Welcome to
Wurtsmith Air MuseumWe appreciate your interest in our museum.
We are 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
We open our 2019 season on May 18 and will close on October 13.
Please visit us on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the summer,
starting at 11 a.m. and closing at 3 p.m.
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 newest and 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 8/15/19
Thank you for your support.
Attention all Veterans living and visiting in the Wurtsmith AFB area …..
click to enlarge
Thank you to Rogers Family Food in Oscoda for their generous support of the Veterans’ Coffee Hour
The Yankee Air Museum’s C-47 will be returning to Oscoda in 2020!
This will be the highlight of our “Welcome Home Weekend”, June 26, 27 & 28, 2020.
Rides on the C-47 may be purchased for $195 and will be available in advance as well as that weekend.
Please, mark your calendar and plan to join us.
This will easily be the main event of the 2020 season!
Hopefully, there will be some WAFB reunions scheduled for that weekend, too – let us know so we can get the word out and post the details here and on our Facebook pages.
To purchase flight tickets, click on the photo.
Our site launched in late 2018 and is still undergoing modifications and updates.
If you have content to add, please send us an email
2019 Events
17-18-19
May
The Museum Opens!!
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Event Info
Welcome to the kick off weekend of the 2019 season.
All visitors will have free admission to the museum this weekend.
21-23
June
Welcome Home Weekend
WAM 25th Anniversary & WWII Encampment
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“CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF WURTSMITH AIR MUSEUM”
Please join us on Saturday, June 22,
at the Oscoda American Legion,
849 State St.
Dinner will be served from 4PM-6PM.
Tables will be reserved for our Founders, WAFB
civilian workers and veterans, encampment
participants, and museum volunteers.
We are hoping these guests will eat first.
The public is invited from 5-6 PM.
Dinner
will be followed by Ric Mixter and his presentation
of “Bombs Away”.
Event Info
Additional information for this weekend will be posted shortly.
Please check back.
20
July
July 4: Join us at Oscoda’s July 4th parade
July 20: Join us for the Pat Copland Memorial 20th Annual Golf Classic
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Event Info
July 4: click here for more information
10-11
August
Fly-in Weekend & Pancake Breakfast
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Event Info
Additional information for this weekend will be posted shortly.
Please check back.
Sept / Oct
The Museum will be open weekends
in September and early October
October 12 & 13:
Closing weekend
Event Info
New for 2019
The museum is staying open 4 weeks longer this year.
If you are in the area, stop by and visit.
Upcoming 2020 Events
May
16 & 17:
Opening & Armed Forces Weekend
Event Info
June
26, 27 & 28:
Welcome Home Weekend
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Click here for Welcome Home Weekend event Info
The Yankee Air Museum’s C-47 will be returning to Oscoda!
This will be the highlight of our “Welcome Home Weekend”,
June 26, 27, & 28, 2020.
Rides on the C-47 may be purchased for $195 and flight tickets are currently available. To purchase tickets, please visit the Yankee Air Museum’s page HERE
Flights will be approximately 15 minutes from departure to arrival, time onboard the aircraft approx. 30 minutes.
Each flight has room for only 12 passengers and flights will be available on Friday (1), Saturday (2) and Sunday (1)
** more flights may be added due to a high demand for Saturday.
There are some restrictions, which are listed on the Yankee Air Museum’s web page (use the link referenced above)
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us.
This will easily be the main event of our 2020 season!
Read more about this Aircraft’s visit to Oscoda in 2018 –
click here
July
4:
The museum will be open and please join us at Oscoda’s July 4th parade downtown
Event Info
This weekend is still in the planning stages
August
15 & 16:
Fly-in Weekend & Pancake Breakfast
Event Info
This weekend is still in the planning stages
October
18:
Tentative closing date
This weekend is still in the planning stages
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
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