Last Friday, I visited the Ellsworth Air Force Base, which also houses the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. Outside the museum on the large airpark are aircraft static displays and exhibits. The displays are breathtaking. Most types of aircrafts are there, from FB-111 Aardvark to L-5 Sentinel to F-84 Thunderstreak.Other displays are listed below:
* A-7D Corsair II
* B-25 Mitchell
* B-26 Invader
* B-29 Superfortress
* B-52D Stratofortress
* EB-57B Canberra
* BT-13 Valiant
* C-45 Expeditor
* C-47 Gooney Bird
* C-54 Skymaster
* C-131 Samaritan
* EC-135 Stratotanker
* F-86 Saber
* F-101 Voodoo
* F-102 Delta Dagger
* F-105 Thud
* H-13 Helicopter
* O-2A Forward Air Control Aircraft
* T-33 Shooting Star
* T-38 Talon
* U-3 Blue Canoe
* U-8 Seminole
* UH-1 Iroquois
* F100A Thunder Chief
* Nike Ajax Missile
* Minuteman II Missile
Ellsworth Air Force Base is home to the 28th Bomb Wing, which flies B-1B Lancers and serves as the host unit, providing all essential base operating support services for Ellsworth and combat support services for an Air Expeditionary Wing.The South Dakota Air and Space Museum has an excellent section about the early Stratobowl high-altitude balloon flights of the 1930s. The section gives a detailed history of these flights as well as some of the actual items used in the flights.The highlight of the visit was the missile silo. It is the place where missiles were previously kept and launched. I was able to go underground, about 30m deep to see (and touch) a missile and the equipment used to launch them to targets.MUSEUM INFOSouth Dakota Air and Space Museum
Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
Mailing Address
28 BW/MU, 2890 Davis Drive
Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD 57706
Street Address
2890 Davis Drive
Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD 57706
Directions
Ellsworth Air Force Base, off I-90 Exit 66
Season
All year
Museum Hours
Museum is open 7 days a week winter hours : 8:30 am to 4:30 pm summer hours : 8:30 am to 6:00 pm
Admissions
free
Collections
Aircraft Missiles , Photographs, Uniforms, Military Instruments
Services
Gift Shop
Bus Tour
* Available mid-May to mid-September
* 50 minute guided bus tour of Ellsworth Air Force Base
* Air Conditioned buses
* Cameras and Video equipment permitted
* Cost $7.00 adults, Children (12 and under) $4.00
Groups of 10 or more $5.00
School groups $1.00 per person
Staff
Ron Alley, Museum Director
Phone: 605-385-5188
Fax: 605-385-6295
Email: ron.alley@ellsworth.af.mil
Museum Type
Specialized
Governance
Governing Authority: Federal, U.S. Air Force
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More photos here.
Labels: Tourist Attraction, USA Blogging
1 Comments:
I live near EAFB but I've never actually been inside the museum. :P
June 18, 2008 11:22 PM
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