Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site – Tuskegee, Alabama
You will want to spend some time going through the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site when you are visiting Alabama. Here the historic story of the African-American pilots began when in over 15,000 were part of the Tuskegee Experience who served in the Army Air Corp. from 1942 – 1946. They were trained at the airfield in Tuskegee to be able to fly the planes in combat.
Although the training was the same for all the pilots the African-American training as military pilots was done on a segregated field. These men flew many combat missions during the years of the war and have been recognized for their skill and courage in the Museum at the historical site in Tuskegee.
It offers the world the opportunity to see historic films that tell different aspects of the Tuskegee Airmen Story. There are also limited weekend tours of Hanger #1 Museum although you need to call ahead to arrange for the tour. Call 724-0922 to find out what time the tours are to take place. These tours are available on Saturday and Sunday only.
You will be able to stand on the scenic overlook and see historic Moton Field where basic and primary flight training for the airmen took place.
There are activities for the kids such as scavenger hunts and coloring to keep them entertained while at the site.
Be ready to step back in time when you come to the site. Let your imagination take you to the time when these men were training for combat. You will experience the time when segregation was the rule, when very few young black men were able to be part of the United States Army, when this group of men proved their value to the American people even though they were told they weren’t good enough to be with the white boys. You will be able to take the trip through time to get to the time when America finally recognized that these airmen were also her sons and daughters and finally embraced them as such.
Few of the 15,000 airmen are still around today. The advanced age of them has left the ranks quickly shrinking but the impact they had on the military and the United States will go on forever.
Operating Hours & Seasons
The Visitor Center is open daily 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years days–and when administratively determined due to weather or other emergencies.
The Hangar #1 Museum is currently open only on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Contact the Ranger on duty at 334-724-0922 for tour times. Tour times may vary based on pre-scheduled group arrangements.
Admission: There are no entrance fees for Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.
Handicap Accessible: The Visitor Center and Hangar #1 Museum are both wheelchair accessible. One wheelchair is available at each location.
The four minute introductory video in Hangar #1 has captions and audio descriptors available.
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