The 1940 Air Terminal Museum in Houston. Chron (feels short and incomplete). KHOU. Houston Chronicle (archived, but I think this is a longer better article).
I never visited the Museum. I wanted to, some weekend when I was in Houston with nothing else to do. But that never happens.
FotB RoadRich, who informed me of this, was an active volunteer at the Museum, and brought me all sorts of tchotchkes from the Museum shop, some from defunct airlines. I don’t have his permission to quote the email he sent me, but he filled all sorts of volunteer roles at the Museum and was down there at least one weekend every month.
This is sad and awful and stinks. There’s talk about maybe reopening the Museum if they can line up some more permanent funding, so maybe there’s hope. But today is a sad day for aircraft and history buffs.
Edited to add 3/4: FotB RoadRich granted me permission to quote his eloquent obit.
The Museum sent out an e-mail to its volunteers at exactly midnight on March 2 declaring its independence from, sadly, existence.
I for one remain optimistic that there is a chance this is a first step toward a new future for the iconic art deco terminal building from aviation’s pioneering era, and its many and unique artifacts, some of which are us volunteers. I’ve given many years to support the Museum as an attendee, volunteer, senior volunteer, pilot, marshaller, docent, mop jockey, yammering aviation enthusiast, event staffer, security badged ramp guide, fly-in coordinator, chair stacker, tug operator, graphic designer, photographer, Model AA driver, museum blog contributor, mechanic, and collector of airport FOD. I’ve also driven thousands of miles to do this because there simply is nothing like the place, and I hope the unique collection of architectural history, aviation history, Houston history, and darned amusing volunteers get to be enjoyed by many more people as soon as possible.
The Houston Chronicle article linked here (wants to activate my DRMs does it??? Hands off my DRMs please) calls today’s announcement a “pause”, which gives me hope for the Museum’s future.
(See above for the link – DB)
I have found that, at least here in Michigan, we have some very cool museums to see. Many of them are just small, niche types, but I can spend hours in those ones that have themes in my interest zone.
There is an automobile museum called the Gilmore museum in the Flint area. Another one is in Frankenmuth, which is dedicated to Michigan military members, mostly those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
There’s a museum near Battle Creek that is called the Air and Space museum, that is neat for kids and adult.
I have visited a few others as well, in the Upper Peninsula, and one called the Call of the Wild museum, in Gaylord which is just south of the Mackinac Bridge.
I usually pay a tiny bit more than the required fee, just to help out.