Aviation Museum of New Hampshire

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Aviation Museum of New Hampshire The Aviation Museum of N.H. is operated by the N.H. Aviation Historical Society, a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Admission $10 per person; $5 ages 6-12, seniors 65+, vets & active military; free to members and kids 5 and under.

Today! From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. it's Family Fun Friday at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where we have hands-on act...
10/23/2026

Today! From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. it's Family Fun Friday at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where we have hands-on activities for parents and young children to enjoy together. Kids 5 and under are free, so come visit—plane-watching included! And tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 24) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., kids in costume can earn a genuine Witch's Broomstick Pilot's License at our 'Haunted Halloween Hangar.' It's fun and free to all ages! More info on the website linked in the comments below.

Yes, we've got foliage, too! But the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire ALSO has great plane-watching thanks to Manchester...
10/22/2026

Yes, we've got foliage, too! But the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire ALSO has great plane-watching thanks to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport right next door. Check out the new "Independence One" paint job on a Southwest 737-800 arriving Thursday afternoon from Baltimore on Runway 35. Great free entertainment for one family—why not yours?

Success! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire's 2026 Gala, held on Thursday, Oct. 8 at Manchester Community College in M...
10/20/2026

Success! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire's 2026 Gala, held on Thursday, Oct. 8 at Manchester Community College in Manchester, N.H., raised $20,000 to support the museum's programs and activities.

More than 200 supporters came together to celebrate the museum's continued success, enjoy live music and a great meal, and participate in fundraising activities including a silent auction and raffle. A highlight was the presentation of the colors by members of the Manchester Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.

This year's focus was on historic preservation, with the emphasis on a planned new exhibit, "Robert Fortnam: Pilot, Patriot, P.O.W.", that will feature videotaped recollections of former museum volunteer Fortnam (1922-2017), a B-17 pilot in World War II who spent 19 months as a German prisoner of war.

Keynote speaker Howard Mansfield, author of 'I Will Tell No War Stories,' discussed the reticence of World War II veterans to talk about their experiences, which helped convey the importance of making Fortnam's first-hand accounts available to museum visitors.

Other speakers included Wendell Berthelsen, Kevin Grady of the Daedalians, Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais, and Evan Tvrdik of Panoptic Design/Build, the firm the Aviation Museum is partnering with to develop the Fortnam exhibit.

Mayor Ruais read out a resolution proclaiming Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026 as "Robert Fortnam Day" in the City of Manchester, while Executive Director Jeff Rapsis read a proclamation issued by N.H. Gov. Kelly Ayotte proclaiming the date "Robert Fortnam Day" in the state of New Hampshire.

Pledges totaling $13,000 were made to support the exhibit, launching a campaign that aims to raise $60,000 needed to complete the project. Thanks to all who attended, all our sponsors and supporters, and all the volunteers and staff who helped make the Aviation Museum's 2026 Gala one to remember!

No ch*****ne bottles were broken, but a bevy of VIPs were on hand to christen the second airplane completed by students ...
10/20/2026

No ch*****ne bottles were broken, but a bevy of VIPs were on hand to christen the second airplane completed by students at the Manchester School of Technology. The ceremony, held at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Saturday, Oct. 10, kicked off with a traditional fire engine water arch from the Manchester Airport Fire Department to welcome the plane, a two-seat Van's Aircraft RV-12iS, and culminated in a ribbon-cutting on the airport's East Ramp adjacent to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, a partner in the plane-building project. Speakers included N.H. Gov. Kelly Ayotte, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, and Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais, who each cited the importance of STEM education in preparing young people for tomorrow's workplace. The program also included Jeff Sullivan, MST aviation instructor, who supervised the build, and was highlighted by remarks from Katrina Maglio, a former MST student who helped build the airplane and is now employed by Signature Aviation at the airport. The ceremony was followed by a cake served al fresco in the museum parking lot. The aircraft, which took three school years to complete, will undergo final testing in the next few weeks and then be sold to a buyer by TangoFlight, a partner in the plane-build project. Meanwhile, students and mentors continue to work on Plane #3 in MST's workshop-hangar. Many thanks to volunteer Steve Heffelfinger for the photos.

