Activities for Kids

11 Destinations That’ll Send Your Little Aviators Sky High

Take your little pilot up, up and away at these 11 awesome aviation centers that range from interactive exhibits to real-life aircrafts.

By Gabby Cullen April 5, 2016

Planes haven’t been on your radar since Maverick and Top Gun, but your little captain loves flying the friendly skies. Take her up, up and away at 11 awesome aviation centers perfect for petite pilots. From interactive exhibits to real-life aircrafts, you’re now boarding for the next family adventure.

Iowa Children’s Museum – Coralville, Ia

At the Iowa Children's Museum, Take Flight! The Science of Aviation immerses aerospace fans in the four forces of flight. Featuring a unique wind tunnel, kids learn about the force of lift by taking on the role of a pilot controlling airplane wings, and they'll really soar in the state-of-the-art flight simulators built into kid-sized planes. The two-story slide, Amazing Airways, Bernoulli’s Wind tables, a real Cessna 150 and more immerses the entire family in an awesome aviation experience.

Good to know: ICM is a member of the Association of Children’s Museums. If you have a membership at a participating museum, the entire crew gets in for half the price! Check the list of Museums here.

Online: theicem.org/take-flight

photo: courtesy Iowa Children’s Museum

Which one of these high-flying places would your little maverick enjoy? Share with us in a comment below.

—Gabby Cullen