National Naval Aviation Museum to reopen to public

Access to Naval Air Station Pensacola, home of the museum as well as the Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, and Fort Barrancas, had been restricted to Department of Defense cardholders since December 6, 2019, when a terrorist opened fire at the military base, killing three and wounding eight.

Visitors will be required to enter through the air station via the west gate on Blue Angel Parkway. All U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals ages 18 and older must provide a Real ID or passport. Detailed requirements, including restrictions on what can and cannot be carried onto the base, are on NAS Pensacola’s website.

The museum features more than 150 aircraft representing U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviation. The collection includes a North American B–25J Mitchell, a Consolidated PBY–5 Catalina, and an LTV A–7E Corsair II, as well as an exhibit devoted to the recovery of aircraft that crashed in Lake Michigan during World War II carrier qualification. The 350,000-square-foot display also features a flight line located behind the museum’s aircraft maintenance and restoration hangar that houses a Lockheed C–130 Hercules, plus versions of the Navy’s early carrier-based nuclear bombers, and a selection of Navy transport aircraft.

The reopening of the base means visitors also will be able to see Blue Angels practice flight demonstrations on selected days.