Wow! Can't believe we've never taken the time to visit this place before. What a fantastic AND FREE museum. Amazing restored equipment and impactful exhibits and stories. Don't miss this place. read more

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So.... My hubby loves history and especially military history. He also loves to read every single placard, display, plaque and so on. I was through the entire museum in an hour- I read things that interest me and admire the sheer size and engineering for various planes and tanks. I was fascinated to learn about the "Night Witches"- a Russian squad of female pilots who made nighttime bomb runs. First country to allow women to fly bomb runs. And how they did it- flying low, cutting the engines to glide silently over targets and the only warning was the whistling of the bombs dropping through the air. They also had a ball turret solo on display and I want so badly to sit in one to experience just how tight that was for those few men small enough to even work that under the belly of B-17 or B-24. The tank cut in half was also very impressive. John took almost 2.5 hours and stayed till closing. Bonus- great gift shop, we snagged some Christmas gifts for some of out aviation loving family members! read more

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What an impressive collection of aircraft and armor spread across three buildings. I came on a rainy weekend and surprised myself by spending almost two hours here. Admission was free and admittance was only after staff confirmed I completed my online waiver form. Many of the aircraft and armor have been restored to flying or driving condition and some of them are quite rare. All were WWII vintage from US, UK, Germany, Soviet Union and Japan with the exception of the experimental craft hanging in the third hangar. Those were designs from Paul Allen's former forays in aviation. Great signage and details about each item on display including specific history of use for the aircraft. The museum also contained an engaging and interactive room that summarized the costs of war fought by the US, nuclear bombing of Japan and conflict simulation and rated your ability to respond. I was a little heavy handed in averting war :) Overall excellent and must see if you have an interest. Lots of signs showing the direction to the museum from the main road, lots of parking and excellent facilities. Would like to come back when they have their fly bys to see any of these planes in action. read more

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This a great fascinating museum packed full of history. There were actual planes, many of them fly-able, restored to pristine condition. There were also tanks, ground missile launchers, interactive displays... you name it. The building looked simple from the outside but it's 3 hangers full of military vehicles, mostly from WW2. Docents were available to answer questions and there was a nifty gift shop in the front. We didn't mind picking up souvenirs because admission was FREE and we wanted to support this amazing museum. It's lesser known than the Boeing museum of flight but this is a truly hidden gem. If you are an aviation history buff, you must visit this place. No crowds, leisurely pace. Good sized parking lot and to enter, you must scan the QR code at the entrance. This will bring up a waiver that you complete and sign (name, phone. Email was optional) This waiver is good for 1 year. It's located in Everett, near Paine Field airport. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars! read more

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I'm not much of a history buff as much as my son is, but this place was amazing! It was a short trip from where we were staying. This place was pretty easy to find as there were signs pointing on where to go. We drove up and it was a decent sized parking lot with lots of stalls. Upon entering you will see the check in desk. Surrounded by each side of the desk you'll see the gift shop. They have everything from shirts to bags to toys to books. And you best believe we did not walk out empty handed! There was a total of 3 hangars to explore. I liked how there were volunteers there that were more than happy to talk about the history of the museum and the hopes of once again allowing visitors to see the tanks and planes in action. Apparently this is was used to take place pre-COVID. Nonetheless we were captivated by the nostalgic of everything that we saw. There was also a small theater that played the history of wars throughout the centuries (every 15 - 20 minutes). My son's favorite tank was the M26 Pershing and the plane that served at Pearl Harbor which was the Corsair. He has a soft spot for Pearl Harbor since we live in Hawaii. All in all we spent almost 2 hours going through each and every display. It was well worth the trip and would recommend anyone to visit this place. read more

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Excellent museum with a great collection of airplanes. You can literally feel all the history around those planes when you see them and read their blurbs. And did I mention that almost all the planes are in an airworthy condition? I have gone there 5 times in the last year and still want to go again and I discover something new every time. This is a hidden gem. Unlike the Museum of Flight, it is not crowded (yet) and you get to spend a lot of time admiring each exhibit. read more

This museum features an amazing collection of planes, armored vehicles and other aviation and military gear. Very well curated, with extensive signage and historical context information on most of the exhibits. There are also some terrific interactive sections where one can learn a lot about the history of the times and events represented by this collection. The museum is quite large - allocate a few hours and wear comfortable shoes! The staff of docents are very helpful and well informed. We had some great discussions. A little bit off the beaten path if you are visiting Seattle, but if you're going to see the Boeing factory, this is very close and so well worth the time! read more

