Home of the Wright brothers and location of Wright-Patterson Air Force base, Dayton has always been an aviation community. But nothing says, “Aim High, Fly-Fight-Win,” more than the presence of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Located only six miles northeast of downtown Dayton, the Air Force museum is the official museum of the branch. It is not only the oldest, but the largest military aviation museum in the world, with more than 360 examples of aircraft and missiles on exhibit.

With over 19 acres of indoor space, the museum has more than enough room to house collections of all types. The museum displays aircraft from the beginning of flight to modern-day space equipment, and everything in between; if it flew in the air, it’s most likely there.

One exhibit to highlight is the Presidential aircraft collection. Particular aircrafts to note are ones that were used by some of our mid-century Presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The jewel of this collection however, is SAM 26000, a modified Boeing 707. This plane took John F. Kennedy to Dallas on November 22, 1963, the day of the assassination; Vice President Johnson was sworn in aboard the aircraft shortly after.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week; admission to the museum is free. With it being only a 14-minute drive from Reynolds, it is easy for associates to enjoy one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Ohio.