castle air museum

Lots of different planes from different times. Great indoor museum with changing displays. The best times to go are the Sundays of Labor Day and Memorial Day week ends for their open cockpit days. Around 45 planes are open to either walk thru or look into. Lots of education wrapped into lots of fun.

Have you ever wonder what a real vintage jet or airplane looks like, those aircrafts you only see in the movies? Well, wonder no more. The Castle Air Museum, located at Atwater, CA. is the place to visit and what you will see will blow you away! This is not just a model airplane museum; it is made up of acres and acres of land and houses the real deal in vintage aircraft, dating back to the glorious days of yesteryear. As you drive near to the air museum, the vision of these beautiful and marvelous beasts will gradually evolve out from the distance. As you finally get to the museum, you will be in awe! Sitting out front near the museum's entrance, in real life, is the Air Force One (Bush, Clinton, and Carter were passengers) and a supersonic transport plane. What a beautiful sight to actually to see these planes in real life! And this is before we even entered the museum. I must say the entry fees are quite reasonable, being that the museum sustains itself only by volunteers and vintage aircraft enthusiasts. If you are a history buff, you can literally stay the whole day here. All of the planes on display have captions, giving a little history about each plane. I brought along a friend of mine from Japan, and the highlight of his trip was to actually see a real life, the infamous B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb in Japan. (wonder what was going through his mind.) The Docent we talked was simply wonderful! He was literally a walking encyclopedia; fascinating to listen to. You can literally tell that he loved what he was doing. Just simply fascinating. Inside the museum building are more fascinating visuals and murals that dates back to era of these vintage planes. There was even a B-52 simulator. the good ole Strato-Fortress! Wow and more wow as you see the real deal B-52 sitting out in the yard. I almost strained my neck looking up at that huge behemoth.This is a must-see attraction. Even non-plane buffs will be fascinated looking at these beautiful birds from our years past. \Come and visit the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA and prepared to be amazed and have a super time.

What a charming way to revel in a great collection of aircraft. Atwater just happened to be a place we passed through between Yosemite and San Francisco, and allowed me to indulge in my passion for 1950-60's era planes. The planes are nicely displayed and the collection is fantastic. I had perfect weather for my mid winter visit with clear skies and light winds, and ambling around the Castle collection was so pleasurable.

I've been meaning to visit this museum for a couple of years now, recently we were in the area, managed to get there.We visited in November and the weather was not good, but the place is pretty special, with a huge selection of aircraft, well spaced and especially with the jets section easy to photograph.Being a phan of the F4 Phantom i was impressed to see an aircraft in Thunderbirds colours that was actually a Thunderbird! Theres a lovely little inside museum with a quite a few interesting items in there, including a B52 simulator. The Docent on duty there was full of fascinating facts, and we spent a good hour talking with him.Definitely worth a visit, and i will be returning.

Be prepared to walk so wear comfortable shoes. If you like US History this is a great place to see. wonderfully restored planes from an Air Force One to small fighter jets. They have so many planes and so many stories about the planes this is a not to be missed place if you are traveling through the Central Valley. We even have a plane that is said to be haunted by the airmen that flew her. They also have an inside museum and a small restaurant with great hamburgers. They have "Open Cockpit" day a few times a year where you can go inside some of the planes. if you can schedule your time during that the museum is even better. This is a nice stop on your way through California or up to Yosemite National Park.

A visit to Castle Air Museum is a must for families visiting the Merced/Atwater area. The collection of planes at this former Air Force Training base is unsurpassed. You can relax in the small cafe after touring this exhibit of aviation history.

Castle is not only an ex-SAC base but now it is home to the largest military machine display anywhere. There are so many planes and things to look at that you will be there for quite awhile. The docents have a lot of history to share with you. There's even a reported haunted plane there also. When in the central valley visit it and enjoy!

My wife and I went on Open Cockpit day (8/31/14) and was truly amazed with with the exhibits and knowledgeable staff that was in attendance. They have this event twice a year and it was a perfect day for central California in August. Most of the planes were open to look into the cockpit and a number of bombers and refueling planes were open to walk through. Many of the planes are on loan from the Air force but the entire museum is funded by donations and ran by volunteers. The museum is very kid friendly and family oriented. We enjoyed the talk with the museum director and the demo on what it feels like to take off in SR71 given by the Blackbird pilot. Truly a hidden jewel in the central valley that is worth a visit.

If you're an aviation buff as I, the Castle Air Museum is the place to go for old military planes. What made this tour especially interesting was the gate next to the old Base Operations Building which I passed through way back in 1963 after being dropped off by a KC-135 tanker during my Air Force days is still there. Nothing has changed except that the once high security SAC base is pretty much empty now. It's a civilian airport now for mostly small planes which really don't need that 10,000 foot long runway. The outdoor museum has also changed from since when it was part of an active AFB. It's fenced off now, operated by volunteers, and a huge B-36 has been added to the collection. August 31 was one of three open cockpit days. We were able to climb up inside of the B-36, and the B-52. That was very interesting. Hollywood does an injustice to the actual discomfort of being on a B-52 crew. The crew stations are cramped, unlike what one would see in the movies. A claustrophobic personality wouldn't be able to function as a crew member on a B-52. There were the usual other planes one would expect to see at an outdoor military air museum: B-17; B-24; A-20; SR-71; B-17; KB-50; KC-97; KC-135; B-16; C-54; R4D; F-84; F-89 (remember that one? We used to call it the Ramp Sweeper because of the low intakes); HH-43; P-80; B-25; T-34 (Navy version); F-100; and many other planes. This museum was well worth the time it took to travel there. I would recommend going there during open cockpit day which are three days a year. They have a website.