This is the largest private collection I've seen. We took daughter and her boyfriend and spent 2.5 hours. We could have spent longer it was that amazing.. Each building has so many pieces of history and each piece tells its.story. Volunteers are there to answer questions if you like and a very friendly. It really wrapped up our trip to Washington . Really worth it. read more

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This is such a great, informative and humbling museum. The first room had a ton of aircraft, tanks and missles with informative info to read and really kind and knowledgeable volunteers telling you more history and info about what you were seeing. The back room talked about war, what leads to it, decision making and some replicas of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.. made me very teary eyed thinking about the magnitude of what these things stand for and what leads up to using them and how certain people / countries come to power. The other rooms were interesting to see the role of women, animals, new opportunities opened up for women and minorities during wartime, the role and impact of being involved with wars not on our own soil, and common manufacturers we know of who now make food or passenger aircraft who used to make guns and artillery, etc. Could spend days in here, especially as it is a lot to take in. highly recommend a visit! I'm still thinking about it! read more

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Spent a couple hours here and could have spent a couple more! Very interesting and well done, so cool to see all of the displays and learn about different planes and tanks from past wars. Most interesting for me was the "why war" installation and the large touchscreen where you could learn about different wars all the way back to the revolutionary war. Highly recommend! read more

Free admission! Does that get you to want to visit here. Have to sign a wavier but that is all. A gift shop with several products such as t-shirts, mugs, die cast models, and other branded and non-branded goods. Historical airplanes, tanks, transportation, and war related pieces of history. 110,000 Sq ft showroom with theater that has regular showings of history war related events. Most of the items on display are from WWII. Recommend this to anyone interested in war or avivation. Could spend a few hours here. No food for sale that we noticed so eat ahead. read more

The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM) is one of Paul Allen's legacies. His interest in preserving historical military artifacts coupled with his Microsoft fortune yields this massive museum with ultra rare pieces from around the world. After acquiring some of these WWII, Korean War and Vietnam era planes and vehicles, the museum restores most of them to mint flying and running condition. Several times a year, some of these famous warbirds and tanks go out to take a spin on special occasions. Check the events schedule for special flying and car crushing days. When you walk into the main hangar you are greeted by a gleaming B-25 Mitchell flanked by a DeHavilland Mosquito, both famous bombers of WWII. The collection also includes WWII Battle of Britain heroes (Spitfire & Hurricane) and their German adversaries (Bf-109 & Fw-190), USAAF (Tomahawk, Thunderbolt & Mustang), USN (Corsair & Hellcat), Imperial Japanese Navy (Zero) & Soviet (Shturmovik) fighters, all in tip top condition. There is even a rare Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber currently undergoing restoration. The collection of armored vehicles include from light scout tanks & armored cars (M3 Stuart), all the way up to main battle tanks (T-54 & M60) and artillery pieces (Long Tom & Scud missile). Of interest are the restored WWII terror weapons, the German V-1 Buzzbomb and the V-2 rockets that rained down on the British cities and countryside. You will also see the atomic weapons that ended the war in the Pacific, the "Little Boy" dropped on Hiroshima and the "Fat Man" dropped on Nagasaki. I got a very visceral reaction when I saw these and the amount of destruction they represent. read more

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A great way to spend an afternoon plus most vehicles and aircraft on exhibit are fully operational. read more

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This a great look into history. Seeing the size and ability of these machines is important. I take a lot of people here and also enjoy their tank days. Everyone has enjoyed it and most of the people under twenty want to go back and take more in. You can walk through and see everything in about 30 minutes, but I recommend setting aside at least a couple hours to take it all in. I have been many times and still find it entertaining and learn new things each time. I have an annual pass which is a good way to go if you plan on more than one visit. read more

Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum - Museums Near Me - Everett, Washington

What a great air museum and what's the best part this is a combat museum also, and they have a full re of different types of tanks from different countries and it is really a fantastic time. They have a free theater that every 15 minutes shows a different film documentary my wife and I are air museum fanatics and this is a great 1 and so well hidden little secret in Everett. So if you're out at Paine field in Everett stop by it'll be worth your time read more

Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum - Putting this on my boat the psycho sardine - Museums Near Me - Everett, Washington

