The museum is a nod to aeronautical history 5/5. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A lone original 1940s light fixture remains in the lobby ceiling. There's a small gift shop in the lobby. Clean restrooms anchor both ends of the building. 5/5 Renovations began but were never completed and it shows. 3/5 The tours take 45 minutes or longer, if you select to read all of the memorabilia in each of the rooms. 5/5 Knowledgeable docents do an excellent job of narrating the history of Hobby AirPort. 5/5 The museum faces the busy Hobby Airport runway. 5/5. Docents said the museum accepts Hobby Airport memorabilia from its bustling beginnings. A large quilt, created by former Continental Airlines employees is prominently displayed now at the museum. 5/5 A small older plane in rear of the museum may be toured 5/5 which needs renovation. 3/5 It was retrofitted with a bathroom- not in use- and there's still a can of Lysol which adorns its shelf. If you look to either side of the museum, then a major highlight are the hangars for the Houston Rockets and managers private planes.5/5 We were explicitly informed not to venture beyond the museum gates next door to the hangars. I learned a lot during my visit. read more

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Excellent take in. If you need a wheelchair, don't count on it. They have one with missing foot rests read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Wheelchair with no footrests - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

Cute place. A lot of memorabilia like airline photos and old flight attendant uniforms. Great airline dinnerware display. I hope they continue to enhance their displays and rehab the building and airplane. It could be a real gem. The gift shop would benefit from branded merchandise with a cute logo. read more

Being a local Houstonian for over 35 years , I'm embarrassed to say I just recently visited this hidden gem for the first time. This Art Deco building actually used to serve the City of Houston as the Houston Municipal Airport. It's also a great spot to watch the planes land at nearby Hobby airport. If you're by Hobby airport and have some time to spare, I would stop by . Jennifer Pammit-Realtor George E. Johnson Properties read more

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What a fun and unique museum, I want more people to know how awesome this place is! We got a Groupon, 2 tickets for $10, great deal. Upon waking in, we were greeted by the lovely volunteer who works here. He gave us a history background of the old airport terminal and the development over the years. Not many people know about this place, so we had the whole museum to ourselves for the whole time. After exploring around the museum, he took us outside to tour the historic plane , that's placed literally right off the runway of the Hobby Airport. We were able to watch the planes landing and taking off while we were out there. Or we could also watch the planes from parking lot. A great place to visit if you have little ones that love planes, or you're into history, or you are simply around the Hobby Airport area before you fly out. read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is located next door to the Hobby Airport that has kept its architecture of the 1940's. This air terminal was restored by 2008 to what it is now. My husband and I came here on a Friday around 1 pm. It was pretty quiet but we were greeted by a volunteer (unfortunately I complete forgot his name), who gave us a tour of the place that included their special Space Trees Christmas exhibit. He provided history of this air terminal some of the past airlines that flew out of this terminal (which unfortunately either went bankrupted or got bought out like Pam Am, Braniff and Eastern Air). There are uniforms of past flight attendants from different airlines (please note that during this time, it was only females who were working these jobs). You will also see some items like silverware from these airlines, programs, wings, complementary toiletries provided to flying patrons, etc. There is also plenty of history regarding this air terminal when Howard Hughes had briefly the airport was named after him in 1938 since he helped to fund numerous of improvements for the airport. However, the rule is that in order for an airport to be named after you, you must not be alive and Howard Hughes was still very much alive at that time. And so the airport was renamed Houston Municipal. A short ride down from this air museum houses numerous of airplanes, pilot simulators and other historical vehicles that was very cool to see up close. Normally we would not be able to see these vehicles without a docent to escort you. Admission for adults is only $5 per person, however there is an even cheaper deal on Groupon for 2 people if you want to save a few extra bucks. Also although the gift shop is small, I wanted to mention that I purchased a cute small airplane keychain that cost me $5 (prior to tax). There are cute airplane sets that could make a great gift for a little one (or the collector in you). These items are significantly cheaper than at the Houston Airport (I was surprised to see that the prices for these exact items are double the price that the 1940's Air Terminal Museum sells it for and wished I had purchased more of those airplane keychains, especially since they cost more on Amazon and other similar online sellers). If you are looking for something different while visiting Houston, consider checking out this hidden gem. Please also note that this museum can be rented for weddings and events. This place would also be a great place for an engagement photo shoot. There is also a Wings & Wheels event that occurs every month (although the volunteer who gave us a tour had mentioned that they are considering to hold these events every quarter instead) that hold a special aircraft tour, ramp access and museum tour. Also once a year, a running airplane is raffled off to one lucky person (raffle tickets cost $50). read more

