National Museum Of World War Ii Aviation Inc.

What National Museum Of World War Ii Aviation Inc. does

The National Museum of World War II Aviation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that operates an aviation museum on a 21-acre campus at the Colorado Springs Airport in Colorado, USA. Founded by a small group of local visionaries in 2004, granted non-profit status in 2008, and opened to the public in October 2012, it was officially recognized by Congress as 'America's National World War II Aviation Museum' through the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. The museum's core asset is a collection of 28 fully restored flying WWII aircraft alongside more than 4,000 artifacts and historical documents displayed in exhibit galleries, hangars, and on-campus workshops. Its primary audience is general public visitors, history and aviation enthusiasts, families, K-12 school groups (served through a free education program), WWII veterans (admitted free of charge), and organized group tours.

The museum generates revenue through five streams: tiered admission tickets ($13–$19 with discounted pre-paid and higher walk-in rates), recurring annual memberships at $100 (Individual Plus One) and $200 (Family), optional $5 docent-led guided tours, gift shop sales, and donations directed primarily to the 'Keep 'em Flying' maintenance program. It receives no federal or taxpayer funding. Additional offerings include live history presentations with flight demonstrations of restored P-51, B-25, F7F, P-47, and SBD aircraft; the annual Pikes Peak Regional Airshow; and guided tours of the on-campus WestPac Restoration facility, one of the world's premier WWII aircraft restoration companies, which relocated to the museum site in 2009. Strategic sponsorships (e.g., Champion Aerospace) and partnerships (e.g., Southern Colorado Honor Flight, Soaring Eagles Foundation) extend programming and collection breadth.

Operationally, the museum is a small organization of 1–10 employees that operates seven days a week, 10am–5pm, distributing primarily through direct in-person visitation and online ticket sales at worldwariiaviation.org. In May 2025 it broke ground on a 40,000-square-foot campus addition, the most significant infrastructure expansion since opening, signaling intent to materially scale exhibit capacity and programming. Marketing relies on the museum website, email newsletters, TripAdvisor, KAYAK, organic social media, and earned media including a History Channel feature on the Tuskegee Airmen.

Name

National Museum Of World War Ii Aviation Inc.

Legal name

National Museum of World War II Aviation

Website

https://www.worldwariiaviation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Museum of World War II Aviation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Colorado Springs, Colorado that operates a WWII aviation museum featuring 28 fully restored flying WWII aircraft and 4,000+ artifacts, serving general visitors, K-12 students, and veterans through admission, memberships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Heritage Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Aviation museum operations
• WWII aircraft restoration
• Historical aviation exhibits
• Heritage education programs
• Nonprofit cultural institution

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: The museum charges admission fees for visitors, with different pricing for pre-paid tickets versus walk-in rates. Adults pay $17 pre-paid or $19 walk-in, children (4-12) pay $13 pre-paid or $14 walk-in, seniors and military pay $15 pre-paid or $17 walk-in, and WWII veterans and parking are free.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering unlimited admission for one year, free docent-led tours, advance notice of special events, free admission to most special events and aircraft movements, 10% discount in gift shop, and monthly newsletter. Individual Plus One ($100) and Family ($200) tiers available.
3. Donations: The museum is a non-profit organization (501(c)3) that relies on generous support from donors. The museum receives no federal funding or tax-payer support. Donations support the 'Keep 'em Flying!' program to maintain flying WWII aircraft.
4. Guided Tours: Visitors may elect to join guided tours for an additional fee of $5.00 per person beyond admission.
5. Gift Shop Sales: Museum operates a gift shop offering merchandise with membership providing 10% discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Museum of World War II Aviation operates an aviation heritage museum on a 21-acre campus at Colorado Springs Airport, featuring 28 fully restored flying WWII aircraft and over 4,000 artifacts. The museum sells admission tickets, offers annual memberships, and hosts educational programs, history presentations with flight demonstrations, and special events such as the Pikes Peak Regional Airshow. Revenue is generated through admission fees, membership subscriptions, gift shop sales, donations, and sponsorships.