First of all, let me say that this museum visit was not my idea. My husband had picked this venue out on a recent Seattle visit and I decided to accommodate him (I planned on reminding him I endured this when he complained about shopping or one of my tourist picks). While hubby thought everything was fantastic, I was surprised how interesting I found it. A salute mainly to WWII, on display was a fantastic collection of STILL WORKING planes and tanks and even a section on women's contributions Placards gave details of every exhibit. The docents were extremely knowledgeable and I found myself fascinated. Watching a docent learning to drive a tank in the parking lot was also pretty interesting. I didn't find myself bored and there was no whining to hurry up and leave. I'd even go back again! read more

Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum - Great ATV! - Museums Near Me - Everett, Washington

THIS IS AN AMAZING absolutely INCREDIBLE And STUNNING museum. We spent 3 1/2 hours there. It's HUGE! I cannot imagine being a veteran and walking into that place. The restoration of those plane and tanks, must evoke so many emotions. There are THREE HUGE hangars FULL and I MEAN FULL of exhibits! MOST OF WHICH have been restored and are still in use for events and shows...planes and tanks! The educational aspect is amazing. There is a lot of interactive historical stuff. We could have spent 4-5 hours there, had we planned better and taken a lunch! LOL LOL There are also several scheduled historical informative clips worth watching! I cannot say enough good things about this museum. The docents were amazing as well. FULL of information and so willing to share and kind. read more

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If you're a military aviation fanatic like my hubs, this small museum is worth a couple hours of your time. We found a Groupon special of $20 for 2 people (per adult admission is $16) so check there first. We went on a Wed just after they opened and there were already 6 people there. There seemed to be a steady stream of people coming in during are nearly 3 hours there. If you aren't into reading about every single display, then you can breeze thru the two hangers in an hour. A couple of docents were mingling and answering questions. Most of the displays are of aircraft, tanks, vehicles, and anti-aircraft guns used during the different wars. There's also an entire room with interactive wall and table displays all about the wars since the Revolutionary War (except no mention of the Spanish-American War). There are two hangers and a third will be opened in Nov. I'm generally not interested in this type of museum but I'm really glad hubs asked me to go. There's a small gift shop but no cafe or food service. We're planning to return when the 3rd hanger opens. read more

I couldn't give the Flying Heritage Collection any less than 5 stars even if I tried to find fault. I knew the minute I found this museum, I needed to see it in person. Even in person, I was in awe. As all the other reviews have mentioned, there are some beautifully restored battle proven planes and tanks. I would try to set aside at least an hour so that you can take your time reading the displays. The staff are super friendly and always willing to explain pretty much anything you ask them. Remember to bring your camera too. read more

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This was a very interesting place. We were able to get a tour guide for free. We had two hours before they closed and he took us on a tour for the whole two hours. He was great and it was nice that it wasn't extra. I liked the variety of things that were from all different times and places. The woman's bathroom was small but it was nice and clean. The people working at the desk and gift shop were friendly and helpful. read more

Fabulous place for anyone, who love aircrafts, tanks and army, and would like to know more about the wars in the past, especially World War 2. The WHY WAR EXHIBIT is very interactive. No discount for Prime card. Well you can Groupon tickets, which is much cheaper. read more

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Found this gem in the visitor guide and it did not disappoint. We spent hours here. There are planes and tanks and lots of in between. The docents are friendly and knowledgeable. I very much enjoyed this museum. I wouldn't say I am a huge military history buff but I have enjoyed seeing boats and planes that have shaped our military history. We have never seen such a collection of tanks. Fantastic!!! So interesting!! I would recommend this place even if you are only mildly interested in history. As a side note they also have events throughout the year that sound fun. read more

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Wow. Who knew that this gem was so close to home. I have lived in Everett for over 15 years and have never been here until Sunday. It doesn't look like much from the outside and I didn't expect a whole lot to be totally honest. I was completely wrong. If you love aviation and the military then this is the place for you. This place is so rich with history. Everything that you see here is functional and can fly. They have some planes that are the only ones like them left. They have a really cool set up with touch screens and tons of information. I can't wait to go back and really read everything in detail. read more

The Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum has a large collection of airplanes and tanks used in war. With items from United States, Germany, Japan, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom. Most of the planes and tanks are from the World War 2 period and are in good condition. This museum offers a very good and educational experience for people of all ages. I loved learning about the "Night Witches" and this was probably by far my favorite part of this museum. These amazing young women during the Soviet Union flew three planes at night bombing the Germans and this helped them to be so successful. read more

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Extremely well written placards at every turn. Fascinating facts about every aspect of World War II not just the armaments but the people involved. Paul Allen's passion for this collection is evident in the pristine restorations and the astonishing fact that each and everyone of these magnificent planes are actually FLYABLE! read more

