Cavanaugh Flight Museum 4572 Claire Chennault St., Addison, 972/380-8800, cavanaughflightmuseum.com
Hours: 9am–5pm Mon.–Sat., 11am–5pm Sun.
Admission: $10 adults; $5 children 4–12; $7 seniors and military; children 3 and under free.
Calling all flight fanatics: If your kiddos have a knack for making paper airplanes or trying to send everything flying (including the family cat), take them to the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison. The museum has multiple hangars with 40 vintage aircraft, military armor and antique vehicles. Opened in 1993, the Cavanaugh is well known for its quality collection of planes and operational condition of the aircraft on display. The museum is part of a working airport, so there’s a chance you’ll see one of the planes take off for a ride in the sky. Also, many of the aircraft on display appear in air shows throughout the United States. The large B-25 bomber in Hangar One is the most complete in existence – the nose art was actually reproduced by the same artist who painted it before it took flight in World War II. Even if your child isn’t a plane geek, you’ll still appreciate the sleekness and muscle power of a P-51 Mustang – the legendary fighter plane of WWII.
Walking through the large hangars on a self-guided tour, you can take your time reading about each plane or walk fast to catch up to your children who’ve found an even cooler aircraft. If you’re able to do a group tour, museum staff often open the Caribou cargo plane, so kids can climb inside, sit in the seats and even spot bullet holes from the aircraft’s Vietnam combat flights. Groups may also have the chance to board the “Duck,” an amphibious vehicle used in World War II, and ride down the taxiway. All visitors can hop on the shuttle to visit world-famous B-29 and B-24 bombers.
If your kid likes to take things apart, they’ll enjoy visiting Hangar Three, where mechanics are working on planes such as a Grumman Mohawk used in Vietnam as the U.S. Army’s “eye-in-the-sky.” A P-40 Warhawk flown during Pearl Harbor is also on display and sports the gaping-mouth insignia made famous by the Flying Tigers. Next door is Hangar Four, which houses Russian, German and British aircraft as well as a Bofors 40mm military gun. Use the planes to educate children on the history of our country’s wars. The model replica of the Doolittle Raid in Hangar One showcases the U.S.S. Hornet with 16 B-25 Bombers, just the way it was before the incredibly daring first U.S. airstrike on Japan in 1942.
This gem of a museum is tucked away near the Addison airport and is unassuming from the outside, but inside are rare finds for plane enthusiasts of all ages.
