Chico Air Museum

The Chico Air Museum is an aviation facility at Chico Municipal Airport in California displaying aircraft in both covered hangar spaces and open-air grounds. The collection spans over a century of flight, showing machines from World War I through contemporary military jets and transport planes.

The facility occupies a World War II era hangar that once served the Chico Army Airfield for military flight training. Following the war, the building transitioned to civilian aviation use and eventually became home to the current aircraft collection.

The collection shows how aviation shaped local community life, with volunteers under 18 sharing their knowledge about aircraft and aerospace with visitors. This generational exchange creates a living learning space where young people directly engage the public about flight history.

The museum welcomes visitors Thursday through Sunday with no admission charge and free parking available on site. Comfortable access to both indoor and outdoor displays allows visitors to explore aircraft at their own pace throughout the day.

From spring through early fall, visitors sometimes see water-dropping tanker planes operating from the adjacent Chico Air Attack Base during fire suppression efforts. This creates an unexpected chance to watch modern firefighting aircraft in active work alongside historic machines on display.