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You can't fault it for what it is a museum of planes and armored vehicles. It demonstrates a lot of World War II but it does have more then that. The history of the plane and its application to the battlefield is documented culminating in World War II vehicles from the axis and the allies. Besides the planes and vehicles there are other things to see such as an Interactive video program. The two hangers can be cold so if it's cold outside have a jacket. Definitely a place worth the trip if you're out there. Try to go when they're actually demonstrating some of the planes. And be warned that sometimes the vehicles are being maintenanced which actually makes it more interesting to go as they do it in the hanger. read more

This place was awesome! A lot bigger than I thought and everything was really clean. I'm not much of a reviewer but I had lots of fun even my wife who is not into WWll as much as I am. I will be back for the tank exhibition read more

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5 stars for the collection and five stars for the docents! (can I give 6 stars to the docents?) This far exceeded my expectation after seeing the web site. Paul Allen's vision was to have a collection that was restored to "show room" condition, used in combat, and that could go there again if called. He wants to show the growth of technology used in WW2 and now including Vietnam. Beside aircraft, this includes tanks (like the iconic Russian T38 in snow camo paint). All combatants are represented - Russia, Japan, USA and Britain. Tip- almost easily missed - there is an actual Enigma coding device and code books. For non WW2 geeks - that was the device Gerry used to code and send secret messages. read more

Every airframe here is flight worthy. Every vehicle is road worthy. A few are among the last survivors of their type. The museum is spotless... maintained in a way that shows authentic respect for these amazing machines. Oh, and the mechanics and other staff are more than willing to share their knowledge regarding the unique history of each aircraft. All in all the most remarkable flight museum I've visited, and that's saying something! read more

We loved our visit here! I went with my son, who's ten, and we both really enjoyed ourselves. The planes, tanks, and other vehicles are in amazing condition. There's a lot of educational text to read, quite a few short video presentations, and best of all: we got to meet Art Unruh, a 97 year old B-24 gunner who kindly answered questions and told us a bit about his experiences. Highly recommended! read more

Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum - Museums Near Me - Everett, Washington

This place is awesome! I thought it might just be a collection of planes, but it's truly a place to learn about a very interesting time in history. More of a functioning hangar than a museum, this collections boasts some pretty fantastic pieces - planes, yes, but also tanks, a flak gun, and rocket-powered missiles. There are great informational displays along the sides that talk about the different countries involved in WWII and their contribution to the aviation industry at the time. There are also several short videos you can view throughout the museum. The coolest part about this place is that most of the old aircraft are still functional and they often take them out and fly them for the public! My family went specifically for Luftwaffe Day, one of the fly-days that the FHC puts on throughout out the summer. There was a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5 and a Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3, both flown by experienced pilots. It was pretty darn incredible to see them get the planes started and then even more amazing to see them takeoff and zoom by us over and over. The planes were in fantastic shape and a treat to see in action. There is a super tiny gift shop with some cool stuff - try to get in there BEFORE a fly-day event if you go (otherwise the line will get so long that it streams through the entire store). Prices are $12/person for adults, though we were fortunate enough to have purchased a two-for-one LivingSocial deal, which made it a cheap day for the four of us! A must-visit, as this was a joy to experience. We hope to be back for another fly day before the end of the summer. read more

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Wonderful museum with some incredible pieces of aircraft that are rare or the only one left in the world! We spent about 2 hours here but you could truly spend all day here and not even get through all of the rich and in depth information and history they have on display! There were walls full of interactive touch screen history and fun facts screens, and even conflict resulting scenario machines where you get to go through different scenarios of wars or political movement and decide the moves yourself to see the outcomes! They also host many different events throughout the year that are fun and interesting and keep you and your family fully engaged! Absolutely quality museum kept up by people who truly love the aircrafts and armour vehicles. You can tell they put their all in to making it what it is. read more

