Reviews of 1940 Air Terminal Museum (Museum)

Greg Palmer

A hidden gem full of travel nostalgia; sure to be appreciated by anyone with an ounce of love of air travel.

Raillan Young

Awesome place to visit! The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Loved the architecture and the exhibits.

Wicked Angel

We have been vendors at the Houston Vintage Market that's located at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum. We're always so impressed by how welcoming the staff is to all us retro nuts. Many people who work there are volunteers who have a deep appreciation for They all take such pride in this most-intriguing time capsule of air travel. Lovely place! Super people! 5 STARS!!! #1940airterminalmuseum #htx #airterminalmuseum #houstontexasmuseum #replayvintagegoods #houstonvintage #houstonvintagemarket

Tom Heintke

Docents tell great stories about their life and their careers. Great museum.

Normal Person

It is a really special place, if you are into aviation, please, visit.

syby1112

Local aviation started at hobby airport, built for residential community Garden Villas.

Karen Wilson

Great tour guide

Ted Doe

Great hidden treasure! Houston needs more of its history preserved like this.

stanley gines

Fun history

Traci Coker

Great Venue! Love the nostalgia of the building and museum.

Lorraine Mondragon

Had a wedding here. It was the best because guests not interested in the party got to wander thru the exhibits. Great venue!

Philipp Christen

Had the best time here! Great guides, interesting exhibits, fascinating stories told by the volunteers.

Philipp Schlatter

A lot of stuff, but not so much information... The building is kinda nice (and unexpected) though...

Jesus Phillips

Very fun, alot of bang for the buck. Kids enjoy visiting the museum once a month. Great place to watch planes fly out and land

Edmond Garcia

Awesome piece of history here and they have some cool shows that involve fly-in's of aircraft and car shows together.

John Story

Fun museum. Great building, interesting displays, lots of history. Friendly, helpful people. Great small museum experience.

Unisaurus And Friends

I attended several events here and can’t wait to come back by myself!

Galdino De Jesus

Verygood could be back on my next time

Flyt Deck

This is a unique venue to explore past days of elegant air travel. The museum is the actual terminal building from 1940, one of the few original purpose built structures. Inside is restored with many artifacts from past and present airlines who used the terminal. This volunteer based museum recalls the gentler, more refined years of air travel.

George Koroneos

This is an excellent, albeit small, museum located near the Hobby Airport. It's a stunning example of art deco design from a time when air travel was a luxury. The gentleman at that sells the tickets will answer any questions and is a wealth of information. The museum is broken up into two wings that store a ton of mid-century aviation relics and collectibles. The place has been mostly restored to its former glory and there are some old planes on the grounds that you can view. You can spend an hour and a half here if you are only familiar with aviation, but I think it's time well spend and should also appeal to fans of mid-century and art deco design

Devon Edgmon

Loved it! Lots of interesting history including artifacts & memorabilia. Only $5.

Howard Wayland

This was the original terminal for the main airport in Houston (Ellington field was an Army Air base in WWI and WWII). I remember going there as a child to picking up family at the terminal. This terminal building and airport was home of the WACs in WWII. the WAC (Womens Air Corp) ferried bombers and fighters to London during the war, so fighter and bomber pilots (that were in shortage) could be used to fight the war. This is a very good historical museum of Houston's rich air history. They now have a few vintage airplanes and helicopters in their collection. This place is worth the trip, and is very affordable.

Brandon Culbreth

Was not expecting much when we went here but i must say that we had a blast here with all 4 of our kids. So much memorabilia and history. Also the gentleman that was volunteering and giving the tour was very knowledgeable. The exhibit overall was way better than i had expected. This is a hidden gem for sure. They also have a hanger right down the road with more cool stuff in there. If you havent been you need to go!

Zachary Watson

Really cool place

Pat ONeill

The Seniors from Watercrest at Shadow Creek Ranch had a wonderful time at the Museum! Our tour guide, Mr John McNulty, was fantastic, sharing his vast knowledge of Houston aviation history. Again, it was GREAT! Thank you John.

