TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

August 1998
Transportation Museums and Attractions

Transportation Museum Resources

Visiting the five dozen or more transportation attractions and museums across California and Nevada listed here should keep our readers busy for some time. You can explore the Web sites below for links to other, related museum sites. Use the "More Resources" link to browse resources which didn't get into the published newsletter. Before embarking on an outing, be sure to call to confirm the hours. (Click on a category link below to jump directly to that category.)

Auto Museums
Train Museums
Model Trains
Train Rides
Aviation Museums

Auto Museums

Blackhawk Automotive Museum
3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle
Danville, CA
Tel: 925.736.2277
Web: www.blackhawkauto.org
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $8 adults, $5 for students with ID & seniors 65+, free for children 6 and under
The museum, affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley, exhibits 120 cars at one time that have special artistic merit and historic significance; also has the world's largest collection of automotive art and artifacts and an extensive research library.

Hays Antique Truck Museum
1962 Hays Lane
Woodland, CA (near Sacramento)
Tel: 530.666.1044
Web: www.truckmuseum.org
Hours: Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in winter; Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. during the summer
Cost: $6 adults, $4 for seniors 62+ and children 6-14 (admission entitles visitors to tour the Fred C. Heidrick Antique Ag Collection as well)
Part of the 100,000+ square foot Heidrick Ag History Center - "celebrating the heritage of agriculture and commercial trucking"-the truck museum contains one of the largest collections of antique trucks in the U.S., with over 100 different makes representing 94 different manufacturers. Also on display are tools, equipment and memorabilia.

Imperial Palace Antique and Classic Auto Collection
3535 Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV
Tel: 702.794.3114
Web: www.autocollections.com
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily
Cost: $6.95 adults, $3 for seniors and for children ages 4-12
More than 200 antique and classic vehicles on display in plush galleries on the fifth floor of the Imperial Palace parking garage. Exhibits include largest collection of Duesenbergs in the world and cars once owned by famous and infamous persons, including Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy, Adolf Hitler and Al Capone.

National Automobile Museum
10 Lake Street South
Reno, NV
Tel: 702.333.9300
Web: www.automuseum.org
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: $7.50 adults; $6.50 for seniors 62+; $2.50 for children ages 6-18
Museum includes about 220 antique, vintage, classic and special vehicles from collection of the late William Harrah. Four galleries display vintage cars in street scenes that each represents an era of the 20th century.

Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax Avenue)
Los Angeles, CA
Tel: 213.930.2277 (CARS)
Web: www.petersen.org
Hours: Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: $7 adults; $5 for seniors and students; $3 for children 5-12
Operated by the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, the Petersen's 200-plus rare and classic vehicles are incorporated into realistic scenes that portray the impact of the auto on the cultural history of Los Angeles, from memory lane to the fast lane.

San Diego Automotive Museum
2080 Pan American Plaza (in Balboa Park)
San Diego, CA
Tel: 619.231.2886
Web: www.sdautomuseum.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily; extended to 5:30 p.m. in the summer
Cost: $6 adults; $5 for seniors and veterans; $2 for children 6-15
Museum features frequently changing exhibits in addition to a permanent collection of classic and historically significant vehicles, plus a research library with rare publications, photos and vintage films.

Towe Auto Museum
2200 Front Street
Sacramento, CA
Tel: 916.442.6802
Web: www.toweautomuseum.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Cost: $5 adults, $4.50 for seniors; $2.50 for high school students, $1 for elementary school students; free for children under 5.
Displays 160 collector vehicles in a series of "dream theme" exhibits that illustrate America's passion for autos, from their invention to sports car racing.

See also Travel Town under Train Museums.

Train Museums

California State Railroad Museum
Second and "I" streets
Old Sacramento, CA
Tel: 916.445.6645
Web: www.csrmf.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Cost: $6 adults, $3 for children 6-12
This impressive facility constitutes the largest interpretive railroad museum in North America. Inside the museum proper, visitors can walk through a 1937 dining car, a 1950 post office car, a 1924 refrigerator car and an old steam engine, as well as a 1929 sleeper car that is hydraulically activated to simulate a train ride, plus view another 18 meticulously restored locomotives and railcars. A children's area offers a hands-on model train display. Across the street is an 1867 Central Pacific passenger station with more displays. Excursions available (see Sacramento Southern Railroad under Train Rides).

