Walter gave a detailed background about Bell Aviation Company. Seems like every little cheery bit of information comes your way. I'd keep coming back until I learn enough about it. Also was interested that Lawrence Bell was formerly employed in his own company while his superior went to California to form Consolidated Aircraft Corportation on his own. read more

I brought my 12-year old son to this great aerospace museum! The museum shows the history of aviation and the role the Niagara Region played in it. There were some gems here, like the P-39 Airacobra found and recovered from the Arctic waters that had the U.S. star insignia painted over by the Soviet's insignia. Walter's tour made the museum come to life! It was inspiring to get a tour from someone who's been involved with aviation since the 1950s. Walter breadth and depth of knowledge were fascinating, and he enthralled my pre-teen with his stories. read more

For the best experience, before you go schedule a tour with Walter. If you want to really learn more than you can read or see at an exhibit; learn and listen from a man that's walked the walk! I've gone two weekends in a row with the expectation of a couple more with Walter. This is the human experience with true history. Thank you Walter!!! read more

Had Walter lead us through the museum. He has a lifetime of aviation experience who knows every detail on the history of aviation in Buffalo and every detail of each of the displays, many of which he personally restored. He's there most Sundays and really brings the history to life. An amazing experience and it was fun to spend an afternoon with such amazing machines. read more

I was at the museum yesterday,for the first time.the place is awesome. It has alot of displays and information.I didn't realize ,that this area had such an impact on aviation development .We also had the pleasure to have Walter give us a guided tour.He has such a wealth of knowledge, and shared it with us,for several hours.Walter is a treasure!very lucky to have someone who gives his time freely.I highly recommend this museum. read more

What a gem of an aviation museum with so much great soaring-high history, all in one location, with many visual references to western New York's contributions to aviation!! I've been to a few air museums there and here, all incredible aviation-related historic items, and Niagara Fall's aerospace museum is no exception!! Be sure to visit each corner because there is a LOT to see and read! There are also quite a few videos etc that are available, and you will need to spend more than just a "few minutes" to visit and enjoy each historic moment. A good amount of souvenirs and apparel are available to preserve and remember your visit too!! Well worth a visit if you can spare a few "minutes!". Located within the Niagara Falls International Airport complex and to the right as you exit out at the traffic circle. Did I mention the very friendly knowledgeable people who work there? If not familiar with the airport, you could look at googleMaps [unintentional referral] for its exact location before driving out! After you've visited the aerospace museum, you could drive a short distance to the Falls to check out Prospect Point/Goat Island and see again WHO left their water faucet open at the Falls!! read more

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Had heard about this museum for many years, but never bothered to go until this past weekend. My bad! Assumed we would be through it in an hour; again, my bad. you could do that, for a quick overview, but this museum has SO much to offer, including free guided tours by knowledgable, easy-going, friendly volunteers. Never knew all the significant contributions people from WNY had made to the history of flight, right up to and including the present. The museum is on the same property as the Niagara Falls airport, and the signage needs improving, but you'll find it. Bring your own water to drink, b/c you'll stay much longer than you plan! read more

$10 adult admission, $5 military and other discounts that I forgot already. But price was great for an hour and a half reading everything and seeing versions of planes, helicopters, training systems, rockets, and equipment. At the end was a children's area and a flight simulator and landing simulator to try your hand at. There was a tour guide but he was occupied with another guest so another man shared what he knew with a car mechanic background, which fit well with the displays and enhanced our visit anyways. Parking free and basically a covered walkway in so it's good on rainy or snowy days. I was fascinated by the emphasis on Buffalo history and how much happened here and in New York in general. read more

Niagara Aerospace Museum - Museums Near Me - Niagara Falls, New York

I went to the Niagara Aerospace Museum with my girlfriend over the thanksgiving weekend. I have some interest in the technical aspects of the science of flight, but my girlfriend was the one who really wanted to go because she has a strong interest in flying and maybe becoming a pilot someday. We were planning on casually browsing for about an hour but we were surprised to find when we got there, a tour was available at no additional cost. Walter lead our tour. He is an 85 year old volunteer with an immense knowledge of the science and history of aviation and aerospace technology. It was basically impossible to keep it to an hour. We focused a lot on the history during our tour, but Walter's knowledge goes far beyond the history. Walter told us he could spend hours, even across multiple days talking with engineering students about the science behind rockets including the chemical structure of the fuel to the mechanics of the controls and the calculus behind it. Overall this was a very enlightening experience. I was surprised to find how much of the history of aviation took place right here in Western NY! read more

If you're looking for something to do for an hour and a half, this is a great way to learn something new about WNY history. It goes into detail about three airplane manufacturers based in WNY- Bell, Curtiss, and Consolidated. Each section covers the history, has model airplanes of those manufactured here, fun facts about each company, and some real artifacts like engines and parts, and even a few real planes and helicopters. There are also displays on other related local companies such as Moog and Scott Aviation. Small section on space and NASA including the original control board used during "Houston, we had a problem". Quite a few plaques commemorating the significance of the planes and objects that were the first of their kind made here, and really will make you proud of all the innovation that took place here in WNY. At the end, there's a movie and simulators, a plane simulator you can sit in and control, a lunar lander you can land with joysticks and another small plane for preschoolers to play in. Overall, this is a great museum that needs a little love. I'm not into planes but still found much of it very interesting. I think anyone with family members who worked for any of the companies featured would also feel proud of the legacy they left. I'd consider coming here again one day if they get any new exhibits. We had a Groupon and it was well worth seeing at least once. I hope this museum can get more funding, it deserves it. You can tell many of the exhibits were probably put together by lots of passionate volunteers but some of them seem a little dated. read more

