Air Force Armament Museum

Tomahawk

We took advantage of a cold (for Northern Florida) and damp day to tour the Eglin Air Force Armament Museum.  The museum is located off-base and is open to the public.  The museum includes both indoor exhibits plus 29 static aircraft as part of an outdoor walking tour.  The museum building is well set up with a second floor mezzanine that uses wall displays to take you through the history of military aviation, from the early years to Vietnam. 

AGM-65 Maverick

The mezzanine also contains displays on the Medal of Honor, Modern weapons, the 33^rd and 53^rd Fighter Wings currently stationed at Eglin along with a display on guided weapons and laser / cluster weapons.  The main floor has 4 static aircraft plus Fat Man (the plutonium bomb used on Nagasaki).  The main floor also has numerous wall displays and two non-functioning, flight simulators that you can sit in. 

The Author as Pilot-in-Command

There is also a gun vault displaying military firearms used throughout history along with numerous aircraft mounted weapons.
The walking tour encompasses the entire grounds of the museum and has static displays of aircraft from every era since WWII and includes an MQM-105 Aquila – a drone from the ‘70s.  All of the static displays are painted to reflect an actual aircraft from the era presented.

B-57 Canberra

F-111 Aarvark

 
The Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base does not charge admission and is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily except for Sundays and Federal Holidays.  While outside yo uwill be entertained by the numerous 'fly-overs' of aircraft arriving or departing Eglin. 

Fly-over

 

 The museum grounds are also a frequent site for promotion, reenlistment and retirement ceremonies.  If you are there when one of these occurs please stay and observe.  These ceremonies are steeped in hundreds of years of military tradition and are an educational experience worth extending your visit for.