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Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation

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Coordinates: 42°24′50″N 96°22′27″W / 42.4139°N 96.3742°W / 42.4139; -96.3742
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Not to be confused with Mid-America Air Museum or Mid America Flight Museum.
Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation
Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation is located in Iowa
Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation
Location within Iowa
Former name
  • World's Biggest Mini Air Museum
  • Mid America Air Museum
  • Warner Museum of Aviation and Transportation
Established1990 (1990)
LocationSioux City, Iowa
Coordinates42°24′50″N 96°22′27″W / 42.4139°N 96.3742°W / 42.4139; -96.3742
TypeAviation museum
FounderMaurice Topf
Websitewww.midamericaairmuseum.org

The Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation is an aviation museum located at the Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa.

History

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Establishment

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The Siouxland Historical Aviation Association was formed in Spring 1990 with the goal of establishing an aviation museum.[1][a] The group received approval from the airport to build a museum on 20 acres (0.081 km2) of property at the northwest corner of the airport in 1993.[3][4] In 1996, it began lobbying the city to allow the organization to restore a former terminal building that was planned for demolition.[5] The World's Biggest Mini Air Museum opened 1 June 1996 in a complex of six former Air National Guard buildings.[6][7] However, in January 2002, the then Mid America Air Museum was informed that the buildings it occupied would have to be demolished for a ramp expansion to accommodate aerial refueling aircraft for the 185th Air Refueling Wing.[8] It then moved to a temporary location in downtown Sioux City.[9]

New building

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The museum launched a capital campaign for a new 62,500 sq ft (5,810 m2) building in May 2002 and changed its name to Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation.[9][10] Just under two years later, it had raised half of the necessary funding.[11] The museum changed its name to the Warner Museum of Aviation and Transportation after receiving a donation from Jim Warner of the Warner Group in 2007 that made up the difference.[12] It broke ground on a new 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) building at the Sioux Gateway Airport in April 2009.[13][14] Shortly thereafter, the museum received a Boeing 727 from FedEx.[15] The museum opened to the public on 5 March 2010.[16] By the end of September, it had changed its name back to Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation.[17]

Construction on a new memorial to United Airlines Flight 232 began in May 2014.[18] Two months later, the museum held a three day event on the 25th anniversary of the crash.[19][20] Three years later, the museum acquired a twelfth scale model of a DC-10 for its Flight 232 exhibit.[21]

In 2022, the museum received a grant to turn the interior of its Boeing 727 into a STEM learning center.[22]

Exhibits

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An exhibit about United Airlines Flight 232 includes a model of a DC-10, the damaged pilot's seat and a map of the aircraft's flight path.[23] Outside there is a memorial to the flight at the initial impact site.[24]

Collection

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Programs

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The museum holds STEM programs for children.[29]

See also

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References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ The association was the result of the combination of two groups: one from a local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter led by Maurice Topf and the other a members of the 185th Tactical Fighter Group.[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ Schossow, Rebecca (24 March 1991). "Aviation History Saved". Sioux City Journal. p. F15. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  2. ^ Turner, Jerry L. (18 August 1992). "Sioux City Aircraft Museum Almost Ready for Take-Off". Sioux City Journal. p. A3. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  3. ^ Zahren, Bill (30 January 1993). "Sioux Gateway Finds Site for Air Museum". Sioux City Journal. p. A3. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  4. ^ Zahren, Bill (14 March 1993). "Aviation Group Opens Throttle on Air Museum". Sioux City Journal. pp. E20, E22. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  5. ^ Dreeszen, Dave (12 May 1996). "Flight Plan". Sioux City Journal. p. 1. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Air Museum Takes Off". Sioux City Journal. 11 July 1996. p. A3. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  7. ^ Turner, Terry (21 March 1999). "Siouxland Air Museum Filled with Flying History". Sioux City Journal. p. H4. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  8. ^ Turner, Terry (6 January 2002). "Mid America Air Museum Packs Up Displays, Artifacts". Sioux City Journal. pp. A4–A5. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Air Museum Launches Fund Drive for New Structure". Sioux City Journal. 17 May 2002. p. A4. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  10. ^ Zerschling, Lynn (23 March 2003). "Air Museum Launches $2.2 Million Fundraising Campaign". Sioux City Journal. p. G9. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  11. ^ Hytrek, Nick (21 March 2004). "Mid America Transportation and Aviation Museum Halfway Toward Fund Goal". Sioux City Journal. p. G7. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  12. ^ Quinlan, John (29 September 2007). "Warner Helps Build Dream for Aviation Museum". Sioux City Journal. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  13. ^ Sexton, Meagan (12 April 2009). "Museum to Get a New Home". Sioux City Journal. p. A3. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  14. ^ Butz, Dolly (31 May 2013). "Air Museum Tells Siouxland's Story of Flight". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  15. ^ "FedEx Plane Due at Museum Next Week". Sioux City Journal. 6 May 2009. p. A8. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Taking Flight". Sioux City Journal. 6 March 2010. p. A1. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Model A Cars to Come to Museum Saturday". Sioux City Journal. 16 September 2010. p. A4. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  18. ^ Hayworth, Bret (8 May 2014). "New Flight 232 Exhibit to Showcase Siouxland Response". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  19. ^ Swanson, Conrad (13 July 2014). "3 Days of Remembering Flight 232". Sioux City Journal. p. I4. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Flight 232 - 25th". Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  21. ^ Gottburg, Woody (25 March 2017). "Mid American Air Museum Adds Model of Flight 232 Plane". KSCJ. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  22. ^ Yamada, Caitlin (4 May 2022). "Sioux City Air Museum Created a STEM Learning Space in Plane Exhibit". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  23. ^ Horlyk, Earl (4 January 2018). "Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation Preserves 'Moving' History". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  24. ^ Giddings, Aaron (13 December 2017). "The Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation – SUX It Does Not". Airline Reporter. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  25. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Armstrong Whitworth Argosy E.1, s/n XR143 RAF, c/n 6798, c/r G-BFVT". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  26. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Boeing 727-277, c/n 22068, c/r N246FE". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  27. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Chase C-123K Provider, s/n 54-0695 USAF, c/n 20144, c/r N8190B". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  28. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Grumman EA-6A Intruder, s/n 156984 USN". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  29. ^ Butz, Dolly A. (12 June 2022). "Like a Real Airplane". Sioux City Journal. p. D1. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
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