Indiana Aviation Museum

The Indiana Aviation Museum was an aviation museum at Porter County Regional Airport that displayed military and civilian aircraft from different eras. The collection featured restored planes such as the North American P-51D Mustang, the Boeing trainer aircraft PT-17 Kaydet, and the Beechcraft T-34B Mentor, along with historical aircraft engines.

The museum was founded in 2000 by Jim Read, a former United States Marine Corps pilot who wanted to share his passion for aviation history with the public. After operating for a decade, the facility closed in 2010 due to financial difficulties.

The museum organized the Porter County Heritage Air Show in 2003, gathering aviation specialists and connecting the local community with flight experiences.

The location was easily accessible through the airport grounds, where visitors could view the aircraft from different angles. Those who wanted to experience the machines up close could arrange to take flight rides and go airborne themselves.

The museum was not simply a place to look, but offered visitors the chance to sit in cockpits themselves and fly historic aircraft. This hands-on experience with planes from past decades made it a living legacy of aviation history.

Location: Valparaiso

Inception: September 28, 2000

Website: http://in-am.org/about

GPS coordinates: 41.45389,-87.00722

Latest update: December 9, 2025 20:23