Just a few weeks ago, Thomas P. Stafford died at 93 years old. He was an astronaut who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup. I had the pleasure of visiting the Stafford Air & Space Museum named after him as I drove through Weatherford, Oklahoma on my three-week road trip across America.
Truth be told, my significant other LOVES anything that has to do with space, so I made it a point to put this on our itinerary just for him. This was one of those attractions that started as me just tagging along while he enjoyed looking at everything. Yes, I think that air and space things are cool, but I can take them or leave them. I knew I would enjoy myself (I really do try to get something out of every place I see), but I didn’t have high expectations that I would think this was amazing. Boy was I wrong. This place was amazing to me.
First, as I drove up to it, it was a little unassuming. There weren’t many people there when we went and from the outside, it didn’t look that big. So I didn’t think we’d be there for very long. But don’t judge a book by its cover, right? Once we went inside the Stafford Air & Space Museum and started looking around, I couldn’t believe how big this place was and all of the items it housed. It took us about an hour and a half to look at everything that we wanted to see. It might take you more or less time. We were on a time frame for our road trip so we only had a limited amount to spend there. But wow, I thoroughly enjoyed everything I saw.
From the humble beginnings of the Wright Brothers to accomplishments in space throughout the years, the Stafford Air & Space Museum documented it. I posted some of my favorite pictures below, but don’t let them fool you. That plane was HUGE. That space capsule below was bigger than my SUV. These weren’t tiny models of things. If you love aviation, the amount of planes they housed was impressive. As they say, they are the only museum in the world to “display test-fired, flight-ready engines from both the U.S. Saturn V and the Soviet N-1 moon rockets that were at the heart of the famous SPACE RACE!”
The Stafford Air & Space Museum states that they have 63,000 square feet of space and over 3,500 artifacts, so expect to walk quite a bit around the place (there are places you can sit though and take a break, which I needed to do).
In addition, you’ll be able to hop in a few of the aircrafts and get a feeling for what it was like. We sat inside a “Tweety Bird” Cockpit. I will say it was a little difficult for someone with a bad knee to climb in and out of on their own, so make sure if you have limitations you have someone there to help you get in and out. If you are traveling with children, the good news is that there is plenty for them to do that are also interactive. You can check out a flight simulator and an F-86 interactive display, and then see real-time photos from the International Space Station. There’s so much to look at and absorb. I truly understood why my significant other loved space stuff after this. (My post continues after the photos.)
I would like to thank the Museum for hosting me and please, if you’re in the area, visit. The entrance fees are quite affordable compared to many other museums: adults (19 – 61) – $9.50 + tax; students – $4 + tax; kids (5 & under) – free; senior citizens (62 & up) – $7 + tax; Veterans – $7 + tax; and Active Military – Free. It’s open 360 days a year, Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
If you go, let me know what you think!
