Grissom Air Museum
Grissom Air Museum is located in Indiana
Grissom Air Museum
Location within Indiana
Established1981
Location1000 W. Hoosier Blvd.
Peru, Indiana 46970
Coordinates40°40′10″N 86°07′49″W / 40.669399°N 86.130229°W / 40.669399; -86.130229
TypeAviation museum
FounderJohn Crume
WebsiteOfficial website

The Grissom Air Museum is a military aviation museum at Grissom Air Reserve Base near Peru, Indiana with over twenty aircraft on display.

History

The museum's origins date to 1981, when the Grissom Air Force Base Heritage Museum Foundation was formed by John Crume and other military veterans to preserve the aircraft located at the base.[1][2] The Grissom Air Museum was started in 1987 when aircraft were moved to an area outside the northern main gate from a location on base.[citation needed]

The indoor museum was completed in 1991.[3][failed verification] Its fortunes began to decline in 1992, when the Air Force announced that six airplanes at the museum would be transferred to other sites.[4] Less than a year later, a feasibility study suggested that the museum needed new leadership and additional funding.[5][6] After another year the situation had improved, with enough money being raised to keep the airplanes on location.[7][8] In 1995, the museum was transferred from the United States Air Force Museum system to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites system.[9] The museum obtained two "new-in-box" Quonset huts for additional display space in 1997.[10] Then, in 2010, the museum was dropped from the latter system.[11]

In 2015, the museum's B-17 was disassembled and transferred to the Museum of Aviation for restoration.[12] By 2020, the museum was raising funds to construct a shelter for the B-58.[13]

Collection

Convair TB-58A Hustler
Interior of an F-4 Phantom

The museum has over twenty aircraft on outdoor display, reflecting both the base's history and that of the United States Air Force and the United States Navy. The indoor museum contains a number of artifacts related to the United States Naval Training Station at Bunker Hill (1942–46), Bunker Hill Air Force Base (1954-1968), the Grissom Air Force Base (1968-1994), and the Grissom Air Reserve Base (1994–Present). Other sit-in displays, including an F-4 Phantom cockpit, Huey Helicopter, MJ-1 Bomb Loader, A-10 Trainer, and an F-16 Mock Cockpit.[14]

Aircraft

Indoor exhibits

The cabin of a HH-1K and the cockpit of a F-4C are on display inside the museum building.[47][48][49]

Tower

The entire Grissom Air Reserve Base and aircraft display are visible from the top of the five-story Cold War-era Observation Tower.[50]

Events

Events on location include the Open House, Armed Forces Day Celebration, GUS Fly In, and Warbird Cruise-In.[51][52]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Aging Planes Get a Boost". South Bend Tribune. AP. 28 July 1982. p. 1. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ^ Jamieson, Bill (15 April 1990). "Aviation Artifacts". Muncie Star. p. 5. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  3. ^ Craig, Elaine (17 November 1989). "Work to Begin on Grissom Museum". Pharos-Tribune. p. 3. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Grissom Museum Needs Help". Kokomo Tribune. 7 August 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  5. ^ Hubbard, Ann (7 February 1993). "Museum Could Be Heading into Turbulent Future". Kokomo Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  6. ^ Bell, Amy (25 July 1993). "Keeping the Museum Flying". Pharos-Tribune. p. A5. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  7. ^ Bell, Amy (30 March 1994). "Museum Flying Toward Goal". Pharos-Tribune. pp. A1–A2. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  8. ^ Lavalley, Amy (4 November 1994). "Flying Into the Future". Pharos-Tribune. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Grissom Air Museum Hires New Director/Curator". Mitchell Tribune. 13 September 1995. p. 4. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  10. ^ Hubbard, Ann (22 April 1997). "Old Quonset Huts Like New". Pharos-Tribune. p. A3. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Museum Loses Funding". The Herald. 1 February 2010. p. 4. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  12. ^ Herda, Daniel (22 August 2015). "B-17 bomber leaving Grissom Air Museum in pieces". Peru Tribune. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  13. ^ Gerber, Carson (23 July 2020). "Senator offers fundraising help to Grissom museum". Kokomo Tribune. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  14. ^ Taylor, Scott. "Museum Reviews: Grissom Air Museum, Peru, Indiana". IPMS London. Archived from site/ipmslondon.tripod.com/museumreviews/id19.html the original on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2020. ((cite web)): Check |url= value (help)
  15. ^ "UH-1H-BF IROQUOIS". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Bell UH-1H Iroquois, s/n 68-16256 US, c/n 10915". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  17. ^ "B-47B STRATOJET BOMBER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "LOANED AIRCRAFT BY LOC" (PDF). National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  19. ^ "EC-135 STRATOTANKER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  20. ^ "KC-97L STRATOFREIGHTER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  21. ^ "O-2A SUPER SKYMASTER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  22. ^ "T-37B TWEET". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  23. ^ "U-3A BLUE CANOE". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  24. ^ "TA-4J SKYHAWK". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk, s/n 153671 USN, c/n 13609". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  26. ^ "TB-58A HUSTLER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  27. ^ "TF-102A DELTA DAGGER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  28. ^ "C-47 SKYTRAIN". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  29. ^ "C-119G FLYING BOXCAR". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  30. ^ "A-10A THUNDERBOLT II". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  31. ^ "C-1A TRADER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  32. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Grumman C-1A Trader, s/n 136790 USN, c/n G-96-043". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  33. ^ "F-11F-1 TIGER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Grumman F-11A Tiger, s/n 141790 USN, c/n 107". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  35. ^ "F-14B TOMCAT". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  36. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Grumman F-14B-145-GR Tomcat, s/n 162912 USN, c/n 560". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  37. ^ "T-33A T-BIRD". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  38. ^ "F-4C PHANTOM II". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  39. ^ "F-101B VOODOO". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  40. ^ "NAMC YS-11A". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  41. ^ "B-25J MITCHELL BOMBER". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  42. ^ "F-100C SUPER SABRE". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  43. ^ "Grissom Air Museum". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  44. ^ "Airframe Dossier - North American T-2C Buckeye, s/n 158583 USN, c/n 346-09". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  45. ^ "F-84F THUNDERSTREAK". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  46. ^ "F-105D THUNDERCHIEF". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  47. ^ "Inside the Museum". Grissom Air Museum. Archived from the original on 26 March 2006.
  48. ^ "Airframe Dossier - McDonnell GF-4C Phantom II, s/n 64-0889 USAF, c/n 1301". Aerial Visuals.
  49. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Bell HH-1K Iroquois, s/n 157193 USN, c/n 6317". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  50. ^ "Guard Tower". Grissom Air Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  51. ^ "Warbird Cruise In". OldRide.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  52. ^ "Grissom Air Park Open House Sunday". Kokomo Tribune. 20 July 1988. p. 14. Retrieved 14 May 2022.

External links

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