G B

really cool stuff, come spend a couple hours here, worth it

Isaiah Costner

Great museum with friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Felicia Beal

It's like time travel...when the planes were all new and the flight fashions were elegant. Such cool, little-known details are revealed during the annual Houston Vintage Festival I attend. Love that we could see an air show and actually touch the planes, which is awesome for kids. Only wish more well-advertised events were held here...

Matthew Siebert

Great Place full of history!

Kevin Jensen

Great staff, cool history. My son loved watching the planes.

Bunches McGuinty

Such a hidden gem. Hubby wanted to go, and I couldn't figure out how people spent hours there. .. But I was sad to leave after 2.5 hours! Really interesting, and the volunteer guides are just wonderful. Do not skip this one!

Oliver Mathieu

Beautiful old piece of Houston's history. Only problem is houstonians don't really care about history. If this place could multiply it's attendance it would quickly become a amazing place to visit but with the low attendance the renovation of this museum will take ages. So do you care about history? If so show up and support the renovation.

Cordero Garcia

Great little place. It's in the works so there is some unfinished parts but over all it was nice to see all the old relics and pictures. Very knowable staff answered all the questions we had!

Jane Hoyt

Very interesting museum in a restored 1940's. Art Deco building ❣️

hangnath64 hangnath64

Must see museum in Houston! So much to learn in here! Friendly staff, amazing docent. Check if you can visit the hangar or see the planes of Hobby Airport !

Adolfo Coronel

Very interesting and welcoming museum. kind of small but also just $5 entry so it balances out. Definitely worth visit if you want to make some time before a flight at hobby.

Anthony Dewstow

Lots of good aviation history here!

Yocheved S

Fun place for history buffs. Younger kids will enjoy pretending to fly 3 types of planes, pulling levers and pressing buttons in the cockpit.

ibdaly

What an awesome little place. It's filled with so much history and beautiful collections that have been donated by locals. The guys there were super nice & helpful and the planes look amazing there. Even the tickets are cheap so no excuse to not go.

Deven Nongbri

Really interesting place, somewhat off the beaten path but worth the trip to check it out. Makes for a great complement to a day at Johnson Space Center if you're hanging around I-45 for the day. Did you know the precursor to Hobby Airport had international flights in the 40s and 50s? All kinds of great facts and details from that era, including a vintage plane you can climb into. Family friendly!

zamir Y

Very good experience

noodlenoggin

I had time to kill before my flight out of Houston Hobby, and found this cool little museum around the corner. I spent probably an hour and a half poring over the exhibits. BUT, I'm a total geek for aviation. The exhibits here are airplane models, paraphernalia, photos, correspondence, etc. My kids would be done here in probably 12 minutes, tops. I had a blast looking through all the history of the Houston airport, and air travel in the region. And, the museum is in the art-deco terminal built in 1940, which is cool in itself. All in all, worth the $5 to get in and worth going once if you're an avgeek.

Terence Louie

Educational fun for all ages.

Rachelle Calida

Ask for the hanger tour. Family of 4 with boys 15 and 13. We all loved it.

Tricia Shorr

Excellent afternoon spent with knowledgeable and humorous volunteers that explain in detail the history of the 1940 terminal. You can actually go into some planes and simulators. Well worth the trip.

Brian Stephenson

Fabulous!!!

Dawn Beard

Took my 4 kids ages 10,9,8, and 7. They loved every minute! Lots of hands on!

Joshua B

Great place. Will be going back again.

B&V Ng

It's well beyond a great beginning as a historical museum site of Houston's original commercial air terminal! Has lots of very interesting artifacts with information that will have to be viewed again to fully appreciate. Yes, it's still a work in progress, by volunteers. Just glad someone is doing this for posterity's sake!

Terry Canup

Still under construction, but certainly worth going to!