Golden Gate Railroad Museum
Hunters Point Naval Shipyards at the end of Evans Avenue
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415.822.8728*
Web: www.ggrm.org
Hours: weekends 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; groups by appointment on weekdays
Cost: Admission free; "run-a-locomotive" program costs vary with equipment
Nonprofit organization preserves and restores vintage steam and diesel rail equipment; visitors can operate a vintage locomotive for a fee. A miniature 1890s vintage locomotive, "Little Puffer," recently restored by the museum, is now operating at the San Francisco Zoo after an absence of 40 years. Call 415.753.7080 for details.
*Visitors are asked to call before visiting due to increased security at federal facilities as of August 1998.

Laws Railroad Museum & Historical Site
Silver Canyon Road, off Highway 6
Bishop, CA
(Central California/northeast of Fresno)
Tel: 760.873.5950
Web: www.thesierraweb.com/bishop/laws
Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily
Cost: $2 suggested donation for adults
Operated by the Bishop Museum & Historical Society, the 11-acre site includes agent's house, 20-plus historic buildings, mining, farming and railroad equipment from the late 19th century on.

Lomita Railroad Museum
250th Street and Woodward Avenue
Lomita, CA
(Los Angeles area, south of Torrance)
Tel: 310.326.6255
Web: www.lomita-rr.org
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $1 adults, 50 cents for children under 12
The museum is a replica of a pre-1900 train station. Contains lanterns, china, silverware of steam era, plus scale-model steam engines, Also on display are an early 20th century locomotive, caboose, boxcar and oil tank car.

Nevada State Railroad Museum
South of Carson City on Interstate 395 at Fairview Street
Tel: 702.687.6953
Web: dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/museums/rr/ccrr.htm
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily; steam train excursions operate 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on certain weekends and holidays; rail motor car rides Fridays through Sundays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the summer (except when steam trains are running)
Cost: $2 adults, free for children under 18; fares for excursions vary according to type, ranging from 50 cents to $2.50
More than 50 pieces of rolling stock from the Virginia & Truckee Railroad line, which was established in 1869 and carried ore from the Comstock Lode for 69 years. Includes passenger cars, freight cars and vintage engines used in movies from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Orange Empire Railway Museum
2201 South "A" Street
Perris, CA (17 miles south of Riverside)
Tel: 909.657.2605
Web: www.oerm.org
Hours: Grounds and store open daily
9 a.m.-5 p.m.; train and trolley rides 11 a.m. -5 p.m. weekends and some holidays.
Cost: Free for grounds (except on special event days); for all-day excursions pass, $7 adults, $5 for children 5-11
Largest operating railway museum in western U.S. and third largest railway museum in country. More than 200 streetcars, interurbans, locomotives of all kinds, plus railroad buildings and memorabilia.

Portola Railroad Museum
700 Western Pacific Way
Portola, CA
(Northern California/Plumas County)
Tel: 530.832.4131
Web: www.wplives.org/PRM_Home/prm_home.html
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily Memorial Day to Labor Day; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, weather permitting, during winter months; train rides on selected days
Cost: Suggested donation $2 for museum; all-day train ride passes $2 for individuals, $5 for families; "run-a-locomotive" program costs vary
The theme of the museum is an operating small railroad locomotive facility typical of the 1940s through '60s. The museum's 37-acre site includes a diesel locomotive shop and 2.5 miles of track. Over 30 locomotives and 80 cars. Visitors can operate a locomotive for a fee.

