A brief history of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum**
The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, located on historic Ford Island, opened its doors in 2006 as part of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. The museum is housed in two authentic World War II-era hangars, Hangar 37 and Hangar 79, both of which witnessed the December 7, 1941, attack. Bullet holes and shrapnel damage remain preserved on the hangar walls, making the museum itself a living artifact of the war.
The collection began with a modest number of aircraft but has since grown into a remarkable display of aviation history, featuring World War II fighter planes, Korean War jets, and Vietnam-era helicopters. Among its most prized exhibits are a Japanese Zero fighter, a restored B-25 Mitchell bomber, and the iconic P-40 Warhawk, an aircraft that represents both American resilience and the progress of global military aviation.
Today, the Pacific Aviation Museum serves as both a tribute to the brave pilots and crews who took to the skies over the Pacific and a reminder of how air power shaped the outcome of World War II and the conflicts that followed. It invites visitors from across the globe to explore, reflect, and honor the enduring legacy of aviation in the Pacific theater.