Museum of Flying
"Museum of Flying" was the former Donald Douglas Museum and Library.
Original location: 2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica, CA
Future Address: 3100 Airport Avenue Santa Monica, California 90405
Mailing Address: 2425 Olympic Boulevard, Suite 650E Santa Monica, California 90404-4030 Phone: 310-398-2500
The Museum of Flying; is pleased to announce its new home at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, California, that will feature a display and exhibit area of nearly 22,000 square feet. wsThe Museum of Flying is pleased to announce that we have engaged with the City of Santa Monica on a lease agreement for the property located at 3100 Airport Avenue Santa Monica, California to serve as the new location for the Museum. The plan calls for the remodeling and expansion of the existing building at 3100 Airport Avenue. The existing structure will be increased in size by approximately 8,000 square feet. The addition will have a pre-manufactured steel build provided by General Steel of Colorado. The addition will allow for the main building to be expanded and tied to the existing hangar row on the south side of the leasehold; creating a display and exhibit area of nearly 22,000 square feet. he Museum of Flying is dedicated to preserving and presenting the rich history of the growth and development of aviation and aerospace in Southern California. Special emphasis is placed on the history of the Douglas Aircraft Company and the Santa Monica Airport. The Santa Monica Airport was the birthplace of the Douglas World Cruiser, the first aircraft to circumnavigate globe. This led to the company slogan for many years of "Around the world first, first the world around". In the early 1930's, the Santa Monica Airport witnessed the first flights of the famous DC-3 Aircraft that virtually changed the field of aviation and air travel worldwide. The Santa Monica Airport played a vital role in the production of military aircraft during World War II, with Donald W. Douglas serving as czar of aircraft production for the United States as appointed by President Roosevelt. By the early 1950's, 90% of worldwide air travel took place on Douglas built aircraft. The Museum chronicles both the growth of Douglas and the many other aviation and aerospace companies that were started by individuals who actually started with the Douglas Aircraft Company. Here, visitors will see a broadly diverse collection of aircraft, exhibits, artifacts, and aviation art that tell the story of aviation both locally and globally. Originally founded in 1974 by Donald Douglas Jr. as the Douglas Museum and Library located on the South side of the Santa Monica Airport, the Museum migrated to the North side of the Airport and reopened as the Museum of Flying in April of 1989. The Museum gradually grew to a collection of over 50 vintage aircraft with many still in flight ready condition. The Museum was forced to temporarily close in July of 2002 due to economic challenges. Since that time, Museum officials have been in discussion with the City of Santa Monica on a suitable new location at the Santa Monica Airport. Recently, the Museum executed a lease agreement with the City of Santa Monica for the leasehold at 3100 Airport Avenue. The new Museum expansion and remodeling project is estimated to cost nearly $2 million. Construction and the Capital Campaign to support it are in progress. Please support the construction effort by making a donation.
