City: Sevierville, TN

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (865) 908-0171, (866) 286-8738

Address: 135 Air Museum Way

Description: Aviation and history fans alike will enjoy this 50,000-square-foot museum and hangar located near the Gatlinburg–Pigeon Forge Airport in Sevierville (yes, Sevierville). The Tennessee Museum of Aviation, which opened in December 2001, is home to a host of authentic memorabilia that tells the story of powered flight. Items such as photos, scale models, military flight suits, and aircraft paraphernalia bring the history of aviation to life through a series of professionally designed displays. Although several of the sections showcase the role that aircraft played during times of war, one area taps more into the museum’s theme, detailing the contributions that Tennesseans have made to aviation. Exhibits include a large jet aircraft engine, a hands-on flight simulator, and a wall-size time line of national and statewide aviation milestones.The museum’s main attraction, however, is the 10,000-square-foot Warbirds Hangar, displaying as many as 20 active, flying vintage aircraft on a rotating basis. If you visit at the right time, you might even be fortunate enough to watch the museum’s owner, Neal Melton, as he takes one of the birds up for a flyby. The facility is also home to the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame, which celebrates the men and women from the Volunteer State who have made significant contributions to flying. In 2002 the museum inducted its inaugural slate of honorees, including Evelyn Bryan Johnson, a resident of Morristown, Tennessee, who has racked up more flying time than any woman in the world and until recently was the oldest living flight instructor. “Momma Bird” turns 100 in 2009.The Tennessee Museum of Aviation and Hall of Fame are open year-round. Admission is $12.75 for those 13 and older; $6.75 for ages 6 through 12; and free for those under 6. Seniors (ages 60 and older) are $9.75. All admission prices include tax. To get to the museum, turn off the Parkway at Connie Houston Drive and then turn right at Park Road.