This review is specifically for "Tankfest", and not for the museum itself. After visiting the museum and learning about the different events that they have, we decided to buy our family a membership so that we could attend all of the events. After attending Tankfest, I HIGHLY doubt that I would EVER want to attend any of their events again. The whole experience left me so upset and aggravated that I am going to call them and demand a refund for the membership. I will never attend one of their poorly planned events again. Here are the main issues. 1- WAY rude staff and 2- Extremely poor planning with regards to viewing areas (to the point where you can't really see anything if you are a bit later than the crowd) 1. Rude staff - From the very beginning, every single worked that we ran into seemed to have a major chip on their shoulder. I felt better treated at boot camp. This included: Bus driver, line staff, ticket staff, staff inside the event. The worst I would say was the lady at the line as we were trying to leave. We couldn't see a single thing so we decided to leave early. As we were leaving, the lady forced us to walk against the flow of traffic and to stop over the chain multiple times. Seems like a safety hazard with the massive flow of people that I had to fight against as well as carrying a toddler while crossing that chain. I'm lucky I didn't trip and injure myself or my kid. And then to top things off, the bus driver didn't even take us to where we were picked up. 2. Viewing - We really couldn't see a thing. The layout was designed so poorly, unless you were able to get there early enough you really coudln't see a thing. Overall, this was a major disappointment. Let's see if their staff treat us any better when we try to get a refund on this pointless membership. read more

This is a very nice airplane museum on the north side of Seattle. It can be very long to make the drive to the downtown museums, so it is nice to have a place near Everett where families and airplane buffs can spend some time. This place is very heavy into military aircraft from World War II, so prepare yourself. The facility is in a large hangar housing many aircraft. Most are still in flight condition and are used in various activities throughout the year. There are a surprising number of enemy and Russian aircraft in their collection. The displays have a lot of information and unique facts about each airplane, and the docents are always available for questions. The location is a little tricky tucked into the airport, and the museum is drafty and a little cold. However, they show several movies throughout the day and have a annex with tanks and various military and private aircraft. There are three amazing airplane museums and tours at Paine Field - Flying Heritage Collection, Historic Flight Foundation, and the Future of Flight / Boeing Tour. If you like airplanes, make sure to land here sometime! read more

Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum - Panorama shot of museum interior - Museums Near Me - Everett, Washington

The Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum next to Boeing field was a pleasant experience. Lots of aircraft to see & touch, lots of opportunities to get selfies or pictures with family next to one of the worlds biggest collections of World War II aircraft. This is definitely a must see in the Seattle Area and well worth your time and money. read more

Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum - Museums Near Me - Everett, Washington

This museum was amazing! So Much fun to see all these old planes and tanks and read the history. They have done a great job. My only downer was the lady at the desk in the gift shop, she could use a smile. I tried to give her Mine, but it didn't stick. read more

I brought my grandson here for the day, I thought that he would really like it. I really loved it, as did he. everything about this place is wonderful. The people working here were so very helpful and explained everything to us, they welcomed all questions. This is one of the best vintage collections I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. It is worth every cent. read more

This museum is so cool! I absolutely love WWII airplanes! The Museum of Flight has a really nice collection. Much better than the Smithsonian. When you walk in, you are greeted by the front desk where you purchase your tickets. It's $12 for adults, I believe. The foyer has tons of photos and timelines of WWII aircraft. We only had 45 minutes to see the collection (it closes at 5pm) so we opted to skip this. A docent greeted us and led us in to see the collection. He was very informative about each of the planes. What sets this museum apart from the rest is how close you can get to the airplanes. We were able to take lots of good shots with the planes and Space Ship One. Along the perimeter are photos and timelines about each country that was involved in WWII. We didn't have time to really look at them. We did watch a short video about some of the pilots in one of 2 kiosks they had. We're definitely coming back in the summer on one of their "Fly Days" when they test fly some of the planes. They told us the schedule will be online sometime in April. The gift shop here is also really cool. It's small (it only takes up a quarter of their foyer space). But they have many unique items and fun t-shirts. read more

TankFest is my favorite thing about this place, happens once every year but it's awesome. read more

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WOW, just WOW. Very impressive Spitfire, P51, Mosquito, Zero, B25, V1, V2, piloted 'V1' (!!) various armour....and much much more. What most shocked me most was going into the 2nd hangar and being confronted by this "mobile artillery piece". Huge barrel that could deliver tactical nuclear weapons. The Liberator's "tactical firepower" was impressive, and the 'plane maybe moreso because I see it and its little buddies flying over my house every year for Seafair. Slightly disappointed to not see the Hurricane - especially after watching Plane Resurrections https://www.netflixreleases.com/plane-resurrection-2015/ on Netflix - and because I'd built a 1:24 scale Hurricane in my teens. The Mosquito - albeit in pre-new-paint-no-props mode - more than made up for the missing Hawker. Next time, and no excuse needed. Just WOW. Oh, and the entry feel is paltry, which means that it makes sense to just keep returning to see what has changed, or just more detail, more chats with the docents or technicians.... (Had a good chat with the technician working on the latest tank acquisition. The engine and gearbox on the floor being worked was a special treat - instead of it being all covered up). read more