Railtown 1897/Sierra Railway Company
Fifth Avenue and Reservoir Road
Jamestown, CA
(Central California/east of Stockton)
Tel: 209.984.1600 or 209.984.3953
Web: www.csrmf.org
Hours: Park open daily 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; steam trains run 11 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends April-Oct., as well as some holidays; Saturdays only in Nov.
Cost: $2 adults, $1 for children 6-12; train excursions $6 adults, $3 for children 6-12
Operated by the California State Railroad Museum, it is one of only two preserved steam-era short-line roundhouse complexes in the U.S. Over 200 movies, TV programs and commercials have been filmed here.

San Diego Railroad Museum
Main Facility:
Campo, CA
(60 miles east of downtown San Diego, on Highway 94)
Restored 1915 Depot:
Spring Street and La Mesa Boulevard,
La Mesa, CA
Business Office and Reference Library: Santa Fe Depot
1050 Kettner Boulevard,
San Diego, CA
Tel: 619.595.3030 or 888.228.9246
Web: www.sdrm.org
Hours: Campo facility open weekends and major selected holidays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; La Mesa Depot open weekend afternoons
Cost: Admission free; excursions between Campo and Miller Creek $10 adults, $8 seniors & military, $3 for children 6-12; other fees for longer excursions
Over 80 pieces of rail equipment on display at Campo facility. Regularly scheduled local excursions plus longer trips to Mexico offered. Tours of La Mesa Depot and grounds also available.

San Francisco Cable Car Museum
1201 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415.474.1887
Web: www.sfcablecar.com/barn.html
Hours: daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 1- Sept. 30; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 1-March 31
Cost: Free
Located in historic Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse; includes actual cable winding machinery, antique cable cars, photo display and mechanical artifacts.

Travel Town Museum
Griffith Park, 5200 Zoo Drive
Los Angeles, CA
Tel: 213.662.5874
Web: www.lacity.org/rap/grifmet/tt/
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; weekends 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: Admission free; for miniature train ride, $1.75 adults, $1.25 for children 19 months-13 years
One of oldest displays of pre-WW II passenger cars and steam locomotives in U.S. Miniature train ride daily, model railroad operates on weekends. Tours of restored railcars offered third weekend of the month; caboose rides offered first weekend of the month. Indoor collection of automobiles and turn-of-the-century fire trucks and apparatus.

Western Railway Museum
5848 State Highway 12
Suisun City, CA
(Rio Vista Junction, 13 miles east of Interstate 80)
Tel: 707.374.2978
Web: www.wrm.org
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. July 4-Labor Day; weekends 11 a.m.-5 p.m. year-round
Cost: $6 adults, $5 seniors 65+, $3 for children, $18 for families; includes unlimited rides on 8-mile round-trip streetcar excursions
Features the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association's collection of over 100 interurban, streetcar, rapid transit, electric, steam and diesel locomotives, workcars and classic heavyweight mainline passenger cars; rides on four different vehicles plus car barn tours.

Model Trains

Golden Gate Live Steamers, Inc.
Tilden Park at the top of Grizzly Peak Boulevard
Berkeley, CA
Tel: 510.486.0623
Web: www.ggls.org
Hours: Trains run every Sunday of the year, weather permitting, 9 a.m-4 p.m. Rides available Sun. noon-3 p.m.
Cost: Donations accepted
The club has been at the site provided by the East Bay Regional Park District since 1950. They have elevated tracks as well as ground-level tracks for larger engines. The larger engines pull passengers sitting on open-air cars.

Golden Gate Model Railroaders, Inc.
Randall Museum
199 Museum Way
San Francisco. CA
Tel: 415.861.7675
Web: www.ggmrc.org
Hours: Wed. 7 p.m.-10 p.m.: second and fourth Sat. of the month noon-5 p.m.
Cost: Donations accepted
The club's HO scale layout shows, in miniature, the engineering and geographical features of California railroads, past and present. Various types of bridges span canyons and dry washes, and a narrow gauge railroad line winds through the mountains.

Golden State Model Railroad Museum
Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline Park
900 Dornan Drive
Richmond, CA
Tel: 510.234.4884
Web: www.gsmrm.org
Hours: Sun. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. May-Oct.
Cost: $2 adults; $1 for seniors and children under 12; $5 per family
Nearly 10,000 square feet of model railroads feature operating trains of various scales. The scenery and operations are representative of those seen throughout California, and depict freight and passenger terminals, trestles, tunnels and meticulously detailed town and city scenes.

