Fargo Air Museum

What Fargo Air Museum does

Fargo Air Museum is a private non-profit aviation museum founded in 2001 and headquartered at 1609 19th Avenue North in Fargo, North Dakota. It operates two hangars (180'x150' Main Hangar and 150'x100' Beck-Odegaard Hangar) housing a rotating collection of historic aircraft ranging from a Wright Brothers flyer to the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft, with most planes remaining airworthy. The museum's core experience combines aircraft viewing, a four-bay flight simulator lab with VR capability and 30+ selectable aircraft, and what it describes as one of the Midwest's largest aviation libraries curated by a veteran volunteer. Ongoing restoration projects include a North American B-25 Mitchell, an F-86 Sabre (Save the Sabre campaign launched after receiving an indefinite loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force in January 2024), and a Vultee BT-13 Valiant.

The museum's business model is a diversified non-profit revenue mix. Admissions are tiered ($15 adult, $12 military/student/senior, $10 child, free under 4). Memberships span Individual ($60) through Platinum Corporate ($1,500) on annual recurring subscriptions. The two hangars are rented as a venue for weddings, corporate events, galas, and grad parties accommodating 5–1,200 guests, with a 50% deposit and $400/guard security requirement for events serving alcohol. Youth aviation and STEAM camps run seasonally ($50–$200 per program, plus free ND Aeronautics Commission–funded camps for ages 6–18), and a monthly EAA-hosted Young Eagles Build Night provides free hands-on aircraft construction experience for ages 10–18. Fundraising includes an annual gala (18th year as of recent reporting), a vehicle sweepstakes (Polaris Ranger, Can-Am Defender), an Adopt-an-Airplane program ($300/$500/$1,000 for 3/6/12-month terms), an endowment managed by the FM Area Foundation, and cryptocurrency donations. An online merchandise store sells branded apparel, hats, flags, and accessories.

Go-to-market is community-led: the museum serves aviation enthusiasts, families, veterans, and students within the Fargo-Moorhead region, supported by a board of directors, a Director of Operations, and coordinators across education, events, fundraising, collections, and marketing. No parent company, PE backing, or institutional investment is disclosed; governance operates through the board and donor base rather than shareholders.

Name

Fargo Air Museum

Legal name

Fargo Air Museum

Website

https://fargoairmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fargo Air Museum is a Fargo, North Dakota non-profit aviation museum founded in 2001 that preserves and displays historic airworthy aircraft, operates a VR flight simulator lab, runs youth aviation and STEAM camps, and rents its two hangars as an event venue for families, veterans, students, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Museum & Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

Keywords

• Aviation museum experiences
• Youth aviation camps
• Historic aircraft restoration
• Event venue rentals
• Flight simulator sessions

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Ticket sales for museum entry with tiered pricing based on age and status
2. Memberships: Annual membership tiers providing free admission, discounts, and exclusive benefits including Individual ($60), Dual ($75), Family ($85), Military, Senior, Student, and Corporate tiers up to $1,500
3. Venue Rentals: Private event bookings for weddings, corporate events, galas, grad parties with full venue amenities including two hangars accommodating 5-1,200 guests
4. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded apparel, hats, accessories, and collectibles
5. Adopt-an-Airplane Program: Donation-based aircraft adoption program with periods of 3 months ($300), 6 months ($500), and 12 months ($1,000)
6. Donations and Grants: General fund, endowment fund, cryptocurrency donations, sweepstakes, and grant funding from organizations like ND Aeronautics Commission
7. Flight Simulator Sessions: 15-minute flight simulator sessions at $10 each, with free sessions for members
8. Youth Camps: Educational camps including Extreme Aviation Camp ($200 for 5 days), Tiny Aviator Camp ($50 for 4 days), and STEAM Camp ($10 members/$20 non-members)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fargo Air Museum operates a non-profit aviation museum featuring aircraft displays across two hangars, a four-bay VR-enabled flight simulator lab, youth aviation and STEAM education camps, event venue rentals for private functions, museum memberships, and active aircraft restoration projects. The museum generates revenue through admissions, memberships, venue rentals, donations, and merchandise to fund aviation education, youth camps, veterans programs, and aircraft preservation.

