As a recent transplant to the East Coast I get to start all over exploring “local” air museums. I had just such a pleasure on a recent visit to the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum located at the Cape May Airport on the Jersey Shore. As soon as you drive up you know this place is something special as it’s housed in an original WWII hangar left over from the short-lived WWII Naval Air Station Wildwood.
Stepping inside you can just feel the history. The hangar appears to be much as it was nearly 70 years ago. With its massive wooded truss structure and those cool old hanger doors with dozens of windows you just can’t wait to get started and soak up the atmosphere. After paying your entrance fee you are encouraged to watch a 7 minute video (in a recreation of a WWII carrier ready room) giving the history of NAS Wildwood. Not only does it cover the history of the base but also pays tribute the 39 men who perished in training accidents preparing for war.
By no means is the place spit-and-polished but that’s what makes it great. There are items and artifacts everywhere that catch your attention and draw you in. Many of the aircraft have ladders that allow you peer inside the cockpits of aircraft from an F-14 Tomcat to a MiG 15 to a T-33. In the center stands an authentic control tower that affords a great view of the entire space. While many aircraft are surrounded by ropes and barricades, you do have a much greater access to most of the aircraft than most museums allow. While I completely understand and respect the need to keep hands off priceless aircraft I do like to see the aircraft from angles not normally seen.
As the parent of two young boys I was also very impressed by the amount of kid friendly activity and displays. Everything from access to cockpits to flight multiple simulators to hands-on science demonstrations on aerodynamics.
One of my favorite aircraft was the near-perfect TBM Avenger on display. This aircraft is beautifully restored after serving as a water bomber in New Brunswick, Canada. It’s painted in the deep gloss blue used in the latter stages of WWII.
The gift shop has the usual stock of plastic model but also features some great books covering the history of the base as well as others in the area. The prices are very reasonable and of course go to a great cause. And last but not least the staff was very friendly, helpful, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable.
The NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum is well worth your time to visit as you’ll learn about naval aviation history on the Jersey Shore you might have known existed and see some great aircraft to boot. I’ve purposely left out of key gems to see so as to not spoil all of the fun.
Tip: Be sure to dress warmly in the winter as these old hangers are not heated. Oh and grab a bite to eat at the Flight Deck Diner located just across the parking lot.
See more photos here: http://www.airmuseumnetwork.org/index.php/component/comprofiler/userprofile/The%20Air%20Museum%20Network?Itemid=1
NAS Wildwood website: http://usnasw.org/
NAS Wildwood on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aviationmuseum
Air Museum Network Profile: http://www.airmuseumnetwork.org/index.php/component/comprofiler/userprofile/NAS%20Wildwood%20Aviation%20Museum?Itemid=1