Napa Valley Model Railroaders Club
Town and Country Fairgrounds
575 Third Street
Napa, CA
Tel: 707.253.8428
Web: www.napavalleyexpo.com/f-railroad.html
Hours: Second, third and fourth Fri. of each month 7:30 p.m.-midnight
Cost: Donations accepted
The layout is of a railroad line that might have run from Napa north through Lake County.

Niles Depot Museum
36997 Mission Blvd.
Fremont. CA
Tel: 510.797.4449
Web: nilesdepot.railfan.net
Hours: First and third Sun. of each month 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Donations accepted
The Niles Depot, built in 1904 to replace a depot that had occupied the site since 1869, served as a passenger station until the 1950s, and as a freight station until the 1960s. Moved to its current site in 1982, the station houses a small railroad library plus railroad artifacts. The Tri-City Society of Model Engineers operates HO and N scale model railroad layouts on two floors of the depot.

Redwood Valley Railway Corp.
Tilden Park at the top of Grizzly Peak Boulevard
Berkeley, CA
Tel: 510.548.6100
Web: www.redwoodvalleyrailway.com
Hours: Weekends and holidays (except Thanksgiving and Christmas), weather permitting 11 a.m.-6 p.m. or dark. During the summer, weekdays noon-5 p.m.
Cost: $1.50 for a single ride or 5 rides for $6, children under 2 free
You can take a 12-minute journey through the redwoods of Tilden Park on these miniature steam-powered trains. The railway is based on the narrow gauge railroads of the late 1800s.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Balboa Park
1649 El Prado
San Diego, CA
Tel: 619.696.0199
Web: www.globalinfo.com/noncomm/SDMRM/sdmrm.html
Hours: Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $3 one-day pass for adults; discounts for students and seniors; children under 15 free.
Discover the colorful history of railroads in the American Southwest by exploring the 24,000 square feet of operating model train exhibits. With six different layouts, the museum is the largest permanent indoor model railroad exhibit in America. You can play engineer in the interactive Toy Train Gallery.

South Coast Railroad Museum
Goleta Depot
300 North Los Carneros Road
Goleta, CA (Santa Barbara County)
Tel: 805.964.3540
Web: www.goletadepot.org
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Donations requested; $1 ticket (higher during special events) to ride the miniature train, which runs every museum day except Thurs.
Goleta Depot is a Victorian-style Southern Pacific station, built in 1901. It includes a miniature train ride as well as a 300-square-foot HO-scale model railroad depicting the era of the steam train. Travel films and rail-theme documentaries are shown every Thursday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.

Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society Inc.
Larkey Park
2751 Buena Vista Avenue
Walnut Creek, CA
Tel: 925.937.1888
Web: www.wcmrs.org
Hours: Third Sun. of each month 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.; and the last Fri. of each month 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Call for special holiday hours after Thanksgiving.
Cost: $2 adults; $1 for children 6-12 and seniors
The 1,800 square foot layout is a miniature composite of the mountainous areas of the western U.S. The HO scale equipment represents periods from the middle of the 19th century to the present. Visitors can view an 8-foot-by-30-foot centralized traffic control board awash in blinking lights.

West Bay Model Railroad Association
1090 Merrill Street
Menlo Park, CA
(100 yards south of the Menlo Park Caltrain station)
Tel: 650.322.0685
(Wed. after 8 p.m. only)
Web: home.earthlink.net/~pesce/westbay.htm
Hours: Fourth Wed. of each month 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
Cost: Donations accepted
The West Bay Model Railroad Association is 50 years old and displays three different scales. The building is wheelchair accessible and has a raised seating area to provide a better view of the display.

See also Travel Town under Train Museums.