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The visit to this museum was a real time-travel all the way back to the beginning of air traffic. David was our living "GudeBook" who had so much knowledge about both history and air technology. The museum had authentic aircrafts that David knew all about: My mom is a former pilot and took advantage of the pilot simulators that brought her old memories back alive. Please visit and support this museum when in the area. read more

This is a hidden gem in Buffalo, NY. A must see, if you are in the area. I was visiting family, and had an opportunity to visit this museum. There are so many historic aviation artifacts, with insightful displays. There is also a hands on area for small children, and a simulator that teens and adults, will enjoy. The museum is located next to an active runway, so there's also the opportunity to see planes take off and land. The gift shop is small, but I purchased some neat postcards, a magnet and an aviation book. My sister bought several T-shirts and postcards. Everything was quite affordable. Restrooms are available. There is modest charge for admission. Parking is free. Call ahead for hours, to make sure they are open. read more

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Such an amazing experience. It's not super impressive from the outside but don't let that fool you. It's filled with amazing historical pieces and information, guided by very knowledgable staff that will give you a tour of information that will blow your mind. We were led by Walter, who is an 87 year old pilot and aero engineer himself, and the amount of knowledge he has is so impressive. My kids learned a lot and so did we! Worth every dollar, and the books, magazines and memorabilia you can buy are also so worth the trip!! Stop by if you can! read more

Walter was our guide for this tour this man was an erudite in his field. His knowledge added to the overall tour of the museum. We ordered a Groupon to and visit the museum so our family went. We learned that Buffalo has a huge connection to the history of flight. There was several different parts of the museum that added to the experience, several engines were cut open to expose the inner workings. This houses two full sized prop airplanes one of which was used to fly from Albany to New York City as a prototype airplane just three years after the Wright Brothers flew their aircraft. When you are looking for a good time that is based in an educational based entertainment this is the place to go. There were so many model aircraft and placards to look at and read it would take you about four hours of a guided tour to truly uncover all that this place has to offer. read more

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Neat place that portrays Buffalo's role in the development of technologies for travel, war, and space. Small space for all of the displays, models, and timelines, but it works for the most part. The museum has part of the control panel from NASA as well as other impressive pieces. Staff was pleasant, gift shop area is incredibly outdated; still selling VHS tapes! Worth seeing and definitely some interesting pieces, but probably don't need to go back. read more

Niagara Aerospace Museum - Museums Near Me - Niagara Falls, New York

This museum has a myriad of exhibits and artifacts from the history of flight. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable, and I enjoyed the experience of the tour. Walter W. took us on our tour, and his knowledge of the exhibits was fascinating. Even though the museum has a relatively small size compared to other museums, it is rich in its comprehensive displays of local flight. The artifacts and tour guides create an environment in which the history seems to comes alive. I highly recommend this museum. read more

Walter Lechowski was one of kind and full of knowledge and life experience. My 11yr old son and Walter bonded from the first 5 minutes we walked in the door. Over 2hrs later it turned into a study and quiz session which my son thoroughly enjoyed it. I guarantee we will be back to continue the tour or repeat some parts that kept his interest. My favorite was the b39 that was pulled from the lake in 2004. excellent story and background about building this planes in WNY for WWII. read more

We cannot say enough about this museum. If you are at all interested in aviation, this is a must see. We were very fortunate to have Walter as our tour guide today. As other people have stated, this gentleman is knowledgeable beyond belief. Aviation is his passion and it is evident in the stories he imparts. The exhibits are first class, many carefully restored there at the facility. This is truly a hidden gem. read more

We drove from Toronto to take a trip to Buffalo and visited the museum where we were pleasantly surprised. Thanks to Walter L, we had such an amazing experience. He is knowledgeable about all the history, science and practicality of the industry and he showed us "behind the scenes" stuff that made it more memorable and engaging. Our two teenagers also enjoyed the trip and all the information provided by Walter. Walter is a volunteer and takes his time showing you around and does it in the kindest way and his passion for the museum is refreshing. This is a world of planes, helicopters, NASA and space exploration and I recommend adding it to your list of must-see places in Buffalo. Parking is free. It is a great way to spend your afternoon there. Thank you again Walter. read more

Wonderful museum in Niagara Falls. Buffalo was once a hub of aeronautical engineering and this museum showcases the work of many, many local people over the past 100 years. check out their website for more information: http://aerospace.bfn.org/index.htm I recomend you call before you show up to confirm their hours. They have the original X-22A on display. It's an airplane...It's a helicopter! Great place for the kids. They have an entire room dedicated to model airplanes and a fantastic theater. read more