Barksdale Global Power Museum

Barksdale Global Power Museum sits inside Barksdale Air Force Base, framed by the long history of the 2nd Bomb Wing and the Eighth Air Force. Established in 1979 as the 8th Air Force Museum, it grew from early volunteer efforts restoring a B-17 and B-24 into a broader institution documenting the evolution of American airpower. Its outdoor aircraft and indoor galleries trace the development of long-range bombing, base infrastructure, and unit lineage from 1918 to the present, anchored in the operational story of Barksdale AFB and its role in strategic deterrence. The museum’s transformation and rebranding in 2012, followed by a multi-year renovation completed in 2015, reflect ongoing work to meet modern preservation and collections standards—repainting airframes, rebuilding exhibit spaces, and tightening stewardship practices. Artifacts associated with 11 September 2001, including the podium used when President George W. Bush first addressed the attacks from Eighth Air Force headquarters, underscore how an operational bomber base intersects with national decision-making. Recent additions and special exhibits, such as those on women in the Air Force, continue to widen the interpretive lens while remaining rooted in the technology and institutions of global strike aviation.