Train Rides

McCloud Railway/Open-air Train
McCloud, CA
Tel: 800.733.2141 or 530.964.2142
Web: www.shastasunset.com
Hours: Weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day
Cost: Open-air diesel train-$10 adults, $5 children under 12; open-air steam train-$15 adults, $10 children under 12
One-hour ride in steam or diesel trains through forests on south side of Mt. Shasta.

McCloud Railway/Shasta Sunset Dinner Train
(See listing above)
Hours: Weekends plus holidays and some summer weeknights, April through Dec.; lunch rides offered in the summer
Cost: $50 for lunch, $70 for dinner per person, plus tax & tip
Three-hour, 40-mile ride in restored Pullman coaches.

Napa Valley Wine Train
1275 McKinstry Street
Napa, CA
Tel: 707.253.2111 or 800.427.4124
Web: www.winetrain.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.; Wed.-Fri. 6 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 8:30 a.m., 12:10 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $22 to $33 (train ride only); with brunch $56.50; lunch $63; dinner $69.50 per person; deli car $25 per person
Four-course meals served on three-hour, 36-mile excursion through the Napa Valley in refurbished Pullman parlor and dining cars.

Niles Canyon Railway
Corner of Main Street and Kilkare Road
Sunol, CA
Web: www.ncry.org
Tel: 510.862.9063
Hours: First and third Sun. of every month; train runs every 90 minutes
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Suggested donations-$6 adults, $3 for children 3-11
Vintage steam and diesel locomotives pull enclosed coaches and open cars on 12-mile ride through Niles Canyon over the original Transcontinental Railroad route.

Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
and
Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway Company
P.O. Box G-1
Felton, CA
Tel: 408.335.4484
Web: www.roaringcamprr.com
Hours: Roaring Camp-runs daily April through Nov.; weekends & holidays Dec.-March; Santa Cruz-runs daily during the summer; weekends and holidays Sept. 7-Nov. 1 and May 16-June 7
Cost: Roaring Camp-$13.50 adults, $9.50 for children 3-12; Santa Cruz-$15 adults, $11 children
Steam trains carry passengers on a one-hour trip from Roaring Camp through Henry Cowell Redwood State Park to Bear Mountain and back, or on a two-and-a-half-hour trip from Felton through Roaring Camp and redwood forests to Santa Cruz boardwalk and back.

Sacramento Southern Railroad
Public Market, Front and "K" streets
Old Sacramento, CA
Tel: 916.445.6645
Web: www.csrmf.org
Hours: Weekends only (call for current schedule, which varies with the season); trains also run on Memorial, Independence and Labor days
Cost: $6 adults, $3 for children 6-12
Excursion train for the California State Railroad Museum. Six-mile, 40-minute round-trip along the Sacramento River. Equipment includes 50-year-old steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, 1920s-era coaches, open gondola cars, caboose.

San Francisco Muni Railway
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415.SF.MUNI
Web: www.ci.sf.ca.us/muni
Hours: cable cars and F line trolleys operate daily, 6 a.m.-midnight (approx.)
Cost: Cable cars $2; F-line $1 adults, $.35 for youth, seniors and disabled persons
Cable cars operate along downtown California Street, between Powell/ Market streets and Hyde Street and between Powell/Market and Fisherman's Wharf. F-Market historic streetcars run between the Transbay Terminal and Castro and 17th streets.

San Jose Historic Trolleys
San Jose, CA
Tel: 408.321.2300
Web: www.vta.org/services/trolleys/historic_trolleys.html
Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily Memorial Day-Oct. 4; Fri. 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 2:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Dec. 4-Jan.1
Cost: $1.10 adults; $.60 youth; $.35 seniors and disabled persons.
Vintage trolleys run on the downtown center plaza between the Convention Center and Civic Center.

Skunk Train
Foot of Laurel Street
Fort Bragg, CA
Tel: 707.964.6371 or 800.77.SKUNK
Web: www.skunktrain.com
Hours: Daily trains between Fort Bragg, North Spur and Willits
Cost: Full day-$35 adults; $18 for children 3-11; half day or one way-$25 adults, $13 children.
Half-day and full-day trips on historic logging trains 40 miles through redwoods between Fort Bragg and Willits; refreshment stop midway in North Spur.

Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources (SPCRR)
Ardenwood Historic Farm
34600 Ardenwood Boulevard
Fremont, CA
Tel: 510.796.0663 for farm;
408.370.3555 for SPCRR
Web: hera.ecs.csus.edu/students/team/spcrr.html
Hours: Thurs., Fri., Sun. (some Saturdays) 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $5 adults; $4 for students and seniors 62+; $3.50 for children 4-12
The non-profit SPCRR operates restored, narrow-gauge railroad cars, pulled by Belgian draft horses on one mile of track in Ardenwood Historic Farm.

Yolo Shortline Railroad
1965 East Main Street
Woodland, CA
Tel: 530.666.9698 or 800.942.6387
Hours: Sun. 10 a.m. & 2 p.m., plus occasional Saturdays; regular season runs May-Oct.
Cost: $13 adults; $11 for seniors 60+; $8 for children 4-14; $30 family fare. Special trip fares slightly higher.
28-mile, two-hour-and-15-minute round-trip from Woodland to West Sacramento on historic steam or diesel trains.

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
Yosemite National Park South Gate
56001 Highway 41
Fish Camp, CA
Tel: 209.683.7273
Web: www.ymsprr.com
Hours: Logger steam train-daily one-hour rides (1 to 3 per day) begin at 11 a.m., March-Sept.; weekends only in Oct.; Jenny railcar-daily 30-minute rides, every half hour, except when steam train operates, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.., March-Oct.
Cost: Logger steam train-$10.50 adults; $5.75 for children 3-12; Jenny railcar-$6.75 adults; $3.75 for children 3-12
Four-mile narrated excursions into Sierra National Forest on logger steam train or Jenny railcars that were used to transport logging crews.

Yreka Western Railway's Blue Goose Excursion Train
300 East Miner Street
Yreka, CA
Tel: 800.973.5277
Web: www.yrekachamber.com/railroad.html
Hours: Wed.-Sun. in summer; weekends in late May/early June and through Nov. 1; trains depart at 10 a.m.
Cost: $9 adults, $4.50 for children 3-12
15-mile, three-hour round-trip through Shasta Valley to the historic town of Montague. Some dinner trains as well.

Note: Most of the train museums and some of the model railroads also offer rides.

Aviation Museums

Air Force Flight Test Center
Edwards Air Force Base
Rosamond, CA
(southeast of Bakersfield, in the
Mojave Desert)
Tel: 805.277.3517 or 805.277.3510
Web: www.edwards.af.mil/trip
Hours: Tours on Fridays at 10 a.m., by appointment only
Cost: Free
After viewing a film on flight test history at Edwards, visitors are taken by bus to the flight line where they can view experimental aircraft and such current Air Force models as the F15, F16 and F22 fighters and the B2 stealth bomber taking off and landing. Note that you can pair this 90-minute tour with a visit to the NASA facility on the same base (see NASA Dryden listing below). There also is a small museum at the base; call 805.277.8050 for more information. The base's annual open house and air show takes place Oct. 3, 1998.

Castle Air Museum
Adjacent to Castle Air Force Base Santa Fe Road, near Bunach Road
Atwater, CA (south of Modesto, near Merced)
Tel: 209.723.2178
Web: www.elite.net/castle-air
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily Memorial Day-Oct. 1; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 1- Memorial Day
Cost: $5 adults, $3 for seniors 60 and up, $2 for children 12-18
Named after World War II air hero. Museum volunteers restore, maintain and display WW II, Korean War and Vietnam-era aircraft. Includes historical photos, weapons, uniforms and memorabilia.

Hiller Aviation Museum
601 Skyway Road at San Carlos Airport
San Carlos, CA
Tel: 650.654.0200
Web: www.hiller.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Cost: $7 adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and children 12-17, $2 for children 8-11 and free for children under 8 (with a paid adult admission)
Opened in June of 1998; tracks the evolution of flight through replicas and restored aircraft, with a special focus on California's contributions. Includes several helicopters built by the Peninsula company that bore the name of museum's founder, Stanley Hiller. Offers free rides in private planes to kids ages 8-17 on the third Sat. of the month through the Young Eagles program.

