For the first time ever, the San Diego Air & Space Museum is offering behind the scenes tours of its world-class Restoration Facility at its location in the historic Ford Building in Balboa Park.

“Our world-class Restoration Facility is where the magic happens,” said Jim Kidrick, President & CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “Our volunteers and docents are the lifeblood of the Museum, the true driving force of what make the San Diego Air & Space Museum one of the premier aviation and space exploration experiences in the world. Their work, craftsmanship and dedication to perfection deserve our respect, and we’re thrilled to share their story with everyone who visits the Museum.”

The new tours of the Museum’s Restoration Facility started on Monday August 3 and are available on Mondays and Wednesdays. The first tours of the day start at 10:30 am, coinciding with the beginning of guided tours by Docents on the main floor. The tours are $10 with paid general admission. Guests can sign up for the tours in person at the Museum’s admission desk. The Museum’s website will be updated as the tours evolve. For more information, visit sandiegoairandspace.org

Visitors to the main floor of San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park are immersed in a unique experience exploring the amazing story of aviation and space flight innovations and accomplishments. Everywhere they look, they see examples of aircraft and spacecraft which were part of groundbreaking making moments, from a Wright Brothers flyer, to Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, a Bell X-1, the actual Apollo 9 Command Module, and so much more.

Until now, one thing visitors haven’t been able to see is where a great number of these incredible treasures were created, curated and crafted.

The list of aircraft restored, revived or purpose-built in the Museum’s Restoration Facility is impressive, including, but not limited to, a Bell X-1 (the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight), Chance Vaught F4U-7 Corsair (AU-1), Fokker EIII Eindecker, Ford Tri-Motor, Douglas SBD Dauntless, Granville Brothers Gee Bee R-1 Thompson Trophy Racer, Boeing P-26 “Peashooter”, Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat, Grumman F3F, GPS Satellite and Boeing FB-5 Hawk (on display in Hangar One at the Museum’s Annex at Gillespie Field.)

The list of engines restored in the Engine Shop of the Restoration Facility is equally as noteworthy, which includes some of most famous power sources for aircraft throughout history, including a working replica of the Wright Flyer Engine (history’s first aircraft engine), an SR71 Engine Pratt & Whitney J58, Pratt & Whitney R-985, Allison V-1710, a rare Le Rhone from World War I, a GE I-16 Turbojet engine, and a Klimov VK-1F Turbojet, among many others. 

Current restoration projects include a reproduction of Howard Hughes’ famous H-1 Racer (the centerpiece of the tour of the Restoration Facility) and the Piasecki-Vertol Model 44B “Holy One” at the Museum’s Gillespie Field location.

The list of aviation engines restored in the Engine Shop of the Restoration Facility is equally as noteworthy, which includes some of most famous power sources for aircraft throughout history, including a working replica of the Wright Flyer Engine (history’s first aircraft engine), an SR71 Engine Pratt & Whitney J58, Pratt & Whitney R-985, Allison V-1710, a rare Le Rhone from World War I, a GE I-16 Turbojet engine, and a Klimov VK-1F Turbojet, among many others.