heirloom-worthy piece

For families, the Palm Springs Air Museum is an unexpected gem. Kids 12 and under are free, and many of the volunteer docents are veterans who can share insights and firsthand stories about what’s on display — and that is a truly impressive spectacle of aircrafts. Over 75 planes, helicopters, jets and other aviation marvels are parked around the museum’s five air-conditioned hangars, including several that were used during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the global war on terror. With no velvet ropes cordoning them off (unless they’re undergoing maintenance), kids can walk up right next to these aircrafts, many of which are still in flyable condition.

For kids with big dreams of manning the controls someday, there’s a designated area where they can sit in former airplane cockpits and play pilot, all alongside a fire engine, a “Star Wars” X-wing model and the nose of a Flying Boxcar that’s open for exploring. And every Saturday morning, the cockpit of a select aircraft parked inside the hangar is made available to guests who are able to climb inside.

There are also unique learning opportunities within the museum, which is dedicated to educating the public about the role that air power has played in upholding American life. The upstairs Education Center holds over 13,000 titles, as well as flight simulators that anyone can test out. And through the museum’s First Flight Experience, students from the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas who are 12 to 17 years old may apply to take their first flight lesson onboard the museum’s Cessna 182 Skylane, Inspiration One, at no cost. As part of the program, students work with a flight instructor to learn about protocols during an actual flight with the time spent in the air counting toward the number of hours required to qualify for a pilot’s license.

For those who would rather remain in the role of passenger, the museum offers the chance to fly on several different warbird planes. Ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, visitors may board military cargo planes or fighter jets in group or private settings and take flight over the Coachella Valley.