Cody Glover

Such a cool little museum, lots of memorabilia and pictures of wistful times gone by. Flying used to look so fun!

aviDiego Arroyo

Love the museum, very friendly staff, great memorabilia, the place has been restored on the inside and its only 5 bucks. Also they will escort you outside in the back onto the paddock to see airlines land and take off at Hobby Airport and have a separate hanger offering guided tours of various aircraft.

Regina Cooper

Super interesting. I went with a class of kids and we all had a great time. The hosts were so informative.

Nx Jia

Small place. Not much to see

Morgan Elaine G

I wish I had known this place existed sooner! I was a flight attendant for 5 years and I am very into vintage fashion so this is a win for me! I found this place because of the Houston Vintage Market and hope to go back soon! They have some amazing stuff in their collection!!

Clinton Ford

Friendly and knowledgeable staff of volunteers. Always clean and top notch displays.

Derek Dalmolin

Awesome facility with cool history.

Christopher Hinojosa

A small but beautiful museum about airplanes and the old HOU airport. Loved visiting and learning so much!

Becky Stevens

Fantastic experience and personal tour

Andrej Walilko

An intimate and interesting museum with friendly and knowledgeable docents. Great history of local aviation, personal and commercial, and a hangar with planes, simulators, tower equipment, and a helicopter, each with their own story. Collection of heyday commercial aviation memorabilia including stewardess uniforms. The art deco building is slowly undergoing historic renovation, and if the completed lobby is an indication, it will be beautiful. A cool hidden gem of Houston.

Emma Nyien

I enjoyed my visit to the air termnal museum and seeing the artifacts from airline's past and visiting Houston's 2nd air terminal.

Corey Wilson

Great place! Love the atmosphere. I’m a huge fan of the 1930’s 40’s 50’s and 60’s so coming to a place that is stuck in the 40’s was heaven for me. Mainly I came for the building, but the planes and museum pieces are awesome.

Bill Cape

The building is fairly small and we were not permitted to go upstairs, but the old terminal is very well restored with lots of great memorabilia. Only $5.00 and free for vets. It's easy enough to get to and "Hats off" to our "guide". He was very informative and gave us a perspective we could never have gotten on our own. A real enthusiast. Plan on being there for about an hour and a half to get the real feel of the museum.

Daniel Maxwell

A wonderful visit in to Houston's role in aviation.

C J

I recommend a visit to this significant & interesting historical gem that tells the story of the airport that became Hobby and the people and businesses that helped along the way. It is loaded with great artifacts and memorabilia. Did you know it was named Howard Hughes Airport for about 5 months back in 1942? The architecture of the terminal building is gorgeous and was designed by Joseph Finger who also designed Houston City Hall. We had a wonderful time and thank the people that saved the terminal and hangar and continue to share the history.

Bill Frame

A place I didn't know about. The original Houston airport terminal, turned into a museum. Mostly air travel memorabilia, a couple of airplanes. Not something that will keep you busy all day, but definitely interesting and worth the stop. A little difficult to find, a couple blocks off of Telephone Rd. Worth the effort to find it.

Joe Works

VIP tour great experience and information

Lanny Kibbey

Love this place

Jonathan Zapata

An extraordinary hidden gem. Not many know about this museum and the importance of this 1940's Air Terminal. All the employees are amazing. I have also met friendly volunteers who were passionate about their work. The lobby of this Air Terminal will take you back in time!

D Hua

It was an excellent exhibit for commercial airplane enthusiasts as well as people interested in the past. They had a lot of cool things to see. The bathrooms were set back to how they were at that time and it looked very amazing. They had a plane they took us to see as well. It’s very near one of the currently used airports in Houston. It’s a great place to go and see!

Gregory ortega

Very nice people there that operate the place. $5.00 and $2.00

Gerrit Lawrence

Very cool, alot of history. It is still a work in progress but worth the stop.

