On your journey to the ranch, you may drive between the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and what appears to be a “boneyard” of old planes. From the road it seems somewhat barren, but it’s truly misleading, as within this fenced in “boneyard” offers an overflowing abundance of history and excitement. It is the Pima Air & Space Museum.
Labeled as one of the largest aviation museums in the world, it is the largest non-government funded aviation museum in the United States. The grounds contain a collection of more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft from around the globe, many rare and one-of-a-kind, and more than 125,000 artifacts. You can walk or take the tour among the giants of our aviation heritage, including military, commercial, and civil aviation. Among them are a B-29 Superfortress, the SR-71 Blackbird, and a rare World War II German V-1 "Buzz Bomb."
This incredible collection of aircraft includes President John F. Kennedy's Air Force One and presidential aircraft used by President Nixon and President Johnson. The museum has five large hangars totaling more than 177,000 feet of exhibit space. In addition, the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) Memorial Museum is located on the museum grounds. The Pima Air & Space Museum maintains its own aircraft restoration center, and is also proud to offer exclusive tours of the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), also known as the "Boneyard," located across the street at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
The Museum's restaurant, Flight Grill, is a great quick-service grill that features an expo kitchen, sleek modern comfortable furniture and floor to ceiling windows. The indoor dining room is just steps away from the new covered tram waiting area. From their patio, you can enjoy the mountain views, the outdoor collection and even watch as aircraft take-off and land just across the street at the Air Force Base.
Next time you’re planning your trip to Tanque Verde Ranch and would love to see some aviation history, make sure you set aside a few hours to share this fantastic visit. The Museum is open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. with last admission at 4 p.m. Click
here to see pricing and try to plan this great exploration of flight here in Tucson on your next visit.
