This hidden gem of a museum is located right here in Houston. The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is a treasure trove of aviation history, complete with actual 1940’s era aircraft.
The museum consists of the old air terminal, an art deco structure that served passengers from 1940 to 1955, and a hangar built in 1928.
The air terminal now houses artifacts and memorabilia tracing the progression of commercial aviation through the years, as well as a specially curated collection from the first flight in Texas to the Women AirForce Service Pilots (WASP) who flew women flew military airplanes for training and ferry flights.
It was really interesting to see flight advertisements from way back (one airline ran a promotion on a flight to Dallas for $1!), as well as all the different flight attendant uniforms. The docent was friendly and helpful, and more than willing to answer all of our questions.
The best part of our trip was hands down our daughter picking up an old (working!) telephone, hearing the completely unfamiliar sound of a dial tone and exclaiming, “Someone is on the line! It’s making noise!” Gotta be grateful for museums!
Inside the hangar, you can view airplanes dating back to the 1940’s, which was pretty neat. Outside, we were even able to climb aboard an old passenger plane and explore it for ourselves.
Location
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is located at 8325 Travelair St, Houston, TX 77061, right near Hobby Airport.
Things to Know
Museum Hours
Tuesday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays
Museum Cost
Adults $5.00
Children $2.00
Children 2 and under are free.
You can also get a Living Social deal for 50% off.
Crowd Level
This little gem is not very well known and was fairly empty when we visited.
You can view more information at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum Website
