Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum
This particular museum should appeal to everyone in the family, but especially to teens who may be studying about the Air Force in school. If that is the case, hopefully their teachers have arranged a field trip. There is just something about learning about a topic first hand and not out of a book. At least that was the case for me. I lived for field trips. ;)
But if you are a tourist, the museum would be happy to have you as well. It is located 15 minutes north of Savannah’s historic district.
Some of the most visited exhibits include the Prelude to the War… As nations struggled to recover from war and economic hardships, the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany signaled a new and unwelcome threat. This gallery explores Hitler’s use of propaganda to win the support of the German public, as well as his ambitions for a Europe dominated by the Third Reich.”
The Mission Experience is another area that will fascinate the entire family. “Visitors walk onto a recreation of Molesworth Airfield, home of the 303rd Bomb Group during World War II. A 90’ long mural surrounds a Quonset hut and tower to create the feeling of entering onto one of the 8th Air Force’s East Anglia bases. Experience a pre-flight briefing in the Quonset hut, followed by a ground crew orientation before flying a mission over enemy territory in the Museum’s immersion theater. Presentations start every 30 minutes”.
The b-17 Gunner Interactive is another area popular with kids of all ages. “Aerial gunners defended the great bombers from enemy fighters on those long and perilous missions over Europe. Visitors may take their place at a gunner’s position aboard a B-17 in defense against a host of computer-generated enemy fighters. An adjacent touch screen interactive enhances the visitor experience with a comprehensive menu of gunner-related information.”
And to make the experience even more real are the museum guides. Many are World War 11 veterans with plenty of stories of their own.
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum 175 Bourne Ave. Pooler, GA 31322 Tel: 912.748.8888 Fax: 912.748.0209
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POSTED IN: Southern Byways, Things to See in Georgia
1 opinion for Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum
Jon- The DC Traveler
Aug 7, 2007 at 7:39 am
This looks like a great museum. Up in DC we have 2 great Air & Space museums.
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