Airport, and about 10 miles from downtown Tucson.

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