Illinois Aviation Museum at Bolingbrook

Set on the grounds of Clow International Airport in suburban Bolingbrook, the Illinois Aviation Museum occupies a working airfield rather than a static gallery, giving its collection a distinct operational context. Established in 2004 in a 6,000-square-foot hangar once used by the Packer Wings organization, the museum reflects a volunteer-driven effort to preserve both military and civilian aviation heritage in a region better known for industry than airfields. Its holdings include training and support artifacts such as a Link Trainer, the classic analog flight simulator that shaped generations of military pilots by introducing instrument procedures long before digital systems. The acquisition of the forward fuselage of a Lockheed T-33 in 2009 added a tangible connection to early jet-age training, inviting close inspection of airframe design and cockpit ergonomics from that transitional period. Build projects, including a Zenith CH 750 Cruzer and a replica Fokker E.III, highlight not just preservation but active engagement with airframe construction techniques, from First World War materials and forms to contemporary light-sport engineering, all within a modest hangar environment integrated into everyday airport operations.