March Field Museum
next to March Air Reserve Base
Riverside, CA
Tel: 909.697.6600
Web: www.rth.org/march
Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily
Cost: Donations accepted-$5 adults, $2 for children
Large hangar houses over 50 military aircraft, plus models and memorabilia from 1919 to present.

McClellan Aviation Museum
McClellan Air Force Base
Sacramento, CA
Tel: 916.643.3192
Web: www.mcclellanaviationmuseum.org
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. noon-4 p.m.; closed on federal holidays
Cost: Free
Features some 30 restored military aircraft, including an A-10 veteran of Desert Storm. Displays include early aircraft engines and uniforms through the years.

Museum of Flying
North side of Santa Monica Airport
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North
Santa Monica, CA
Tel: 310.392.8822
Web: www.museumofflying.com
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $7 adults, $5 seniors/college students, $3 for children 3-17
Site where first DC 3 was built; houses more than 40 aircraft, including a number of WW II fighter aircraft, many in flight-ready condition. The three-story facility includes a "Children's Interactive Area."

NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field
Mountain View, CA
Tel: 650.604.6274
Web: www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home
Hours: Weekday group tours (15-35 people, age 9 and above) at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., by reservation only; closed on federal holidays
Cost: Free
Pre-tour orientation held in the Ames Visitor Center. Using the group's own transportation, visitors move on to a pre-WW II dirigible hangar, now a national historic landmark and future site of the California Air and Space Center. Houses a growing collection of aerospace displays that will include research aircraft, spacecraft and related artifacts.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
Edwards Air Force Base
Rosamond, CA
(southeast of Bakersfield in the Mojave Desert)
Tel: 805.258.3460
Web: www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/home
Hours: Tours* offered Mon.-Fri. at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. by reservation only; closed on federal holidays and shuttle landing days
Cost: Free
Guided 90-minute tours include a video history of the aircraft test program, and a walk through a hangar where visitors can view research/experimental aircraft.
* Tours have recently been temporarily canceled due to heightened security at federal facilities; call for an update.

Pacific Coast Air Museum
2330 Airport Blvd.
Santa Rosa, CA
(at Sonoma County Airport)
Tel: 707.575.7900
Web: www.pacificcoastairmuseum.org
Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; "Display Days" third weekend of each month
Cost: $3 donation for adults accepted, children free
Dedicated to "acquisition, restoration, safe operation and display of historical aircraft." Indoor exhibits include aviation hardware, artifacts, posters, scale models. Of the museum's collection of restored historic planes, one or two are featured monthly for "Display Days," when visitors may climb into cockpits.

Palm Springs Air Museum
East side of Palm Springs Regional Airport
745 N. Gene Autry Trail
Palm Springs, CA
Tel: 760.778.6262
Web: www.air-museum.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Cost: $7.50 for adults 13-65, $6 for seniors 65+ and military with ID, $3.50 for children 6-12
Dedicated to the restoration, preservation and operation of America's legendary fighters, bombers and trainers. One of the world's largest collections of flying WW II airplanes. Hosts special events on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day, Pearl Harbor Day, VE Day, VJ Day and more.

Planes of Fame Air Museum
Chino Airport
7000 Merrill Avenue, Box 17
Chino, CA
(southeast of Pomona)
Tel: 909.597.3722
Web: www.planesoffame.org
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Cost: $8.95 adults, $1.95 children ages 5-11
Calling itself a "warbird sanctuary," the facility showcases restored American, British, German and Japanese military aircraft from WW II, many in flying condition; over 140 aircraft overall, including a collection of early aircraft going as far back as 1896.

