Destination guide for Colorado’s Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.
The Wings Over the Rockies (WOTR) Air and Space Museum is a fascinating museum situated in Hangar 1 of the former Lowry Air Force Base. The museum was established in 1994, and later in 1997, the Colorado State Legislature passed a bill that made WOTR the state’s official air and space museum. WOTR has a second location, Exploration of Flight, which is about 19 miles south of the museum.
Visiting the Air and Space Museum
I will admit I am not all that interested in aviation, so what led me to the Air and Space Museum was a special exhibit it was hosting on Snoopy and his Red Baron persona. I am a major fan of all things Snoopy; thus, this site quickly became a must-see when planning my trip to Denver. In the end, I am glad I visited the museum because it was a cool experience seeing the military aircraft up close, and the exhibits were well-curated.
The Air and Space Museum has a mix of permanent and special exhibits, and for the adventurous, there is a set of MaxFlight Simulators. The admission fee covers all exhibits, but the simulator rides are an additional cost that can only be paid in person.
I visited this museum on a Friday afternoon, and there were only a handful of other guests. I spent about an hour exploring the museum, mainly walking around to view the aircraft, checking out the Snoopy special exhibit, and browsing a handful of the permanent collections. For those who are fascinated by aviation and history, I say you can easily spend two hours or more.
If driving to the museum, there is plenty of parking to the south and east of the building. I used Uber, a ride-share service, and the drive was about 20 minutes from downtown Denver.
The space section of the museum was my favorite, as I love anything related to space travel. This part of the museum had a series of displays, a few interactive exhibits, and some interesting artifacts from NASA and former astronauts. I enjoyed learning more about Jack Swigert, one of the astronauts onboard the ill-fated Apollo 13.
If you plan to visit other museums in Denver, I highly recommend purchasing the Denver City Pass to save money. My post about this pass provides more information and shows its value.
The Air and Space Museum is fully accessible, and guests can request a wheelchair at no additional cost. The museum also provides sensory bags, which include items such as earmuffs and fidgets, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Resources
For additional information on tours and accessibility, visit the Wings Over the Rockies website.
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