Mission:
Educate about the role of historic North Field at Oakland International Airport, Oakland and the Bay Area in the development of aviation on the West Coast and in the US by collecting, preserving and interpreting aircraft and aviation artifacts that reflect this proud heritage.
Celebrate the history and technological achievements of aviation.
Inspire individuals by linking aviation’s past to the future.
About the Museum:
Founded in 1980, the Oakland Aviation Museum is a nonprofit organization on Oakland International Airport’s historic North Field, just 10 minutes south of downtown Oakland, California. Today, the museum is set among majestic Art Deco buildings heralding the days of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart in the authenticly preserved in the Boeing School of Aeronautics hangar built in 1940.
In the early days, there was no home for the museum except in the minds of the aviation enthusiasts and visionaries who created it. Ron Reuther, president emeritus and one of WAM’s founders, said "The original board of trustees usually met monthly at the Treasure Island Officers Club and other locations such as Hamilton Air Force Base and the Presidio of San Francisco for lunch business meetings to discuss and advance the goal of establishing a museum at historic Oakland Airport."
Over the years the Port of Oakland has allocated additional space to the museum, most recently, in 2003, a strip of land to the eastern edge of the ramp and the rear section of the hangar. In addition to the 100,000+ square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibition areas, today's facilities include an auditorium, restoration shop, gift shop, and a 5000+ book library.
The museum’s restored-hangar home, and surrounding ramp area, now house more than 30 vintage and modern airplanes -- both civilian and military -- and other displays that highlight noted aviators and innovators. Display areas include exhibits honoring Pioneers in Aviation here at the Oakland Airport, Women in Aviation, Naval Aviation in the 20th Century, the commercial airlines that were headquartered at the Oakland Airport, The Tuskegee Airmen, and the 8th Air Force. All displays have been gifted or are on loan by individuals interested in preserving aviation history for the education of future generations. Members and volunteers who share a common interest in aviation history maintain the exhibits.
Looking to the future, the museum's vision includes a partnership with the College of Alameda, the Oakland School District, and local aviation corporations to develop an aviation high school where future aviation mechanics and pilots will be trained.
