Nestled in the heart of sunny Southern California, the Palm Springs Air Museum is a haven for aviation enthusiasts and history buffs alike. The world-renowned museum is home to over 75 aircraft and helicopters, making it one of the largest collections of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War-era aircrafts.
Set against the backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains, the huge museum spans over 86,000 square feet across five themed hangars and outdoor displays. Unlike many other museums where exhibits are behind glass, the Palm Springs Air Museum lets you get up close to the historical planes to marvel at all their details. You can even book a flight on one of the museum’s operational aircrafts, such as the North American Aviation P-51 MUSTANG, a premier fighter aircraft for the U.S. during WWII, or the Boeing-Stearman, which served as a primary training aircraft for American fighter pilots during the war.
This extraordinary feature of the museum, known as Warbird Rides, allows visitors to book flights that last about 20-30 minutes in the air. Depending on the aircraft of your choice, you could be seated on a plane with five to 10 passengers (like on the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a WWII cargo plane) or you could be the only passenger on the flight (like on the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, a subsonic jet trainer first flown in 1948). The Warbird Rides range in price from $195 to $4,995, but they all offer an unforgettable experience in a real historic aircraft.
In addition to its impressive fleet of aircrafts, the museum also features exhibitions and activities that share the stories of the men and women who have safeguarded American skies over the past century. Highlights include a Women in Aviation exhibit and aviation-inspired artwork by Stan Stokes and Robert Taylor.
This aviation museum is also about more than simply preserving history—it’s also a space to celebrate the present. Most recently, the museum hosted the Desert Air Festival over the weekend of November 15, 2024. Its terminals and hangars were transformed into a one-of-a-kind festival venue, with stages featuring headline performances by artists like Shygirl and Jamie xx. Throughout the space and amid the spectrum of lights were various warbirds, including a North American F-86 Sabre, a transonic jet fighter aircraft.
My Modern Met’s editor-in-chief, Eugene Kim, was lucky enough to attend the festival. Check out some of his images below, as well as some snapshots from the museum itself.
Palm Springs Air Museum is home to an impressive fleet of 75 aircraft and helicopters from the past century.
Visitors can get up close to many of the aircrafts and learn the history of these warbirds.
The Palm Springs Air Museum even allows guests book a flight on select historical planes.
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
These “Warbird Rides” range in price, often depending on the size and passenger capacity of the aircraft.
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
Several of these flights can only carry one passenger at a time.
Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met
