Dayton - National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

This beautiful museum is really big. All planes are kept in mint condition. The collection of aircraft is huge and extremely varied. In the museum plenty of special warbirds from the first and second world war are exhibited, and almost every aircraft type operated by the United States Air Force since then up till the present day. Even the modern Lockheed F-22 Raptor can be found here. The museum also houses plenty of unique experimental aircraft like the Stiletto, the XB-70 Valkyrie and the X-15. The Presidential Gallery houses a number of old presidential aircraft, as well as VIP transport planes. A definite highlight is SAM 26000, the VC-137 that is also known as the first Air Force One. Other highlights of the museums are the Boeing B-17 Memphis Belle, the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17A prototype and the B-2 Spirit bomber.

This museum constantly keeps changing their layout in order to improve, as can be seen on their social media, so the exhibition already looks different than when we visited back in August 2019. The do an amazing job to preserve these incredible planes, and when in Ohio, you should definitely check out this great place. The only downside I could think of is that it is slightly too dark inside for good photography, however, if you take your time it is doable and it gives a great atmosphere. The restaurant overlooks several parts of the museum, which gives a great perspective for photography as well. An Ohio-style hot dog tastes good, but when consuming it while looking at an XB-70 it tastes even better.

A good visit can take up at least an entire day, so keep in mind that is will not be a quick visit, as there is just so much to see.