High-level attention! The nation's top school official, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, paid a visit to the M...
10/20/2026

High-level attention! The nation's top school official, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, paid a visit to the Manchester (N.H.) School of Technology plane-building workshop during a swing through the Granite State on Thursday, Oct. 15. Accompanied by an entourage of VIPS including N.H. Education Commissioner Caitlin Davis and Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais, Secretary McMahon spoke at length with Maddux Durell, a senior at Manchester Memorial High School who's enrolled in the MST plane-building program. Secretary and student enjoyed a lively discussion about how students go about building airplanes for academic credit with the help of volunteer mentors supplied by the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire and the expertise of TangoFlight, both non-profit partners in the program. State education officials chose to include the plane-building program in McMahon's one-day itinerary as an example of education making use of new ideas and creative approaches to meet the needs of today's students.

Now online! Browse more than 1,300 aviation books in the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire’s ‘Slusser Aviation Lending Li...
10/20/2026

Now online! Browse more than 1,300 aviation books in the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire’s ‘Slusser Aviation Lending Library.’ It’s a curated collection of some of the best aviation books produced in the past 100 years. It’s also an aviation enthusiast’s dream: hundreds of books on aircraft, airlines, aviation history, and more! We have biographies, historical fiction, N.H. aviation specialty books—the list goes on.

Any Aviation Museum visitor is welcome to browse the books in person during normal business hours—access to the Slusser Aviation Lending Library is included with admission. Imagine whiling away an afternoon exploring some of the most impressive aviation books ever produced!

Getting our lending library into a database and putting it online is the first step towards upgrading our membership system so that books can be checked out using a bar code scanner. Stay tuned, as we hope to roll that out sometime next year as another benefit to membership, which starts at $50 a year.

For now, many thanks to the members of our Library Committee, pictured below. They’ve worked since last winter on categorizing and creating entries on all volumes in our library—currently 1,358 and counting! For more info, check out our Slusser Aviation Lending Library page on our website, linked in the comments below. Or just click over to our online book collection and start planning for your next visit!

Coming this Saturday! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will issue pilot licenses for kids to fly broomsticks at 'Hau...
10/19/2026

Coming this Saturday! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will issue pilot licenses for kids to fly broomsticks at 'Haunted Halloween Hangar' To obtain official broomstick license on Saturday, Oct. 24, young witches and warlocks must meet ghosts of aviation past, receive Halloween treats

Long before the Wright Brothers took to the sky, the original aviators were witches with their broomsticks. And this Halloween, local youngsters can join in the airborne black magic by getting an official Broomstick Pilot License from the Aviation Museum of N.H.

Broomstick Pilot Licenses will be issued on one day only, on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Aviation Museum, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. Youngsters and the young at heart may obtain a license for FREE by visiting the museum in costume. Admission is FREE during the Haunted Halloween Hangar event.

"We're delighted to give families a way to prepare for Halloween by visiting the regional bureau for official Broomstick Pilot Licenses," said Jeff Rapsis, executive director of the non-profit Aviation Museum, which is based in the 1937 art deco passenger terminal at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

At the museum, Broomstick Pilot License applicants must first go through a brief "ground school" prior to getting a license. Applicants will meet the ghosts of past aviation pioneers, who will describe their achievements and explain basic principles of flight.

In prior years, spirits who've turned up have included the ghosts of legendary aviators Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and Alan Shepard, who described their exploits and achievements. Each ghost rewards young broomstick pilots with Halloween treats after listening to a brief talk. Broomstick Pilot Licenses are issued under the authority of Glenda the Witch, the Aviation Museum's Official Broomstick Check Pilot, who will be on hand to greet applicants and supervise the licensing process.

Headshots will be taken of each applicant for their license, which will be awarded at the completion of ground school. A typical visit to obtain a license will last 20 minutes, although visitors are welcome to stay at the museum longer. Glenda the Witch recommends applicants come dressed in their Halloween costumes to improve chances of getting a license. Each license, which will be valid on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, entitles the bearer to operate any broomstick or broomstick-like device for aviation purposes only.