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What a gem ! This place has so much history , and it was so nice to hear about it from our wonderful guide John. Please do come and visit . It will be worth it ! read more

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The tour was led by a volunteer who obviously loved her "job." We Were given the speal then left to go through the displays at our own speed. We read through the history of flight in Houston, including a timeline of all the airlines and even some of the flight attendant costumes! read more

Such interesting stuff, and so much to look at! There were old uniforms of the flight staff, artifacts donated by families. Most of the museum is a self-tour, and there is a short video playing on a loop to watch as well. It's so interesting to learn about the origin of the airport as well as the start of the airlines. Larry Orr was extremely knowledgeable and showed my husband and me around, explaining everything to us. We even got to see some planes land! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

I had booked this place to have my engagement pictures taken here. Coordinating with Melanie via email was painless and easy! $100/hr during their business hours. Their business hours included weekend hours, which I love because having to take a day off during the weekday is hard enough with wedding planning. The staff was friendly from the moment we walked in. The lady behind the desk was a trooper to handle the heat with us outside as well as take us to the hanger (short drive) to take more pictures. Definitely lots of aviation history and a reminisce time for my finance who learned to fly out in el paso. Thank you 1940 Air Terminal Museum for allowing us to capture a lifetime of memories!! read more

So my oldest bookmark to date finally, got visited. I recently got the pleasure of catching up with one of my oldest YELP friends, Edgar V at the gold elite event. While there, not only did we plan a lunch meeting at another old bookmark, but followed it up by exploring one of Houston's hidden gems. So the main reason I haven't been here until now is that my exploring days are usually Mondays, and this place is closed. But lucky for me on this Tuesday I had Edgar to accompany me. They are open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday Admission is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for children. This place is awesome! It's Art Deco. And it is original 1940 Air Terminal. They have fully restored the place. And it sits right next to the airway where the planes taxi. Such a cool spot, we were so lucky to be brought into the hangar just down the street to visit some cool planes too. It was one of the best Houston museums! read more

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Beautiful, old, historic, art deco building. Definitely worth a trip to see the original air terminal in Houston. The museum has a great display of airlines that once used the terminal including actual flight attendant outfits, photos, and other relics of the past. Of special note was a funny performance review of a female flight attendant from many decades ago. Over half the performance review was about the color of her make up, her hair, and how friendly she was to the customer. It was an interesting glimpse into a 'Mad Men' era flight. I loved the architecture of the building and got some great photos of old planes in front of the art deco exterior. We went on the 3rd Saturday of the month to their monthly special event. This month they had lots of different planes on display on the tarmac behind the building including some you could crawl through. They were also offering (for a hefty price) rides on a b17 bomber. There was also a special traveling exhibit about the Tuskegee airmen, RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit. We didn't see the movie but heard it was really good and they were offering it for free! We were disappointed that there weren't any "wheels" at this "Wings and Wheels" monthly event. I asked someone who was a volunteer and they said they take what they can get and they rely on the car clubs to come. We went over spring break to the weekend event and it was free. They made the whole week free for everyone as a special spring break incentive. I thought that was great; it gave families something fun and educational to do together. They also had a food truck on site which was perfect! Flaming Patties was the truck and they had a decent menu for both meat eaters and vegetarians. Definitely an interesting place. If you go, I suggest going on the 3rd Saturday of the month when they have a wider variety of things to see. Their calendar can be found at: http://www.1940airterminal.org/WingsAndWheels/ read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Classic fighter plane in front of the air terminal museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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What a grand collection of aviation history! This is a true treat in Houston. We had driven by so many times on the way to Hobby and always said "We should go there." Finally we did. $5.00/adult to browse at your speed all the cool antiques from this great collection. I love that they are restoring the original art deco style this building was built in. The restorations they have made so far are great! It filled with so many items to look at and take in. Then you even get a trip to the hanger where you can board some really old aircrafts and sit in the simulators. If you are a fan of local history or aviation, you need to check this place out. And apparently - you can even fly in to check it out ;) read more

