Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, New Jersey, United States

4.5 (939 reviews) Thursday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Ranking #2 in New Jersey Speciality Museums • History Museums

Worth the trip!

Naval Air Station Wildwood Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to restore Hangar #1 at the Cape May Airport, Cape May County, New Jersey, into an aircraft museum honoring the Navy airmen who died while training during World War II. Hangar # 1 was listed onto the National Register of Historic Places in September of 1997. Naval Air station (NAS) Wildwood was commissioned on April 1, 1943. The site served as an active dive-bomber squadron training facility from 1943 to 1945. Aircraft stationed at NAS Wildwood included TBM Avengers, Douglas Dauntlesses, Vought Corsairs and Curtiss Helldivers. Forty-two airmen perished while training at NAS Wildwood during World War II. In June 1997, NASW Foundation purchased Hangar #1 at the Cape May Airport. The 92,000 square-foot all-wooden structure was in a state of disrepair and required extensive renovation. Under the stewardship of NASW Foundation, the hangar was listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places at the National Significance Level. NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum now boasts over 26 aircraft displays as well as exhibits of military memorabilia, engines, photographs and more. Additionally, the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia has provided NAS Wildwood with a wealth of interactive exhibits that allow visitors to discover the science of flight. The museum also features a library, food vending area as well as a recently expanded gift shop. In its role as a community resource, NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum regularly hosts activities including fly-ins, aviation festivals, big band concerts, swing dances, veterans’ ceremonies, historical lectures, school field trips and senior tours.
New Jersey review images

Address

500 Forrestal Rd Cape May Airport, Cape May, NJ 08204

Mobile

+1 609-886-8787

Website

http://usnasw.org

Email

[email protected]

Working hours

Monday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Current local date and time now

Thursday, May 02, 2024, 15:41

User Ratings

4.5 based on (939 reviews)

Excellent

70%

Good

25%

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Reviews

5Steve B 5:00 PM Feb 12, 2022
A great experience to military aviation and the Naval Air base in Wildwood
The exhibits were much more than we expected. We thought we would only be there an hour and actually spent 3 hours looking at the exhibits and reading all the information. This was so much better than I had anticipated and would go back again. We met the founder Joe Salvatore (a retired MD from NYC and northern NJ). His passion and knowledge were so refreshing and informative. The exhibits range from early aviation to the modern day. There is something for everyone here and you can actually climb into some of the cockpits to get a feel of what it was like, making the experience even better. The only note I have is that if you go off season bring something a bit warm as there is no heat in the building. A true piece of history about the naval station in Wildwood during WWII and military aviation in general. Don't miss the opportunity to go if you have the chance
5Anne Meintel 5:00 PM Jul 12, 2022
Amazing
Cape May and Wildwood have so much to do and see that we almost missed this amazing attraction. We've often eaten breakfast at the Flight Deck Diner in the Cape May Airport which has the best breakfast in the area. Afterwards we would watch the planes take off and land. We would view the Viet Nam exhibit as well remembering this horrific war. This time we decided to view the NASW Aviation Museum, We had just watched the Top Gun movie and had read that the F14 Tom Cat is at them museum. We were in awe of how many planes and artifacts that were on display. While being amazed at the size of the F14 we spent over two hours seeing everything the museum offered. My husband is a retired Navy man and he hasn't stopped talking about all we saw. This is something that brings history to life. I hope families take advantage of this opportunity. What a great place for a school trip for a real history lesson.