The museum's WWI hangar was originally built in Germany around 1914 and was dismantled, shipped, and reassembled in Virginia.
Most of the aircraft in the collection are still fully airworthy and are flown regularly for air shows.
The collection includes a rare Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, a German STOL reconnaissance aircraft.
The site hosts a notable replica of the 'Red Baron's' Fokker Dr.I triplane.
The hangar architecture itself serves as a historical exhibit, representing period-specific construction techniques from European airfields.
The museum functions as a center for specialized aviation maintenance, housing tools and materials specifically for WWII-era airframe restoration.
The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach houses one of the world's largest private collections of airworthy military aircraft from the World War I and World War II eras. The facility features several hangars, including a relocated German WWI-era structure and a 1930s-style hangar, both used to display rare, functional vintage planes. Visitors can observe aircraft restoration processes in an active workshop where mechanics maintain these historical machines. The museum maintains a consistent flight program, occasionally allowing these vintage planes to take to the skies during special events. The collection spans American, British, German, and Russian aircraft, representing the global reach of mid-20th-century aviation. Many of the displayed planes are original and have been painstakingly restored to factory-original specifications rather than replicas. The site also includes a collection of military vehicles and period-accurate artifacts displayed alongside the aircraft.
The main floor of the WWI hangar, which offers a wide-angle view of multiple aircraft with authentic period wooden structural framing.
Check the museum's flight calendar before visiting to see if any aircraft are scheduled for demonstration flights.
Dress in layers, as the large, uninsulated hangars can be significantly hotter or colder than the outside temperature.
Wear comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes to navigate the hangar floors and maintenance areas.
Do not assume all hangars are climate-controlled; visit early in the day during summer months to avoid peak heat.
Open daily year-round, but flight demonstrations are seasonal and weather-dependent.
Do not touch the aircraft surfaces or enter roped-off cockpit areas without staff permission.
