New York Military History Museums

With over 75 aircraft and 150,000 square feet of aviation exhibits, the Cradle of Aviation museum will leave the most ardent of aviation enthusiast blown away. Just a short distance from New York City, this aviation museum provides a fun and family friendly day of adventure for all ages. The museum doesn’t offer just great aviation exhibits, they also offer a range of events throughout the year so be sure to check back with them frequently. It is often easy to forget that aviation and space go hand in hand. The Cradle of Aviation museum has a wonderful range of exhibits dedicated to space travel. Visitors are treated to the largest Apollo artifact collection on display and can also view a real Lunar Module Simulator. The final Lunar Module, the 13th which was never flown, is on permanent display as well. Other notable exhibits include a meticulously well maintained and cared for F-14. The F-14 in the collection is the third one ever built as well as the oldest surviving aircraft. She flew from 1971 to 1990. World War 2 enthusiasts would not be disappointed if they cleared their schedule. Be prepared to be assaulted with massive amounts of displays, exhibits, and aircraft. Don’t believe us? Check out their virtual tour and get an idea for yourself before you go. Just outside of NYC in the hustle and bustle of Long Island you can see aircraft like the famous Hellcat, Wildcat, Avenger, P47 or Waco glider! Don’t take our word for it. Check out the Cradle of Aviation Museum for yourself.

Fort Hamilton is the last active-duty DoD military post in New York City. Fort Hamilton was once a sister fortification to Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. The two forts were part of a system of military installations in New York City, including Fort Tilden and Fort Totten in Queens; Fort Wood and Governors Island in Manhattan; Hart Island and Fort Schuyler in the Bronx; and Brooklyn Army Terminal, Brooklyn Navy Yard and Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. At present, U.S. Army Fort Hamilton Garrison is the home of the New York City Recruiting Battalion, the Military Entrance Processing Station, the North Atlantic Division Headquarters of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the 1179th Transportation Brigade and the 722nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, the latter organization being a geographically separated unit (GSU) of the 439th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command. Fort Hamilton also supports many Army Reserve and New York Army National Guard units, These Army National Guard units include the 133d Quartermaster Company, Company C/642d Aviation Support Battalion, 222d Chemical Company, and the 107th Military Police Company. In October 1997, Fort Hamilton came under the command of the Military District of Washington and in October 2002, under Army Transformation, Fort Hamilton became part of the Installation Management Agency – Northeast Region. The construction of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the early 1960s did away with several historic structures, including Fort Lafayette, which was located near the Brooklyn shore where the bridge tower now rises from the water. During the same period, efforts toward saving the historical heritage of the Narrows increased. Part of the U.S. Army's contribution to preserving this heritage is in the Harbor Defense Museum at Fort Hamilton. The original fort later became the Officers' Club and now houses the Community Club. The caponier, a miniature fort guarding the main fort's gate, now houses the Harbor Defense Museum. Other notable landmarks include the Robert E. Lee House, where Lee, then a captain, resided while post engineer of the garrison, and Colonels' Row, six historic townhouses that used to house senior officers. All of these structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 2000s, the historic parade field that once lay behind the old New York Area Command (NYAC) Headquarters Building and the Military Personnel Office, former site of numerous ceremonies and festivities, was developed into swiftly built privatized housing. The historic flag pole and cannon are still present at the site, near the old headquarters building and across from the Post Exchange barber shop. In 2007, the historic, brick barracks, located on the plot of land within Pershing Loop on the eastern portion of the base, which formerly housed the New York Area Command's Ceremonial Platoon and Military Police Company, was demolished. The ceremonial platoon, consisting of only infantrymen, once performed funeral honors and ceremonial functions (such as deployment as color guards in New York City parades, or firing cannons to start the New York City Marathon), in the greater N.Y. area, including Long Island, New York City, as well as parts of New Jersey, along with the 26th Army Band unit that was similar to the Old Guard in Washington, D.C. A Civil War-era experimental 20-inch Rodman gun, one of two remaining and the largest gun produced by either side in that period, is in John Paul Jones Park immediately north of the fort. Numerous shells for this weapon are displayed on the fort grounds. An ex-Navy 12"/45 caliber Mark V Mod 8 gun is also displayed on post, representative of the type of weapon the fort had in the Endicott era. (Source: Wikipedia)

Fort Totten is a former United States Army installation just outside of New York City in Queens. Totten is on the northside of Long Island and just across the river from historic Fort Schuyler. The United States Army Reserves continues to utilize the fort in a limited capacity as well as the New York Police Department / Fire Department. The fort was constructed and utilized by the military all the way up until the cold war. The fort served multiple roles such as training, port defense, anti-aircraft defense, and was even a Nike air defense site. When travelling across the Throgs neck bridge the waterside cannon ports are visible as well as most of the park. Visitors will find that parking on the weekends can become quite hectic and busy. The fort borders along a walking trail and has many places for locals from New York City and tourists alike to sit back and relax. There are plenty of areas for picnicking, walking, sports, as well as learning the military history of the fort.

