Cheshire Library has a collection of museum & state park passes that are available on a first come, first served basis for Cheshire residents to check out. CPL Staff member Lisa continues our series about the museum passes we offer, along with related reading material. This month, The New England Air Museum!

Featured Museum Pass:                    New England Air Museum

This month’s featured museum pass is for the New England Air Museum. This pass is valid for 2 adults or seniors at $6.00 each and 2 free children (ages 4-11); ages 3 and under free. Passes are day specific (Weekday, Saturday and Sunday) so be sure you borrow the correct pass for the day you plan on visiting the museum. All museum passes are available to Cheshire Residents on a first-come, first-served basis and must be returned by the close of business the next day.

The New England Air Museum is committed to presenting the story of aviation, the human genius that made it possible and the profound effects that it has had on the way in which we live. They achieve this by:

• Preserving and presenting historically significant aircraft and related artifacts
• Engaging our visitors through high-quality exhibits that help them understand aviation technology, history and the stories of the men and women who built, flew and made history with these famous machines
• Inspiring students through our innovative and hands-on education programs delivered on-site and in schools that allow them to discover and reflect on aviation technology and history and its ties to social studies, science, geography and technical advancements.

The New England Air Museum offers a variety of activities, multimedia & drop-in programs for visitors. Programs offered change daily depending on the time of the year. Some things you might see include:

• Flight Science Demonstrations: Flight really takes off in our interactive demonstrations about the science and history of flight.  From balloons to the Wright Brothers to the Space Shuttle, you can feel the pressure of air, see a balloon launch, explore the Bernoulli Principle and more.  Demonstrations are located in the Civilian Aviation Exhibit Hangar.
• Build & Fly Activities: Hands-on “build & fly” activities that will spark the imagination and challenge the inquisitive mind.  You even get to take your new creations home with you for future flying fun. Located at the Build & Fly Station in the Military Exhibit Hangar.
• America Takes To The Air: Explore the early days of commercial aviation from the Ford Tri-Motor, to the famous DC-3, to the Boeing 747, through hands-on, interactive demonstrations.  The demonstrations look at the marketing efforts of the early airlines, stewardess requirements, and the technology that was developed that has become the foundation of modern air travel. Visitors will get to see and touch some unique artifacts that tell this amazing story of travel and adventure.
• Cockpit Tours: Gain a pilot’s eye perspective from the cockpit exploring the controls and flight instruments of select aircraft within our collection.
• Flight SIM Spot: The Flight Sim Spot, puts you in the cockpit. With real cockpit controls, three large screens, great stereo sound and the best available graphics, you can fly virtually any aircraft, anywhere – even aircraft in the Museum’s collection. Trained Educators (many of them are active pilots) provide training, instruction and personal attention not only in how to use the simulators but in the many aspects of flight.

The museum is located at 36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks, CT. Hours of operation: Open 7 days a week, year round, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The Museum will close at 3:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and 4:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. For additional information, please contact the Museum at 860-623-3305 or check out their website at https://www.neam.org.