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The greatest jets in the world fly in & past here; no one even comes close. This is the greatest museum in this history of our great Hobby Airport of Houston, TX - we love Houston Hobby in Houston, TX - 'ya never lose when you fly in & out and probably past the 1940 Air Terminal Museum. It seems like the new hot place to be in terms of visitations and I've heard a lot of great things - from others, including me. But it's just one great spot, could be a nee hot spot, if anywhere else even comes close. I just wanna say thank you to 1940 and it's museum. The one we actually visited when it was closed, but I really know - from what I hear, or heard, that it's great. I can't say any more about this tremendous museum, other than it's wonderful to host them once again as a beautiful museum. Thank you, read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - myself outside the 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport - Houston, TX 77061 - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Childtime (Sugarland): this is one of our favorite field trips. So much history in one place! We love the staff and volunteers because they are so passionate when giving us a tour. It's always exciting for the children to get on the airplane and see the planes take off. You guys make every summer amazing... our school loves you guys! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

The most underrated attraction in Houston. Seems like a small building, but the history and countless artifacts in this old structure make up for it. Everyone was incredibly helpful, polite, and courteous. This is definitely a must if you are interested in aviation, and even if you're not, it is definitely worth the visit. It was by far my favorite attraction visited in the Houston area. read more

This 1940s Art Deco Terminal is definitely worth checking out. They have done a wonderful job restoring the museum while preserving the sandstone floors, pillars and you can even see the outline on the floor where the lunch counter with stools once were. We were greeted by Steve when we arrived and he offered some history about the terminal. Eastern was the big airline here followed by Trans Texas and Pan Am. While you cannot tour the control tower (sad face) the first floor has several rooms filled with aviation memorabilia. There are outfits, plate ware, playing cards and other items chronicling the airlines and the times. My favorite part was the homage to the woman Air Force pilots and the retro outfits that flight attendants wore. The museum backs up against the runway of the Hobby airport. There are benches outside the museum and you can watch the planes takeoff while getting a good whiff of jet fuel too. read more

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This place was so awesome! Not only was my child( who is absolutely obsessed with planes) love it but we adults did as well! It was a lot of memorabilia and hearing the history of this place was so interesting! And to top it off the trip concluded with a trip to a hanger that housed older planes that you can enjoy up close and personal! My child was able to sit in the simulator which was an over the top experience for him! He was so there for that!! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

The staff has done a wonderful job with this museum! It's really cool to see snapshots of moments that makes up Houston's airline history and the fact the staff are knowledgeable and seem to really love what they do makes everything that much more fun! This is one of Houston's best kept secrets, which makes it really cool, while at the same time really upsetting. The staff(who are made up of volunteers) have a lot of projects to expand the museum and completely restore the terminal, but due to it's almost secret existence and COVID-19, money is tight. They also have monthly events starting again soon! If you're looking for a great time and want to help conserve a big part of Houston's history, do yourself a favor drop by!! read more

Nice bit of Houstonia! Volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable and are doing a yeoman's job restoring the terminal. Enjoyed the museum and will be back, it'd be interesting to follow their progress. read more

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This is such an unexpected find! It's located next to Hobby airport and feature the original Houston municipal airport. The admission allows you to see the museum plus a tour to a now retired flight simulator with opportunity to watch airplanes take off and landing on the runways. I would definitely go again soon. read more

This was a great museum. The tour guide was awesome. Enjoyed hearing about all the history of hobby airport. Highly recommend the tour. read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

A hidden historical treasure in Houston! I loved this place so much, I had to take my engagement photos here. Phil was AMAZING, giving us information on the planes just as we were taking our photos. He removed oil pans and the forklift (i think thats what it was) for our pictures to look even more amazing. It was a bit windy, but I am so in love with the way they turned out. It is definitely convenient, and you will get some amazing shots, if the weather cooperates! Thank you, Phil! I am sending you a big hug! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Lori Blythe Photography Location: 1940's Air Terminal Museum - Hangar - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The Seniors from Watercrest at Shadow Creek Ranch had a wonderful time touring the Museum! The all volunteer force working the Museum are a Great bunch. Our tour guide, Mr John McNulty, did a fantastic job! He is extremely knowledgeable in the subject of Houston Aviation history. He was very enjoyable to listen to. Never a dull moment. Will definitely return with another group. Thanks again John! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

We enjoyed our visit to the 1940 Air Terminal museum. Even though I'm a native Houstonian, I've never been to the museum. John, the museum volunteer, gave us an excellent tour! He explained the exhibits and provided some excellent history. The ticket price is nominal and well worth it. If you are interested in aviation and HOUSTON history the museum is very cool. read more

