Chico Air Museum

Chico Air Museum occupies a World War II–era hangar at Chico Municipal Airport, a surviving fragment of the former Chico Army Airfield that once supported wartime Army Air Forces activity in the northern Sacramento Valley. For aviation and military history enthusiasts, the setting itself is part of the story: original wartime infrastructure repurposed as a preservation space for aircraft spanning multiple eras of airpower. The collection ranges from early and mid-Cold War fighters such as the North American F-86 Sabre and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle to naval and patrol types like the Grumman AF-2S Guardian and Lockheed P-2 Neptune, alongside training aircraft including the Vultee BT-13 Valiant and Lockheed T-33. A Link Trainer anchors the narrative of pilot instruction and instrument flying, highlighting how aircrew proficiency was built long before digital simulators. Ongoing restoration work, a growing space exhibit, and proximity to the active Chico Air Attack Base create an unusual juxtaposition of preserved and operational aviation, allowing visitors to study how airframes, missions, and support infrastructure have evolved while remaining central to regional and national defense.