Minnesota’s aviation heritage isn’t tucked away in textbooks—it’s alive in hangars, restoration shops, historic homesteads, and flightlines across our state. With the golden hues of fall on the horizon, now is the perfect time to step out, stretch your legs, and experience it for yourself. These museums aren’t just places to read about history—they’re places to walk through it, hear it, smell it, and feel it. Cooler weather, fewer crowds, and the energy of the season make fall an ideal time to explore and reconnect with the stories that first put Minnesota in the sky.
Let’s start in Eden Prairie at Wings of the North Air Museum, tucked into Flying Cloud Airport. It’s open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the familiar hum of restoration in the background, giving you a real peek at how aviation history is preserved. It’s a friendly, easygoing stop where you’ll find a mix of beautifully restored aircraft, interactive displays, and volunteers happy to share a good story.
Head southwest to Granite Falls and you’ll find the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum—a living tribute to World War II aviation. This museum is known for its pristine warbird restorations, all housed in hangars designed to look like a 1940s airbase. In recent years, they’ve expanded with a fourth hangar featuring U.S. Navy aircraft and even added an A-24 bomber to their collection. If you want to see history up close—engines, oil, and all—this is the place. They’re generally open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
If airline history is more your style, the Northwest Airlines History Center in Bloomington is a compact, volunteer-run gem, packed with memorabilia from the airline that helped put MSP on the map. Seasonal hours are typically Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but schedules can change with little notice—so be sure to check before you go.
Head north to Little Falls for a different kind of aviation landmark—the Charles Lindbergh House & Museum, set beside his childhood home along the Mississippi River. Operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, this National Historic Landmark offers a replica Spirit of St. Louis cockpit you can climb into, plus trails where young Lindbergh once dreamed of flight. The museum has recently added new exhibits, including “Crime of the Century” about the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, a flight cap and headphones Lindbergh used on a survey flight, and restored bedrooms of his mother and grandmother opened for the first time in a decade. Open seasonally with limited hours—usually Fridays and Saturdays in September from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and by appointment other days—so always check the schedule before you go, as some dates close out before October.
Pick a spot, grab a friend or neighbor, and hop in the car—or if you’re lucky, fly in. Stand under the wing of a Mustang or B-25, climb into Lindbergh’s cockpit, or wander the river trails where a kid once dreamed himself across the Atlantic.
✈ Fall Aviation Museum Quick Guide
Check hours before visiting—seasonal schedules may change.
| Museum | Location | Hours | Admission | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings of the North Air Museum | Flying Cloud Airport, Eden Prairie | Sat–Sun, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | General admission | wingsofthenorth.org |
| Fagen Fighters WWII Museum | Granite Falls | Thu–Sat, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Suggested donation | fagenfighterswwiimuseum.org |
| Northwest Airlines History Center | Bloomington | Thu–Fri, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | General admission | nwhistory.org |
| Charles Lindbergh House & Museum | Little Falls | Seasonal: Fri–Sat, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Sept); by appointment other days | General admission | mnhs.org/lindbergh |