If you’re passionate about flight, history, and engineering and you’re in Miami, you might consider visiting Wings Over Miami during your Florida vacation. The museum, which pays tribute to veterans and aviators, showcases historic aircraft, artifacts, and memorabilia.
Wings Over Miami Museum: History
Wings Over Miami is a place where you can discover fascinating facts and informative details about the history of American aviation and its pioneers, particularly the pioneers of civil and military flight science, such as Charles Lindbergh and the Wright brothers. But it’s not just about them; the museum also pays tribute to the pilots who have flown the collection of historic aircraft housed within the hangar.
The idea of creating a museum to showcase his own collection of airplanes came from a pilot named Kermit Weeks in 1986. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew destroyed part of the museum and the aircraft on display. Years later, after the reconstruction and restoration of the planes, the Weeks Air Museum was relocated to a larger property in Polk County, Florida, leaving Miami and South Florida without a gathering place for aviation enthusiasts.
At the end of 2001, four airplane-loving soldiers decided to open the Wings Over Miami Air Museum in the same hangar that once housed the Weeks Air Museum. Thanks to the idea and enthusiasm of Walter Orth, Larry Ploucha, Vincent Tirado, and Tom Righetti, this museum was born and has since acquired vintage aircraft, military training planes, and jets used during the Cold War.
The fleet is almost entirely airworthy, and some models are regularly used for flights in the skies of Florida. As you wander through the hangar, you will likely see mechanics and restorers at work, preserving these beautiful vintage aircraft.
How to Get There
Wings Over Miami is located in Miami-Dade County, about 12 miles southwest of Miami. The museum is situated within the Miami Executive Airport at 14710 Southwest 128th Street.
If you have a car, it will take approximately 30 minutes to drive from Downtown Miami. Take either FL-836 West and FL-874 South or US 1 South and then FL-878 and FL-874 South. Exit at Southwest 122nd Avenue / Southwest 128th. Continue for about 6 miles until you reach 14710 SW 128th Street.
Getting to Wings Over Miami by public transportation from downtown Miami is more challenging and time-consuming compared to driving. It will take almost two hours. You can take the following routes:
- Metromover Brickell Loop / Inner Loop to Government Center Station, then Green/Orange Line to Dadeland North, Bus 88 to 137 Avenue / 88 Street, and Bus 137 to 137 Avenue / 128 Street. From there, you will need to walk approximately 25 minutes to the museum.
- From Government Center Station, take the Orange Line to Dadeland South, then Bus 72 to SW 72 Street / 137 Avenue, and Bus 137 to 137 Avenue / 128 Street. From there, continue on foot.
For more information on getting around Miami, I suggest you read our numerous articles on the topic.
Tickets and Hours
The ticket prices to enter Wings Over Miami are as follows:
- $10 for adults
- $7 for seniors over 60 years old
- $6 for children under 12 years old.
The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Please note that ticket sales cease after 4:30 PM.
Attractions
The Wings Over Miami Air Museum, inaugurated in 2001, houses various meticulously preserved and maintained vintage aircraft within the hangar on 128th Street.
Among the aircraft on display, there are some particularly significant examples, including:
- Brown B-1 Racer: A small, single-seat aircraft built in the 1930s.
- Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina: An amphibious aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, widely used during World War II. It served in military forces until the 1980s and is still used today in some nations as a water bomber for firefighting purposes.
- Douglas A-26 (B-26) Invader: This is a twin-engine light bomber of American manufacture. Built by the Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader was also utilized during the years of the Cold War.
- Grumman F-14 Tomcat: This is a twin-engine supersonic fighter aircraft. It was the first of the American Teen series of fighters, designed based on combat experience against MiG aircraft during the Vietnam War. Its first flight took place in 1970, and it was used by the U.S. Navy until the 2000s.
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota: A military transport aircraft extensively used by the Allies during World War II. There are 60 variations of this aircraft model, which was employed by over 100 armed forces of different countries worldwide.
- MiG-21: A combat jet built from the 1960s to 1974. Dating back to the Cold War era, this aircraft is one of the more recent additions to the museum. Although the aim is to have airworthy planes, repairing the engines of the MiG-21 would be prohibitively costly. Therefore, the aircraft will remain on the ground but will still be visible and part of the fleet at Wings Over Miami.
Places to Stay
Choosing to stay in Miami Dade, in the southwestern area of Miami, is not one of the choices I would make unless there are specific reasons to do so. The city of Miami offers better-served areas and neighborhoods with more attractions than this.
I suggest reading our article on where to stay in Miami to get an idea of the best areas to stay in and the many alternatives that this enchanting and vibrant metropolis offers to its visitors.
