The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey

The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey in Teterboro, NJ (AHOFNJ for short) was founded in 1972 with the goal of sharing and preserving the Garden State’s air and space legacy. Though the museum is not huge, it is absolutely packed with terrific exhibits that help visitors better understand and appreciate the bravery and ingenuity of the men and women in the aerospace industry.

Exhibits cover a broad range of subjects. You can learn more about the infamous crash of the Hindenburg at Lakehurst, NJ, or expand your knowledge about the fundamentals of flight. Visitors can see the Glidemobile, which was America’s first hovercraft, and discover why its invention was kept a secret for years, or examine hundreds of scale model replicas of aircraft. Other exhibits cover the Enola Gay, Tuskegee Airmen, the construction of the Newark Airport, and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing. The Aviation Hall of Fame also has the world’s first electronic flight simulator, a display about the International Space Station, and a working jet engine. Regardless of your knowledge about aircraft, there will undoubtedly be something that catches your interest and imagination.

Outside the museum, a variety of vehicles are on display as well – there’s a Bell Cobra attack helicopter used in the Vietnam War, an early Bell 47 helicopter, the front section of a Convair 880, an airport rescue vehicle, and many others. My favorite part of the visit was the opportunity to go inside the last known Martin 202A airliner. The Martin 202A was a passenger airliner from the 1950s and while the museum is raising money to repaint it and rehabilitate the interior, in its current state it’s a real treat to explore. Perhaps because of the toll the years have taken on it, going inside feels like stepping back in time.

The museum itself is tucked away behind the Teterboro Airport, although access and parking are pretty easy. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and children, and visitors are encouraged to make reservations online although they are not necessary. I’d also recommend checking out their special events, as they have Open Cockpit days where visitors can sit inside some of the aircraft, and they also have a Wings and Wheels Expo that features antique cars, aircraft, and military vehicles.

The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey is one of my favorite types of museums – full of things to learn and experience, but not so large and overwhelming that it becomes a chore to see the whole thing. It’s definitely worth a visit, whether you’re an aviation buff or not. You can visit their website for more information at https://njahof.org/