Product overview

Fargo Air Museum is a single-site aviation museum in Fargo, North Dakota, operating as a unified visitor experience centered on education, preservation, and restoration of aviation history. The museum's core offerings include general admission to view aircraft displays spanning the Wright Brothers era to modern UAVs, complemented by interactive flight simulation experiences in The Hangar simulator lab. Education programming includes youth camps (Extreme Aviation Camp, Tiny Aviator Camp, STEAM Camp, Youth Aviation Camps, and EAA Young Eagles Build Nights) for ages 2-18. The museum operates an event venue for private rentals accommodating 5-1,200 guests, offers multiple membership tiers from Individual to Platinum Corporate, maintains an online merchandise store, and runs fundraising programs including Adopt-an-Airplane and annual sweepstakes. The facility also conducts ongoing aircraft restoration projects on-site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission General admission to the Fargo Air Museum featuring two hangars with aircraft displays ranging from a Wright Brothers' flyer to the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft. The majority of planes can still fly. Tiered pricing by age: Adult (12+) $15, Military/Veteran/Student/Senior (65+) $12, Child (5-11) $10, Child (4 and under) FREE.
• Flight Simulator Lab (The Hangar) Four flight simulator bays with unique controls and virtual reality options. Over 30 different aircraft available including classics (Wright Brothers glider, P-51 Mustang, FG-1D Corsair) and modern aircraft (Halo D77-TC Pelican, Airbus A320neo, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet). Real-time weather and air traffic simulation. Recommended for ages 10 and up. $10 per 15-minute session; members receive free passes.
• Youth Aviation Camps Educational youth aviation and STEAM programs for ages 2-18. Includes Extreme Aviation Camp ($200 for 5 days, ages 10-17) covering principles of flight, weather, communications, and aircraft maintenance; Tiny Aviator Camp ($50 for 4 days, ages 2-6) with story time and hands-on activities; STEAM Camp Turn It Build It ($10 member/$20 non-member, ages 8-18); Youth Aviation Camp Traffic Safety focused on air traffic control (free, funded by ND Aeronautics Commission grant, ages 6-18); and Young Eagles Build Night Pietenpol Workshop hosted monthly by EAA Chapter 317 (free, ages 10-18).
• Event Venue Rental Private event venue rentals for weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, memorials, and birthdays. Two hangars available: Main Hangar (180' x 150') and Beck-Odegaard Hangar (150' x 100'), accommodating 5-1,200 guests. Includes full venue amenities; 50% deposit to reserve, full payment day of event; security required for events with alcohol ($400 per guard, 1 per 100 guests).
• Museum Memberships Annual membership tiers including Individual ($60, free drone cage, 4 free flight simulator passes, 15% merchandise discount, early admittance), Dual ($75, two adults), Family ($85, 2 adults + up to 4 children), Military tiers (Individual $50, Dual $65, Family $75), Senior ($50), Student ($50), and Corporate tiers (Silver $350 with 1/4 page newsletter ad and 1 discounted venue rental; Gold $700 with logo on website, 1/2 page newsletter ad, and 2 discounted venue rentals; Platinum $1,500 with homepage logo recognition, full page newsletter ad, 2 discounted venue rentals at 50% off, 5 family memberships, and traveling history program).
• Online Store E-commerce merchandise store selling branded apparel including t-shirts (from $14.99), Hawaiian shirts (from $58.99), hoodies, hats, flags ($125), stickers, and keychains (e.g., Remove Before Flight Keychain $4.99).
• Adopt-an-Airplane Program Donation-based aircraft adoption program allowing donors to fund the care and restoration of historic aircraft. Three adoption periods: 3 months ($300), 6 months ($500), and 12 months ($1,000). Benefits include donor recognition in newsletter and social media, display recognition next to aircraft, personalized certificates, and team-building days.
• Sweepstakes Annual sweepstakes fundraising program with vehicle prizes including 2026 Polaris Ranger XP 1000 NorthStar and 2025 Can-Am Defender. Supports museum education, veterans programs, and aircraft restoration.
• Aircraft Restoration Projects Ongoing restoration of historic aircraft including North American B-25 Mitchell, North American F-86H Sabre (Save the Sabre campaign following January 2024 indefinite loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force), and Vultee BT-13 Valiant. Weekly restoration nights engage volunteers in preservation work.
• Kids Birthday Party Packages Birthday party packages for children held at the museum venue, leveraging the unique aviation-themed hangar setting.
• Custom Dog Tags Customized authentic WWII-era dog tags created on a vintage stamping machine with choice of chain and/or silencer. Sold as a paid visitor experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the Midwest's largest aviation libraries - extensive collection curated by veteran volunteer
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 317coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAA Chapter hosts monthly Young Eagles Build Night workshops at the museum where participants help build a Pietenpol aircraft to be displayed at Fargo Air Museum. Open to all ages 10-18, free of charge.
• U MotorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Polaris and Can-Am dealer that facilitated the 2025 Can-Am sweepstakes winner's prize delivery. Worked with winner Ann to bring home her new vehicle.
• Veterans Coffee Hour SponsorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecurring monthly sponsors including Cindy Schreiber-Beck, Moorhead Legion, Mike and Kathy Killoran, Fargo Memorial Honor Guard, Sandy's Donuts, and Fargo Air Museum provide complimentary coffee and donuts for veterans.
• Sidestreet Bar and GrillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored NDSU Bison Football tailgating/watch party events at the museum.
• National Museum of the United States Air ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded Fargo Air Museum indefinite loan of North American F-86H Sabre #53-1253 in January 2024. The museum is undertaking restoration and conservation treatment as part of the Save the Sabre campaign.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FargoAirMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/fargo.airmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fargo-air-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fargo Air Museum