Our Museum

Formed in 1971

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The Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing was formed in 1971. The Minnesota Wing was the very first charter unit of the national headquarters wing of the Commemorative Air Force and operated as a maintenance support arm to help the CAF’s mission and its ever growing fleet of rare aircraft. 
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Today, the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing is home to six aircraft, a large motor pool fleet, and a unique collection of World War II artifacts that are on display.
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The museum is open Wednesday's and Saturday's from 9:30am until 5:30pm. We are closed on major holidays. Admission is free of charge. Donations are always welcome and appreciated when visiting. Visitors will have the opportunity to get close to our rare collection of military aircraft, view our museum display cases, and see our motor pool vehicles. You may be able to witness our aircraft fly depending on the day.  Living History Flight Experiences can be purchased in our gift shop for a once in a lifetime opportunity to actually fly in one of our rare airplanes. Since our hangar and museum are located at an actual operating airport, something interesting is always happening just outside our hangar door.

National Organization
 It began with a single plane.
Lloyd Nolen and a small group of ex-service pilots from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas pooled their money to purchase a P-51 Mustang in 1957. They formed a loosely defined organization to share the pleasure and expense of maintaining the Mustang.

A short while later, the group added a pair of F8F Bearcats to the P-51 Mustang. At this point, the mission of the CAF became clear: save an example of every aircraft that flew during World War II ~ a mission no one else was undertaking.
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What started as a hobby became an urgent mission to preserve history.

Get Involved
As an all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit organization, our members donate their talent, labor, time and financial support to help our mission. For those who have a passion for history, aviation, or just helping out a good cause, the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing is a great place to visit or volunteer!