San Diego Aerospace Museum
Balboa Park
2001 Pan American Place
San Diego, CA
Tel: 619.234.8291
Web: www.aerospacemuseum.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily
Cost: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $2 for children 6-17; free on the fourth Tues. of month
Includes International Aerospace Hall of Fame honoring aviation and space heroes; replica of Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis; aircraft restoration facility. More than 65 vintage aircraft.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Aviation Library and Museum
Scheduled to open in May 2000
Tel: 510.652.2772
Web: www.sfoarts.org/About/Aviation/ALARC.html
Hours: To be determined
Cost: Free
Part of the new International Terminal now under construction, the museum will showcase memorabilia and ephemera related to aviation in the Pacific Region, and SFO's role as a gateway to the Pacific, from the early transoceanic flights by Pan Am's flying boats in the mid-1930s to the rise of the jet age in the 1960s. The motif will emulate the passenger waiting area of the old Spanish-style airport terminal built in 1937.

Santa Maria Museum of Flight
3015 Airpark Drive
Santa Maria, CA
(San Luis Obispo County)
Tel: 805.922.8758
Web: www.smmof.org
Hours: Fri., Sat., Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the summer; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. the rest of the year
Cost: Donation requested
Two hangars display airplanes, extensive collection of model planes depicting aviation history, once-secret Norden bombsight and accessories. One hangar devoted to the period from the Wright Brothers to WWII, the other from WWII to the present.

Travis Air Force Museum
Travis Air Force Base
Fairfield, CA
Tel: 707.424.5605*
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., closed on all federal holidays
Cost: Free
Located on Travis Air Force Base; more than 20 bombers, fighters, transport planes, trainers and helicopters displayed outside. Inside there's a display of "nose art" that has decorated combat planes, a collection of missiles and bombs, a couple of cockpits for kids to climb in, plus much more. Includes photos, uniforms and memorabilia of base history.
*Because of recent heightened security at federal facilities, visitors should call the Visitor Center at 707.424.1462 to make sure the base is currently open to the public.

USS Hornet Museum
Alameda Point
(formerly the Alameda Naval Air Station)
Atlantic Avenue and the Bay
Alameda, CA
Tel: 510.521.8448
Web: www.uss-hornet.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Cost: $9 adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children 5-18
WW II-era aircraft carrier known for its combat record and for recovery of the Apollo 11 command module. Open to the public only since August 1998 (official ceremony planned for October), the museum currently displays few planes, but aircraft from the 1940s through the '60s, including dive bombers and torpedo planes, will be added as restoration work on the vessel continues.

Western Aerospace Museum
Oakland International Airport, North Field
8268 Boeing Street, Building 621
Oakland, CA
Tel: 510.638.7100
Web: www.westernaerospacemuseum.org
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: $4 adults and seniors, $2 for children 6-12 (extra $2 charge for tour of flying boat)
Current collection of some 15 historically significant planes includes a British-built flying boat, a Lockheed 10-A Electra similar to the one Amelia Earhart flew, an A-4 Skyhawk from the Vietnam War, and a vertical-take-off Harrier jet formerly belonging to NASA. New site opening later in 1998.

Western Museum of Flight
12016 Prairie Avenue
Hawthorne, CA
(about eight miles east of LAX)
Tel: 310.332.6228
Web: www.wmof.com
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Cost: $3 adults, $2 for children
Currently more oriented to restoration than to exhibits, the museum's collection includes more than a dozen completed or in progress aircraft projects, plus over 300 model aircraft and thousands of items of aircraft memorabilia and artifacts.

Wings of History Air Museum
(formerly: California Antique Aircraft Museum)
12777 Murphy Ave.,
(adjacent to South County Airport)
San Martin, CA
Tel: 408.683.2290
Web: www.wingsofhistory.org
Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Donation of $5 for adults, $3 for children
Two hangars house pieces of Santa Clara County aviation history; includes a restoration shop, wooden propeller manufacturing shop, numerous aircraft-including a 1928 biplane, and a 68-year-old glider once piloted by Charles Lindbergh-plus parts, equipment and memorabilia. Hosts the Watsonville Air Show every Memorial Day weekend.

-Compiled by
Catalina Alvarado, Marjorie Blackwell, Reka Goode, Brenda Kahn and Caitlin Roper

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