Welcome to
Wurtsmith Air MuseumHello friends,
It is with much sadness that the Wurtsmith Air Museum Board is announcing the museum will remain closed for the entire 2020 season.
The health and safety of our volunteers and guests, is too important to risk during this extremely uncertain time.
We look forward to welcoming you in the future and please visit us on our Facebook page, website and online store.
We hope to see everyone in 2021.
Stay safe and healthy.
The Wurtsmith Air Museum is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving the history of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and aviation in Northeastern Michigan.
We offer visitors three hangars full of military (all branches) and aviation history, static aircraft displays, artifacts, equipment and lots of WAFB memorabilia.
The museum is handicapped accessible and tours are available
for school groups and the general public.
We are located on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base
4071 East Van Ettan Street
Oscoda, Michigan 48750
ADMISSION:
Adults: $ 7.00
Children (under 12): $ 3.00
Children (under 5): Free
Active Military (with ID): Free
Museum members: Free
Please click here to help the Museum with its roof repair project
Our most important project is the repair of Cell #3’s roof.
We need to take immediate action to protect our valuable displays.
We would appreciate your help.
as of June 28, 2020
Thank you for your support.
AN ARTIFACT FROM WURTSMITH’S COLD WAR PAST HAS RETURNED HOME
We are happy to announce our newest acquisition!
The radar navigator’s ejection seat from Wurtsmith B-52, 58-0173 ‘Let’s Make a Deal’
The ejection seat was added to our collection on June 26 and we are working on an appropriate display to tell its story.
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All 2020 Scheduled Events have been cancelled
Our History
Over it’s 50 years of operation, Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many different missions.
The gunnery range was tasked with training pilots from Selfridge air base in the challenging maneuvers required to land a DeHavilland biplane on the frozen lake Van Etten for the young Army Air Corps.
In the later years of World War II, Wurtsmith Air Force Base was used as a fighter-interceptor training base and housed the 332d fighter group, which was part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen.
In 1955, Wurtsmith Air Force Base became an official permanent post in the United States Air Force. On August 1st 1958 the 4026th Strategic Wing was formed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Its mission was to maintain half of the fleet on a 15 minute alert, meaning the plane could be in the air in 15 minutes, to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet preemptive missile strike. On May 9th 1961 the first B-52 landed in Wurtsmith Air Force Base signifying the re-designation to a Strategic Air Command Base. While the 379th Bomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, they were part of the Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. This meant there was always at least three B-52s armed with nuclear weapons, ready to take off at a moment’s notice. These planes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during the cold war years.
2019 Visitors
Members
$ donated towards our $20000. roof project goal
Hangers
Aircraft
Get In Touch
Physical Location:
4071 East Van Ettan Street
Oscoda, Michigan 48750
Mailing Address:
PO Box 664
Oscoda, Michigan 48750
Telephone: (989) 739-7555
Email: email@wurtsmithairmuseum.net
Please visit our neighbors –