Kathleen Withers

Really fun place and knowledgeable staff . Very affordable

Javier Perez

Had a really great time here as we hosted a private event for our family. It was a pleasant experience except the room was crowded. The event we hosted was a baby shower and the air terminal was a great idea for our theme since it was airplane theme. We took some fantastic retro photos in the museum which gave the pics a classic look. Also got a chance to take a few groups of people to the hangar to see some of the old planes up close.

Gee

Not a really good tour guide

F kafka

Very nice small museum. Well with a visit.

Megan Hurwitt

Gorgeous location. Great for weddings, and for just exploring 1940s aerospace

Gaby Zapata

Good little museum, well maintained

Naush Khiljee

Really cool retro planes. Made for a great photoshoot

Ryan Brokaw

What a great place! Ton of history and great friendly staff! When i get back to houston i will be going back to see their progress. They are continuously working to restore the terminal.

Peggy Machol-Bassett

The history of Houston Aviation comes alive in this museum on the edge of Houston's Hobby Airport!

Victor Diaz

Nostalgic and fun.

Tiphlizs VP

It's really a cool museum to check out. It's the only and first Art Deco airplane museum in Houston. There are very few left in the United States. Every third Saturday of each month they have the wheels and car larger event it's a must go...

Michael Araiza

Had a few hours to spare waiting for flight so stopped in to check this place out. Restored historic 1940 Houston Airport terminal in the art deco style. Great info about Houston's aviation history and lots of flight memorabilia. The volunteer provided lots info

Ski Magikowsky

If you love aviation, its history and memorabilia, this is the place. GREAT tours and like the amount of history. So much great stuff. Great for kids also to watch the jets.

Kristina Culley Nelson

Lovely little museum. Lots of commercial airline memorabilia and interesting for those with an interest in aviation or aviation history.

JULIAN R. CORTINAS

Really cool museum....a hidden Houston gem, hosting historic goods showing a timeline of Houston Hobby Airport history. If they could they would have a mummy of Howard Hughes.

Denise Craigen

Quite a historical little place. The first commercial air terminal in Houston and it's now a museum. For anyone interested in Aviation HIstory this is a must do.

Adrian Plunkett

We loved this place. The volunteers are very enthusiastic and they have a lot to be enthusiastic about. Highly recommended for all aviation buffs.

Nadia Pervez

It's a great place to visit for anyone interested in aircraft, aviation, history, or architecture. The volunteers staffing the museum are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. 4 year old loved the decommissioned simulators.

Casey

Such a great museum! If you love the history and lore of aviation, this is great. As for price, you couldn't ask for better. A volunteer, Mr. Haines, was very knowledgeable and informative. He walked us through some exhibits and shared much info. I do wish the gift shop was a little more enticing, perhaps some vintage airline T-shirts, stickers, etc, but it is worth going.

Matthias Abke

Good museum. Should take about a half hour to an hour to see the whole thing. Admission is only 5 dollars though so it is reasonably priced.

Ngaire Mann

Staff are great, very helpful, happy to share their knowledge, small museum, however a lot of interesting local aviation history.

David Hathaway

Surprisingly large collection of Houston aviation memorabilia. Today there was a docent with 50 years aviation experience who was kind enough to share his enthusiasm for Howard Hughes. . Well worth the $5 entry fee.

Ennio Tattoli

Best Museum

Chad Strahan

Well curated exhibits, takes about 30-45 mins to go through. Definitely don't miss the plane in the back.

Garry Kizer

Great place. Being restored. Fly in every month.

Will Bledsoe

Only my second time going, first was back in February for my birthday, and today for National Aviation Day. Nice, friendly staff, awesome exhibits, and always cool planes, new and old!!

Leon Fot

Amazing experience! I had a great time here. John Mcnulty did a tour for us and he knew absolutely everything about the museum! I learned a lot about the history of the air terminal and all of the airlines in Texas in general. I would absolutely come back here! They also offer volunteering opportunities at the terminal for those who are interested.

