glenn h. curtiss museum

Wonderful exhibits! Informative and interesting. It was more than I expected - what a pleasant surprise.

When I was a child my mom told me about Glenn H. Curtiss the real aviation pioneer that actually took off and flew a plane first.

We always stop here when we're in the area. It's a really interesting museum and they have so many items to look at. It's always fascinating and worth the stop. The staff are always fun and helpful too. It's clean and organized and always something that we didn't see. Stop and enjoy the history.

I have been here several times BUT first time for my in-laws. I am still learning each time I visited. Layout might be overwhelming. Take your time and something will be interesting for you. So many talents this guy had and something that you might like. I am looking forward to come back again.

My husband and I have been passing by the museum for years. Every time we did we would say "we should stop sometime". We finally stopped. This place is fascinating and so much bigger than it looks. We are sorry that we didn't stop users ago. We have missed so much!They bring in new displays periodically and you can go into the shop where volunteers work to restore pieces for future display. The staff is wonderful too! We spent 3 hours there and still didn't see everything. Airplanes, motorcycles, bicycles, boats, engines and even a camper all built by Curtiss. Can't wait to take my Dad.

My wife and I stopped here on the way out to Jamestown as a spur of the moment activity as we left early and had some spare time. What a great place just stuffed with history,cars, planes, engines, motorcycles and even old military antiques. We ended up staying a lot longer than we intended and plan on returning for second visit to cover everything. Its really worth the stop if you are in the area! A $10.00 fee at the door for each patron is not to much to ask in my opinion when it helps support a important point in our history.

The family enjoyed the museum. Learned a lot about the early days of aviation we hadn't known previously. Many beautifully preserved and/or restored airplanes, motorcycles, and cars. Also info about the Finger Lakes wine region, local war heroes, miniatures, and more. The highlight was going to the restoration shed out back and seeing the P40E that volunteers are in the process of restoring. Amazing dedication and workmanship on display here. Highly recommended.

This is one quirky museum. We had been meaning to visit this place for years and with relatives in town we decided to make the 1.5 hour trip down to Hammondsport.Who knew that Glenn Curtis was such a key innovator in all of these different industries. Too bad he has never been given his due in the history books. Fascinating!There is alot to see in this museum and in some ways that is the problem because in feels like a mish-mash of different topics with no coherent theme. Ok the bikes, motorcycles, planes make sense given Glenn's inventiveness but then other memorabilia is thrown into the mix: doll houses, boats, wine making, movie props, cameras, civil war cannons, model cars, etc. All of this was interesting but it made it hard to follow the GHC story when interspersed with all of these other collections. It felt like people with other collections needed a place to house them and this museum took them in. The volunteers were super friendly and wanting to tell you more about the exhibits and the restorations they were working on - make sure to take a look in the restoration workshop.Don't get me wrong this is a must see but just kinda odd.

We stopped at this small museum when the sight of a large older aircraft caught our eye. I heard the name "Curtis" before, but had no idea in the role he played in both aviation and motorcycles. Relatively small inside, yet it holds an enormous amount of exhibits in all fields related to Curtis, aviation and motor driven vehicles in general. From bicycles, motorcycles, boats, military artifacts and aircraft, plus a small theater, this museum will provide some insight to this man and the machines he helped develop. I was amazed that Curtis built and rode the pictured V-8 powered motorcycle in 1907 to a speed of 136 MPH. It looked terrifying to say the least. The area, Hammondsport in the New York finger lake region, is a beautiful area to enjoy along with this museum.

We went to this museum after seeing it listed in the AAA Tour Book for New York. Don't miss this museum! AAA lists it as a GEM, and it is. We had no idea how big and what a collection of planes, motorcycles, cars, etc...this museum housed. When we went they had a special exhibit of doll houses and train sets. They'll run the trains for you if you ask. This is a great place for kids and adults. Don't forget to go back into the restoration shop. We met some of the wonderful volunteers who lovingly restore the items in the collection. We got a firsthand look at the P40 Curtiss plane they are currently restoring that was pulled out of a river in Florida after it went down in a crash in 1944/45. We also got some great information about how they restore the fabric wings on old planes and saw the restoration work up close. Well worth a visit!!!

My husband, who goes to the races at Watkins Glen, has gone to this museum several times. I was intrigued by the "other version" of early flight history so I asked to stop in. We were there in November, off season, and it was incredible. Cars and boats from bygone years. Motorcycles. And airplanes. Real...models...salvaged...reconstructed. Clearly, this museum is on receiving end of some elegant endowments. The 80+ year olds who do the work are an articulate and dedicated cadre of flyers. Worth the trip. BTW Hammondsport is a cool town for food and shopping.

On October 7, 2014, the four of us visited the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum. Expecting to find mainly displays relating to airplanes and flight, we were delighted to find many other items. Because Curtiss was a competition bicyclist, there were displays of early bicycles, motorcycles, old automobiles; even an old airstream motor-home. There was plenty of space to walk around at your leisure and detailed explanations of all exhibits.We were even allowed to enter the restoration shop and talk with volunteers who spend countless hours restoring future exhibits. Also, there is a video of the America, the first flying boat or sea plane. And, the America is on exhibit next to the video presentation.In addition to the exhibits, there is a small gift shop where one can purchase souvenirs; hats, T shirts, etc. Also, used books are sold as a fund raiser for only $1.00 each.

First... It is not all about Curtiss. There is a great deal of other history STUFF.. That said.. WOW! Lots of planes, cars, boats, engines, motorcycles, and the list goes on. Now the best part for me... The restoration shop. Yes, you can go right in and see and touch and talk amazing "shop" with the guys doing the work... Gentleman, this will bring the boy out of you!

What a great treat. We visited in September, right after the air show and as a result, had most of the museum to ourselves for at least the first hour. There is so much to see and understand in this facility. They have done a marvelous job of display and explanation for the diverse content within this building. The airplanes and motorcycles were nicely displayed, carefully labeled and explained. We wished our grandson had been along for the visit.The cars were a treat and unexpected for a museum that markets an aviation theme. Although we did not have time to talk with any of those restoring the aircraft, it was fascinating to see the materials available and the efforts they made to secure parts and complete repairs. This museum is a labor of love and one in which the community can be very proud. Well worth a visit. Just wish we'd have more time. Our 2-3 hours were not enough.

On a recent visit to the Finger Lakes Wine Country we were pleasantly surprised to find this museum in Hammondsport NY. Although we were not in the area to visit museums, we are happy we stopped by this one. It follows Glenn Curtis from bicycles to motorcycles to airplanes. and eventually the Curtis-Wright Airplane engine company. Lots of stuff to see in the very well organized, modern museum.