Sometimes, you can find amazing stuff if you just allow it to happen. For instance, I met up with Houston Yelp's David N for lunch and he asked me at the end: "What are you doing after this?" I mumbled: "Some things. Why?" He said that he was going to check out the 1940 Air Terminal Museum, which fronts Hobby Airport, since he had it bookmarked for a long time. Since I was really just going to walk the Hermann Park trails on that beautiful sunny Tuesday afternoon, I thought I should just go with the flow and check it out, too. We opted to carpool in his car so I spotted him the $5 admission fee. The Art Deco building was the original Houston Municipal Airport and its runway gate opens up to an active runway at Hobby airport. As David P mentions in his review, it is pretty amazing at how the distance from the terminal's front door to the door to the gates are so close to each other. Back in the day, there were no TSA security mazes, no curbside check-in, no huge concourses, no monorails, or moving sidewalks. The lobby could probably seat 50 people max; modern-day bus stations are bigger than this place. But, this place is gorgeous for its classical styling. (Hint: This place rents out for special events and you'd have a very distinctive venue.) The north and south wings have been gutted and devoted to some fascinating exhibits to a more glamorous time of air travel. You can see a chronology of the various airlines, model airplanes, various memorabilia and flight uniforms in display cases. In a separate room, the large-screen TV has a continuous loop (about 5 minutes) of a DVD that shows the refurbishment of this terminal from 2003 to now. Out front, there are two planes that are parked and the museum staff may allow you to climb inside and check out what a private plane really looks like. We were befriended by two other staff members and they asked us to follow them down the road to the hangar, where we stepped into a flight simulator, a larger Lodestar plane, and got up close and personal to air traffic control equipment, a Sikorsky helicopter, Cessna, Piper, and "Bamboo Bomber", a plane that is actually made of wood and fabric (what?). While David was interested in all of this, I was practically Air Nerding it up and asking about everything. You'd think I had won the Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, if this factory also made airplanes. If you need a place to take tourists, this is a great option. Heck, if you're a local, this is a great option. Simply put: If you breathe, this is a great option. Go and enjoy! * Every third Saturday of the month, they do a "Wings and Wheels" event. Classic cars are parked out front while they have a specialized group of airplanes on the taxiway while the Southwest planes land and take off. read more

Houston's 1940 air terminal is currently undergoing a much needed renovation. It's a classic art deco building that has seen some better days. Most of the exterior detailing is worn but the inside detailing is in much better shape. The effort recently won an award from a local preservation group. The museum is currently open and there are plans to enlarge the displays after renovations are completed. I was really surprised by how small it is, but those were the days when air travel was out of the reach of most people. There isn't a whole lot on the terminal itself, maybe two displays. There is a nice collection of airline memorabilia from the major airlines that served Houston back in the day--Braniff, Eastern, Pan Am, Trans Texas/Texas International/Continental as well as more recent carriers like Southwest. There are also several exhibits on private aircraft as well. The museum has a small gift shop and there are plans to open a small snack bar in the future on the second floor. A chatty older docent was there greeting the crowds and while he didn't know a whole lot about the museum, he was generally an agreeable gentleman. If you are into airline history and old commercial aircraft, it's worth the $5 admission fee to see how commercial air travel has changed over the past generation. It's also a great place to watch plans landing and departing from Hobby. read more

Came here on a dreary weekday with my fiance using a two-for-one Groupon. Both of us work have a passion for airline nostalgia and this museum delivers. We were met by a docent who explained a great deal about the start of the Houston airport, its history, rise and fall, and where the museum has been and where it wants to go. He was a very interesting gentleman to listen to, and was genuinely passionate about the museum. The actual terminal building is an Art Deco gem that was spared the wrecking ball 20 years ago when the City of Houston wanted to tear it down and sell the land. Instead, it was put in the care of the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society, which in turn made a museum from the original Houston airline terminal. Much of the terminal remains intact as it was 70 years ago and now houses exhibits on the history of flight, general aviation, corporate aviation, and it shines at highlighting the various domestic and international airlines that called upon this terminal during its years as a passenger terminal. The airline memorabilia, history, logo art, and uniforms used by pilots, stewardesses, mechanics, and ticketing agents is unrivaled. Stories are told, and a bygone era comes back to life. We did not want to leave, and will be back again. read more