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a transportation museum in Hammondsport, New York with a focus on the early aviator Glenn H. Curtiss. The 60,000 square foot facility has a collection of aircraft, vintage motorcycles, automobiles, and aircraft engines. The museum was founded in the summer of 1962 by Otto Kohl. It was originally located in a former high school. However, in 1992, the museum relocated to a former winery building south of Hammondsport. The museum contains over a dozen aircraft, including AEA June Bug (reproduction), Curtiss Model D (reproduction), Curtiss Model E, "America" flying boat, JN-4D Jenny, Curtiss Model MF "Seagull", Curtiss Oriole, Curtiss Robin, C-46 Commando, three Mercury Aircraft, a 2/3 scale Curtiss P-40 Warhawk reproduction, and Curtiss-Wright Junior. The museum also displays 16 automobiles, the majority of which are on loan. Smaller collections include bicycles, wooden boats, and motorcycles. (Source: Wikipedia)

The National Warplane Museum is a warbird and military history museum in Geneseo NY. Founded in 1994, the museum restores, flies, and displays vintage military aircraft from the World War 2, Vietnam, and Korean War eras. Don’t let the name fool you though, the museum also has many other items from military history on display, not just aircraft. The museum is also home to an annual airshow dubbed, “The Greatest Show on Turf”. The grass runway provides viewers with surreal scenes and nostalgic experiences transport them back to times when these historic aircraft frequently operated from grass runways. As always, we recommend giving the museum a call before your visit. 

Aside from the museum and their airshow, visitors will be pleased to hear the museum operates warbird rides. Warbird rides are seasonal and visitors should call in advance to schedule a ride. The Museum operates the famous C-47 name W7 which can be seen operating around the northeast in various airshows or community flyovers.

Many may have visited the museum when it was called the 1941 Historic Aircraft Group or remember visiting the National Warplane Museum in Elmira, NY. Members from the museum split and established the museum down in Elmira NY. In 2013, the name National Warplane Museum was reacquired and the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo has been operating under this name ever since. The previous owners of the name National Warplane Museum have been rebranded as Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. 

Newtown Battlefield State Park is the site of the American Revolutionary War Battle of Newtown fought in August 1779. It was the only major battle of the Sullivan Expedition, an armed offensive led by General John Sullivan that was ordered by the Continental Congress to end the threat of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War. The American Colonials defeated the British in a decisive victory. A portion of the battlefield is today managed as a 372-acre (1.51 km2) state park. The entire battlefield (about 2,100 acres (850 ha)) was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The Newtown Battlefield is located along the eastern bank of the Chemung River, in western New York southeast of Elmira. Its main focus is Sullivan Hill, a 1,400-foot (430 m) wooded hill that was fortified by the Iroquois in a bid to ambush Sullivan's column. The main trail followed by Sullivan's troops had to pass near the steep hillside, which was only 1,000 feet (300 m) from the river. Sullivan's advance forces discovered the Iroquois works, and Sullivan set up his artillery on a rise to the south, from which it could command not just Sullivan Hill but also another hill to the east. After cannonading the Iroquois position, Sullivan sent troops up Baldwin Creek, which skirts the hill to the east. These forces eventually formed a battle line that drove the Iroquois from the position. The state acquired 330 acres (130 ha) of land, covering most of Sullivan Hill, which it managed first as a state reservation, and then as a state park. A narrow column of white granite known as the Newton Battlefield Monument was erected on top of Sullivan Hill in 1912. (Source: Wikipedia) The park offers amazing views of the surrounding area and also has many picnic areas to choose from. Only 5 minutes off the highway, Newtown Battlefield offers a great place for families to stop and picnic while traveling through the area.

Stony Point Battlefield is the site of the Battle of Stony Point. The Battle of Stony Point took place on the night of July 15th, 1779 into the morning of July 16th, 1779. A group of specially trained and selected soldiers under the direction of General George Washington took the fort from British rule. Even though the site was soon vacated, it still served as a key morale victory for colonial soldiers. The site of Stony Point was important to both the British and Colonial armies as it was at the western end of the Kings Ferry, a key crossing point for the Hudson River. From this point, British cannons were also able to harass Fort Lafayette and any ships which might try to make the trip north.