Elle Turner

Excellent little treasure hidden away. Offbeat, neat little place to go!

Christopher Wolff

Great piece of Houston history. Low cost, excellent for the little pilots in the family.

Mark Ingram

The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is very interesting. They have some great displays about the old terminal, the planes that used to frequent air terminal in the 1940's and 1950's, and information about the various airline companies over the years. The volunteer docents led an interesting tour of the facilities, including the 1929 Carter Airmail Hanger. There were several displays about Howard Hughes, and his impact on the Houston aeronautic development. In the 1929 Carter Airmail Hanger is a Cessna Bamboo Bomber, a Lockheed Lodestar, and an S-58 Sikorsky Helicopter (the type of helicopter used to retrieve Mercury and later capsules when they splashed down). They also have a 737 simulator, and two other simulators, plus a room with early flight navigation instrumentation used by air traffic controllers. When you go, be sure to check out the art above the entrance doors. Very interesting!! All in all, a very cool museum that we should all be glad we have in Houston.

Thomas Slowik

AMAZING! Location AND the guys working there are awesome!

Dachmitx@gmail.com EMAIL

Well maintained place of history. Guides are very knowable of the history of the airport.

LEARNING CHANNEL TIPSFORCOLLEGE

I thought I was going to be bored surprising my husband with this place but turns out I was really entertained and had way more fun than I thought I would. I really thought I was going to be cross eyed with boredom watching my husband enjoy plane stuff but I really couldn’t tell who had more fun, him or I...

Allstar Ambassador

Great experience, knowledgeable guide. This was Houston's original airport. There's also an annual raffle for a FREE plane. Visit and purchase your tickets for next give sway. Good luck!

Heather Morehead

This museum blew all expectations to pieces. It was a great experience. Tons of memorabilia to look at. Both my 16yr old son, & 10yr old son were thoroughly entertained. We are already planning on going back soon. The Volunteers are knowledgeable and genuinely happy.

Sergio C.

Great history to this building.

Shenoa Cramer

What a great place! Definitely a hidden gem. Took a group of 10 high school seniors for a photo shoot there. The space was perfect for pictures, but the history lessons from volunteer PHIL was unexpected and a delight. My kiddos say this was one of the most special experiences they have had. If you link up with a volunteer, those guys lived it so their stories are amazing. I can imagine this being a beautiful place to have a wedding! And the planes... .oh the planes. Inside and outside.

Man uel

Little museum but packed with airline memorabilia. Volunteer staff on Sunday was great, very friendly and eager to share their love for aviation

Gloria Mejia

Very nice place. The employees were just not interactive. I wanted to check out the planes outside I was told to wait and never got back to.

Joshua Adams

My wife and I went here for a few hours and had a wonderful time. It's so cool to have an historic building like this preserved in Houston. The volunteers were quite knowledgeable and very helpful.

Paul Curtis

Fantastic museum, run by enthusiastic volunteers. Great atmosphere.

Martha Gossett

We visited this hidden gem today with a group of 3O+ senior adults. There were a number of volunteers to guide us through the museum and then outside on the tarmac to take a look in an antique plane and a helicopter. Very interesting museum especially for those of us that remember many of the old airlines that are no longer around, former flight crew uniforms, Howard Hughes, etc. Also, some great volunteers! And — you can’t beat the admission fees $5 for adults, free to veterans and $2 for children under 12. Thank you Amy for setting up our guided tour!

Lucas Fontenelle

Many cool airplane models from the old days, art deco design. Great for kids who have an interest in automobiles. Bonus: The guides are super smart!

Bonnie Rourke

Wonderful visit. The volunteers were great and extremely knowledgeable.I highly recommended this to any visitors to Houston as a must see place.

Doris Odell

Can't believe I did not know this museum was here! It is so cool and the staff have some great stories about it!