One of my favorite places in the city! Jim our curator was the best!!! Had southwest airline pilots wave to us as the landed at hobby which is behind the museum! Jim really did know how to entertain our 3 and 5 year olds! They got to sit in flight simulator that are out of service but with a bit of imagination!!! Saw some planes parked on site and loads of pictures and artifacts of passed airlines! Saw all kinds of smaller planes in the hanger! So worth it! Estimate an hour to 1.5. Found a Groupon and will be bringing friends in the future. Plenty of parking! A true gem just outside the city! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Kids in simulator - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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$5 for this little gem? Cheap at twice the price!! I took my hubby here on Saturday, we got there later than we anticipated (bad restaurant experience!!) and started with an introduction to the museum by one of the volunteers Geoff. He was excellent, he talked with us for 30-40 minutes and gave us an excellent insight into the history of the place. It was wings and wheels weekend, but since we were late to the museum we only had 5 minutes to go out there and most of the wings and wheels were gone but I can imagine it's a sight to behold when the whole lot is there. It was fun watching planes land and take off outside too and there's plenty to look at inside. The building itself was beautiful! I'm going to look into doing an event here - that's how much I loved it! read more

If you have not been here you are definitely missing out on something so amazing right in our back yard. I have lived 10 mins from the 1940 air terminal museum for the past 6 years and just found it a few days ago. If you live anywhere near hobby airport and have yet to go you are missing out big time! And the entrance fee was just $5 and you get so much for so little the employees are very kind and super welcoming! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - So much fun ahh!!! - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

It's a neat little place to visit. It's not the most adventurous place but definitely worth visiting at some point in your life. Especially if you've grown up in Houston and gone through Hobby Air Port. The architecture of the building is pretty neat and the history is really interesting too. There's a lot of interesting tidbits of information about it's history that might surprise you. It's a little whiff of how life was back in the day. Not for a person with a short attention span. :) read more

Had an awesome time here on a field trip with a group of first graders. Such a wonderful staff ( Mr. Kelly and Mr. McCann). This museum was such an interesting find and unique experience for my kids. They were so excited by the model planes and getting a chance to do the flight simulator in the hangar. For $2, you can't beat this place! Check it out! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Inside of an old plane. I have forgotten what type of plane this was. - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I have lived here my whole life! How did I not know about this place? It's a little peice of American history & Houston-history mixed together. I felt as though I traveled back in time! Reading/learning how the women were taught how to pilot the airplanes while the men were at war, was such a great feeling! Something I didn't know! There is a separate place where you can go to check out some planes and get into the cock pit! So cool!! Definitely a place to check out, if you haven't already! It's a slightly hidden. So keep your eyes open when looking for it. They are adding more to the place. read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Me in the cock pit!!! WOOP-WOOP! - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

I brought my daughter here on yesterday and we had a fantastic time together. We learned a lot about the history of aviation in Houston, TX and had a well knowledgable volunteer walk us through the tour. We also visited the hangar where the older model planes are kept and my daughter was able to simulate driving a plane. After the tours, we sat outside and watched the Southwest planes land and take off. I highly recommend this museum as a fun, learning experience for the entire family. Looking forward to our next visit!!! read more

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We were looking for something to do near Houston Hobby while we were in town. The air Terminal Museum is an amazing little gem. George, John and Larry were beyond great. They shared their wealth of aviation knowledge, shared historical facts and career experiences. Going in we figured we would spend maybe an hour touring the museum, wrong! We ended up spending an entire afternoon there. Being able to watch the planes take off and land from outside the back of the museum is priceless. Best $5 you will spend read more

A great place to visit. This historic building is beautiful and I'm glad they are continuing it's restoration. I played tourist today and have wanted to visit this place for a while both being an aviation enthusiast as well as a pilot. I totally recommend! read more

What a treasure this place is, full of the beauty and life aviation truly was back in the day. Free and ample parking in the front, and $5 for museum entrance (for adults). Russ was friendly and enthusiastic sharing details about the terminal's history as well as his personal aviation stories. Later Jim took a small family group and me to the hangar to see the aircraft and flight sims. The location is right by the Hobby Airport runway so you will definitely catch the noise of airplanes taking off. Wonderful little gem, I'll be back! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This "Boutique Museum" is clearly run by people who truly love it. At $5 for adults, $2 for kids and free for military, police and firemen it is a wonderful way to kill a few hours. This is not an all day activity, but if you love flying and planes it is worth the trip. Make sure you ask to go to the hanger to see the planes, they really make the museum. read more

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A hidden gem in Houston. The building is amazing, it is truly a piece of history, and has a great collection of items. One of te few art deco buildings maintained today. Thanks to Amy and Russ for their hospitality! read more

1940 Air Terminal Museum - Entrance to the terminal from the ramp. - Museums Near Me - Houston, Texas