Castle Air Museum, Aviation museum in Atwater, United States

Castle Air Museum displays over 70 military aircraft across outdoor grounds in California, including fighters, bombers, and transport planes from different eras. Most of the collection has been restored and is arranged so visitors can walk among the planes and view them from multiple angles.

The museum was established in November 1979, and ground was broken in December 1980; it opened on 20 June 1981 with 12 aircraft as a branch of the United States Air Force Museum system. When Castle Air Force Base closed in April 1995, an agreement kept the museum open as a private entity, and the loss of federal funding later caused financial problems.

The museum is named after Frederick Walker Castle, a U.S. brigadier general killed in World War II. Volunteers restore and maintain the aircraft, and the museum regularly holds an open house day when visitors can step inside selected planes. A VC-9C on display served as an alternate Air Force One and Two for presidents and vice presidents.

The outdoor grounds are fully walkable, allowing close viewing of all aircraft, so comfortable shoes are recommended for the uneven terrain. Bring sun protection and water since you will be outdoors for most of your visit, especially during warm months.

The museum's VC-9C, received in October 2013, served as an alternate Air Force One and Air Force Two when the primary presidential aircraft were impractical. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Dick Cheney, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton all flew aboard it.