Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum

The Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum is an aviation museum in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum
Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum is located in Mississippi
Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum
Location within Mississippi
Established2002 (2002)
LocationGulfport, Mississippi
Coordinates30°23′23″N 89°03′30″W / 30.3897°N 89.0582°W / 30.3897; -89.0582
TypeAviation museum
Websitewww.msaviationmuseum.org

History

edit

Background

edit

In 1973, Thomas E. Simmons, a businessman and pilot, read a newspaper article about Gulfport native and early African-American aviator John C. Robinson. After years of research that led to creation of a book about Robinson, the John C. Robinson Brown Condor Association was established in 2001. The following year, it received $250,000 from the state legislature to create a museum and began collaborating with the University of Southern Mississippi to conduct oral history interviews with individuals who knew Robinson or the environment he grew up in.[1][2] The association commissioned a bust of Robinson, which went on display at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in 2010. The dedication also served as the beginning of efforts to build the museum.[3] Plans originally called for the construction of a two-floor 52,000 sq ft (4,800 m2) building near the airport.[4] Focus eventually shifted to a World War II-era hangar at the airport, but this also did not come to fruition.[5]

Move to off-airport location

edit

The museum leased a vacant 33,000 sq ft (3,100 m2) furniture store from the city in September 2016 and began renovating it.[6][7] After four years of work, the museum opened on 3 October 2020.[8][9]

Exhibits

edit

Exhibits at the museum include the Mississippi Aviation Hall of Fame, as well as galleries about the Tuskegee Airmen, Hurricane Hunters, crop dusting and military bases in Mississippi.[7]

A scale replica of a C-130 that was used in parades was donated in 2021.[10]

Collection

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Bergeron, Kat (21 February 2021). "Coast's Famous Brown Condor Broke Through 'Color Line' Led Air Force to Fight Fascists". Sun Herald. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ^ Bergeron, Kat (7 February 2004). "Brown Condor's Life in Review". Sun Herald. p. A2. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  3. ^ Firmin, Pam (12 November 2010). "Aviation Legend to Be Honored in Gulfport". Clarion-Ledger. p. 2B. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". Brown Condor Association. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  5. ^ Lee, Anita (3 November 2015). "Brown Condor Group Requests Building for Aviation Museum". Sun Herald. p. 7A. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  6. ^ Lee, Anita (26 September 2016). "'Awesome' Aviation Museum Ready to Take Flight in Gulfport". Sun Herald. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Our Facility". Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  8. ^ Duncan, Desirae (3 October 2020). "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum Officially Opens". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  9. ^ Ishee, Calvin (7 October 2020). "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum Features the Tuskegee Airmen". Gazebo Gazette. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  10. ^ Fuentes, Andrés (13 July 2021). "Hurricane Hunters Artifact Donated to Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Vogelaar, Rob. "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". Aviation Museum. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  12. ^ a b Fitzhugh, John (10 September 2019). "Aviation Museum Making Strides Towards Taking Off". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Plane Donated to Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". WXXV 25. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  14. ^ Keeton, Hugh (27 May 2021). "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum adds to Collection with Donated Helicopter". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
edit