This was very special to us on our trip. My husband was in the Air Force in the 80's and 90's and flew B-52s AND did his training at Castle Air Force Base. This was fantastic reminiscing and a great chance to educate our nephew at the same time. We are blessed to have the brave men and women who sacrifice so much for our freedom and seeing all that up close and personal just drives the point home. The museum needs some fixing up due to weather conditions, but the history in each article and air craft is so valuable.

Didn't know anything about this Air Museum until we arrived in Merced on a family vacation in California. A real treat for me and for anyone interested in history or aviation. Lots of aircraft on display in the open, dating from the 2nd WW through the cold war to the present; Lots of aircraft that I've read about and seen pictures of so a real bonus to see them in the flesh.Highly Recommended.

My partner visited this place a few years back and wanted to go again. One of the main attractions is a Blackbird SR71 - icon of the Cold War - that has been put out the front on display. Although run by volunteers the museum houses an amazing array of aircraft dating from WWII to the modern day. Some quirky displays include a nuclear bomb casing disarmed and retrieved from a nuclear test site. Most of the exhibits are outside so bring a hat, sunscreen and water. There is plenty of parking and a neat gift shop. Some planes were not on display (due to maintenance) and the Airforce One plane was in the flight line at the airport and is only available for viewing every so often. Definitely a must see museum for those interested in history of aviation.

It was only $5 to get in and $1.50 for a programme. I really enjoyed the planes, especially the variety. There is also a 10 megaton nuclear bomb on display. You need a hat as it is in the open and there is an indoor museum.

A comprehensive collection of US military planes , ranging from the huge B 36 and B 52 to the tiniest drones, from the '30s to the present time. A welcome break on a long road, but finding the Museum from Merced through Atwater was not an easy task...We are glad we managed to find it : it was definitely worth stopping for !

Castle Air Force Base located in Atwater, California was named in honor of Brigadier General Frederick W. Castle. It is one of the largest aerospace museums displaying vintage aircraft in the western United States.On October 14, 1908, General Castle was born in Manila, Philippines. On December 24, 1944, General Castle earned a Medal Of Honor posthumously for his actions while leading a 2,000 aircraft bomber formation over Europe. 1924, General Castle served two years in the New Jersey National Guard1926, General Castle attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduating from the academy in June 1930.General Castle was then assigned to the Air Corps for flight training at March Field, California, and Kelly Field, Texas and completed his training in October 1931. General Castle served as a pilot and Assistant Operations Officer with the 17th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Michigan, until February 1934 when he resigned and returned to civilian life, holding reserve status with the New York National Guard. In January 1942, General Castle reentered active service and was one of eight officers selected to accompany Major General Ira Eaker to England to form the Eighth Air Force. In April 1944, he was promoted to Colonel and took command of the 94th Bomb Group and became the commanding officer of the 4th Combat Bomb Wing. He led many combat missions, including a mission to Refensburg.In November 1944, he was promoted to Brigadier General. General Castle was awarded the following decorations: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross (4), Purple Heart, Air Medal (5), American Defense Service Medal, European-African Middle East Campaign Medal (9), WW II Victory Medal, Criox de Guerre with Palm (Belgium), Legion of Honor, and the Virtuti Militari Silver Cross Class V (Poland).On December 24, 1944, on his 30th bombing mission, General Castle was killed while leading an air division of B-17's over Liege, Belgium. En route to the target, his plane lost an engine, forcing him to drop from the lead of the formation and his aircraft was then attacked by German fighters. Since he was flying over friendly troops on the ground, General Castle refused to jettison his bombs to gain speed. All of the crew, except General Castle and the pilot were able to escape before the plane exploded. His Congressional Medal of Honor citation reads;He was air commander and leader of more than 2,000 heavy bombers in a strike against German airfields on 24 December 1944. En route to the target, the failure of 1 engine forced him to relinquish his place at the head of the formation. In order not to endanger friendly troops on the ground below, he refused to jettison his bombs to gain speed maneuverability. His lagging, unescorted aircraft became the target of numerous enemy fighters which ripped the left wing with cannon shells set the oxygen system afire, and wounded 2 members of the crew. Repeated attacks started fires in 2 engines, leaving the Flying Fortress in imminent danger of exploding. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the bail-out order was given. Without regard for his personal safety he gallantly remained alone at the controls to afford all other crewmembers an opportunity to escape. Still another attack exploded gasoline tanks in the right wing, and the bomber plunged earthward, carrying Gen. Castle to his death. His intrepidity and willing sacrifice of his life to save members of the crew were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service. In 1981, the museum opened and currently displays 54 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft. The outdoor museum covers 11 acres, and among the exhibit highlights are a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (one of only 19 surviving), a Boeing B-52D Stratofortress, and the massive, ten engine, Convair B-36, one of only four surviving and the largest mass-produced piston aircraft in history. An indoor museum features photographs, uniforms, war memorabilia, aircraft engines, and a flight deck. The museum also hosts a periodic "open cockpit day" in which visitors can actually view the interiors of certain planes.In May 2008, the museum reached its 50th displayed aircraft milestone with the addition of a Douglas A-4L Skyhawk. Our visit:My son and I took this journey south to see this museum because we’re into military stuff. The museum building itself is small but it opened up to a huge hanger and outdoor display of numerous aircrafts from WWII to the present. This was a very nice experience, especially for my son who’s into planes. There were planes insides as well as outside and the SR-71 Blackbird was the highlight of the museum. We both got a lot out of this museum and left with a deep respect to those who served this country.