"Just like regular pilots, anyone wishing to fly a broomstick or broomstick-like device must obtain an official license," said Jeff Rapsis, the museum's director.

The Aviation Museum of N.H., located at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H., is a non-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization dedicated to celebrating New Hampshire's role in aviation history and inspiring tomorrow's pioneers, innovators and aerospace professionals.

Named "Best Place to Take Kids" in southern New Hampshire the past six years in the HippoPress Readers Poll, the museum is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. All visitors will be admitted free during the "Haunted Halloween Hangar" on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. At other times, museum admission is $15 for adults, $7.50 for ages 6 to 12, kids 5 and under free, with discounts for seniors and veterans. For more info about the Aviation Museum, visit our website (linked in the comments below) or call (603) 669-4820.

Stocking stuffers with a little history—and a whole lot of holiday cheer!Discover a brand-new soap collection celebratin...
10/17/2026

Stocking stuffers with a little history—and a whole lot of holiday cheer!

Discover a brand-new soap collection celebrating trailblazing women at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire store!

Jennifer’s Handmade Soaps pairs lovely scents with remarkable stories—perfect for cleansing, pampering, and holiday gifting:

Harriet Quimby — Lilac
The first woman to fly solo across the English Channel.

Pancho Barnes — Cashmere Plum
A pioneering stunt pilot who broke Amelia Earhart’s women’s world speed record.

Rosie the Riveter — Bohemian Rose
The iconic symbol of the women who built aircraft and other essential equipment in America’s factories during World War II.

Amelia Earhart — Almond Biscotti
The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.

Tuck a little history into their stockings and get a flying start on holiday shopping at the museum store!

Rainy day = a great day to visit the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where fun activities for all ages are in today's ...
10/16/2026

Rainy day = a great day to visit the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where fun activities for all ages are in today's forecast. For families with young kids, it's 'Family Friday' with hands-on activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For older guests (age 13 and up), our Elite Flight Simulator is running today from 1 to 4 p.m. It's included with museum admission and gives visitors the opportunity to experience take off, flight, and (we hope) landing under the guidance of a trained docent. Also, visitors can explore our many thought-provoking exhibits, learn about the nearly 100-year history of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, meet some of the incredible Granite Staters who made their mark on aviation (such as legendary Apollo-era astronaut Alan Shepard, whose first flights were at this very airfield), browse our museum store and its inventory of one-of-a-kind aviation items, and watch aircraft take off and land right outside our front door! Find out why we were named 'Best Place to Take Kids' six years running in the annual HippoPress Readers' Poll. See you at the Aviation Museum!

A close encounter w/UFO legends Barney, Betty Hill—it's a one-time event that’s sure to be out of this world. The progra...
10/14/2026

A close encounter w/UFO legends Barney, Betty Hill—it's a one-time event that’s sure to be out of this world.

The program—a look at the alien abduction legend of Portsmouth residents Betty and Barney Hill—takes place on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth, N.H. The program is presented in partnership with the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, and is the latest installment in the 'Exploring Aviation' series.

On the night of Sept. 19, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill were driving through New Hampshire’s White Mountains on their way back to Portsmouth from their honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls and Montreal. On Route 3, near Franconia, they saw a light in the sky. Their world, and ours, was never the same again.

The Hills’ ensuing story of alien abduction changed lives and helped shape the cultural imagination of a generation, especially influencing perception around outer space and space travel. The Hills’ narrative of their abduction and descriptions of their captors influenced how aliens were portrayed in science fiction for decades.

For the Oct. 15 presentation, doors to the Portsmouth Historical Society will open at 6:30 p.m. to allow visitors time to peruse an ongoing exhibit of artwork inspired by the Hills’ experience. Tickets are $10 per person; Aviation Museum members admitted free. All attendees are asked to register online using the QR code in the images below or the link in the comments.

Address

27 Navigator Road
Londonderry, NH
03053

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 1pm - 4pm

Telephone

(603) 669-4820

Website

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