Looking for something fun to explore in Topeka? Fly on over to The Combat Air Museum and be immersed in aviation history, spanning the earliest days of flight through present day innovations.
About the Combat Air Museum
The Combat Air Museum is a non-profit aviation museum at the Topeka Regional Airport in Shawnee County, near Topeka, Kansas. It is one of a handful of major aviation museums in the United States located on an active air field. The museum has 42 military aircraft on display, from WWI to the present day, in addition to various displays of missiles, rockets, aircraft engines, artifacts, and dioramas. There’s also the James W. Mirick Gallery of Aviation Art that features more than 50 paintings, photographs, and prints depicting combat aircrafts flown by the military since WWI.
Hours and admission
Explore the museum during their winter hours (January and February) Monday through Sunday from noon until 4:30 p.m. Regular visiting hours (March through December) are Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 4:30 p.m.
Admittance is super affordable! Children 5 and under are FREE! Adults $10, Seniors/Retired Military $9, Youth 5-17 $7 and Active Military $7. Memberships are also available.
Mom Tip: To view all the planes, you will be walking through various plane hangers so there is no air conditioning. Make sure to wear warm clothes/coats in the winter and dress appropriately for the heat in the summer.
What your crew will love
Aside from viewing some cool aircrafts up close, guests are actually allowed to go inside and explore some of them! My boys loved going inside the CH-53A Sea Stallion (also known as “the huge helicopter” according to my little aviation experts) and The Lockheed EC121-T AWACS radar plane. Don’t forget to hop into the cockpit of a Skyhawk US Navy attack plane! Finish out your visit trying out the flight simulator. If they are not too busy, you may even have a worker help your littles try it out. We have found the staff friendly and very helpful!
Visit the gift shop to start and end your visit. Here you will meet one of the dedicated volunteers who will give some valuable tips to make your visit more enjoyable. After viewing the museum collection, make sure to soar back to the Gift Shop and grab a souvenir to remember your visit! There are some pretty affordable options that can make a nice keepsake.
Combat Air Museum Tours
Museum guides are always available for tours of the museum, and they are usually available to interact with guests who want a little extra information. If you have a group of 10 or more and would like to schedule a tour, complete this form. Do note that tours need to be scheduled at least one week in advance.
What’s Nearby
Plan to also check out The Museum of the Kansas National Guard, located at the main entrance to Forbes Field. Families can enjoy flying a plane simulator, trying on military gear, viewing war trophies from WWII, and seeing even more aircrafts and Army vehicles for FREE!
Classes
The museum offers Young Aviators classes for ages 9-13. Students will experience multiple hands-on activities as well as take four site visits to local aviation locations in the area. Classes are held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. during the summer. Enrollment in the five-day session is limited to 20 per class.