Product overview

The National Museum of WWII Aviation operates as a physical museum offering a single integrated experience centered around its core aircraft collection. The main offerings include general museum admission with guided tour options, an annual membership program with two tiers (Individual Plus One and Family), and special history presentations with live WWII aircraft flight demonstrations. Additional offerings include a K-12 education program, access to the WestPac restoration facility tours, and annual airshow events. The museum generates revenue through admission tickets ($13-$19), membership subscriptions ($100-$200), and a gift shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission Tickets

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200,000 visitors since opening in 2012 (based on newsletter mentioning 'Best Year We've Ever Had' in 2021)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WestPac RestorationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2009WestPac is one of the premier aircraft restoration companies in the world, focusing exclusively on World War II aircraft restoration projects. In 2009, WestPac moved from California to a new facility on the north side of the museum campus. Visitors to the museum are offered a guided tour of the WestPac facility as part of the museum experience.
• Champion AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChampion Aerospace is a leading global designer, producer, and supplier of aircraft ignition system technology. They are a leading sponsor of the museum's 'Keep 'em Flying' program, which helps keep the museum's flying World War II aircraft in the air. Champion ignition components powered the Wright brothers' first powered flight in 1903.
• Soaring Eagles FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Soaring Eagles Foundation donated a CG-4A Glider restoration project to the museum. The project, consisting of two CG-4A fuselage and cockpit frames and several spars, arrived at the museum in mid-September 2020.
• Southern Colorado Honor FlightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum sponsors Southern Colorado Honor Flight events where WWII veterans tell their stories to museum visitors. The partnership honors veterans and provides educational experiences for visitors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Naval Aviation Museum: Naval aviation heritage museum in Pensacola, FL, also a federally affiliated institution. Comparable military-aviation heritage mission and exhibit depth, though U.S. Navy-focused and free to the public via federal support.
• National WWII Museum: Largest WWII-focused museum in the U.S. (New Orleans), also non-profit, with broader WWII scope (not aviation-only). Directly comparable operating model: admissions, memberships, donations, donor-supported programming — and the closest competitor for the 'national WWII' designation positioning.
• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: The preeminent U.S. aviation museum with broader historical scope and federal funding. Comparable as a specialty aviation destination, but with vastly larger scale, free admission, and Smithsonian affiliation that anchors the national aviation-museum conversation.

Emerging players

• Yanks Air Museum: Chino, CA aviation museum with a flying WWII collection and restoration capability. Smaller-scale direct peer in the flying-WWII-aircraft niche, with comparable restoration/collection focus and visitor model.
• Collings Foundation: Non-profit that operates the Wings of Freedom Tour with restored WWII aircraft visiting airports nationwide. Comparable donor-supported restoration model, but distributed/touring rather than single-site; functions as a complementary traveling-experience competitor.

Direct peers

• EAA Aviation Museum: Aviation museum in Oshkosh, WI operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association, featuring restored aircraft including WWII types. Comparable aviation-heritage non-profit with admission, membership, and donor-funded model; stronger emphasis on general/experimental aviation.
• Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum: Everett, WA museum founded by Paul Allen featuring airworthy WWII combat aircraft. Most direct comparator on the 'flying WWII aircraft' differentiator and on the private-collector/restoration-facility model; smaller scale but similar collection philosophy.
• Museum of Flight: Seattle-based aviation museum with extensive aircraft collection and education programming. Similar non-profit, admissions+memberships+donations revenue model and comparable visitor demographics; overlaps directly in WWII-era exhibits.
• National Museum of the United States Air Force: The U.S. Air Force's official museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, the most direct comparator for a military aviation heritage museum. Both institutions preserve and exhibit U.S. military aircraft; the key difference is the NMUSAF's federal funding versus the Colorado Springs museum's donor-supported model.
• Pima Air & Space Museum: Large aviation museum in Tucson, AZ with broad collection including WWII aircraft, admission/membership model, and gift shop. Comparable regional aviation-museum operating model and visitor demographic, though broader than WWII-only and not flying-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-museum-of-world-war-ii-aviation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Museum Of World War Ii Aviation Inc.