Ruth Reeves

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

Ryan Brown

Absolutely amazing experience and worth every penny. The volunteers go above and beyond to ensure that you have the most informative experience. I learned a great about Houston that i didn't know. I suggest that you go and experience a trip to the past.

pancho trejo

Very interesting place and very nice people

Sarah James

This little museum is charming and volunteers are sweet. The place was under construction in areas when we went but the displays were interesting and put together well.

Richard Vogel

Very neat to see all the history of the air terminal. The host was very knowledgeable and helpful.

John DuPont

I was there for an Airliners Collectors show, but look forward to seeing the Terminal in a more natural environment to truly experience the museum on its own. Met with a few volunteers who worked there. They have fascinating stories and historical facts about the place. Looking forward to returning from Corpus Christi.

Larry Richardson

Great time

Lester Young

Iteresting Houston history of Aviation.

Mike Bitter

We had a great time wandering around the old terminal. The best part was seeing the old air plane on the tarmac.

Christopher Rios

Really toddler friendly as all the displays with tons of small airplanes are eye level.

Brett Koster

Great place, I especially love the fact it is in the old Houston Metropolitan terminal. Being on an active runway is another awesome aspect. I accidentally went during a vintage fest, which took away from the museum, but will definitely be back to see how much better it is on a normal day

Daniel Lyons

Amazing volunteers and incredibly rich history. Truly a Houston-must-see!

Vincent Clark

A glimpse into the past commemorating the golden age of Houston air travel.

Christian Smith

This museum was very informative, and well worth the trip. Being able to go out and see the planes take off on the runway was something I had never experienced before.

Billy Sample

Nice historical experience

Daniel Bauder

I head over to the 1940 Air Terminal about 4 times a year. I have been doing this for the past 5 years. This is a great place to spend an hour of your day. If I could give any feedback, it would be that they need to work on their exhibits as not much, if anything, has changed in the last 5 years. The gift shop also leaves a lot to be desired.

Evette Gillum

Great we had two tour guides. Got to see a vintage plan inside.

Larry Snider

Awesome Venue for Events

Kyle Hunter

I love planes and this place.

Buffy Bateman

This is a neat place, kids weren't near as impressed as my mother and I were, but I sat on a couch that Elizabeth Taylor once sat on.

Rebecca Esquivel

Family friendly environment and very exciting to see planes take flight, wonderful to learn about past pilots

Donald Anderson

A wonderfully restored facility....this was aviation in it's infancy...check out the early Telex and messages. Early airline suits...

Colleen Story

Fun little museum! Lots of cool stuff to look at and a vintage plane you can go in. Very friendly, knowledgeable staff.

John Chargois

Had a wonderful experience here. Both the employees and volunteers were awesome. We got to look at their collection in the hangar and also got to sit in old flight simulators which was my personal favorite thing. Loved it and highly recommend visiting.

Shawnn Blake

It may be a small museum but it was quite interesting. Staff was very friendly and informative

Michelle Escamilla

This was a great hidden gem in Houston! We loved the tour. It was awesome to stand in the middle of the terminal an imagine all the employees and passengers coming in and out at one point in time. I think we stayed there for two hours!

Kenneth Watts

Lots of airline memorabilia! Good value.

yanira cantu

Loved this place! It's a must see if you like antique things. They have some remodeling going on so if you have crazy kids it might NOT be a great idea to take them.

Mom by Love Robart

Absolutely FABULOUS little diversion while waiting for a delayed flight! If you've lived longer than 20 years, or care one whit about anything historical, something here will pique your interest. The staff let me browse to my heart's content although they also offered plenty of additional info when I paused to interact with them. It was clean, friendly, & safe... that's hard to find for a single female traveler.

Emeric Naseman

Cool small museum. They have an older plane that you can walk through and tons of other old airliner stuff to look at. Volunteers there were nice and knowledgeable.

Angelo Mondragon

Great History and seeing United 737 Max 9 boeing grounded