Chino Planes of Fame Air Museum

Early jet parking. pauldbentz (Atlas Obscura User)

The Chino Airport is not a central hub in any terms. The airport is surrounded by a combination of farmers fields, dairies, and suburban sprawl in the middle of Riverside County. But it’s worth the trek: the airport is home to a Planes of Fame Air Museum, which lets visitors get a close look at various vintage aircraft.

Planes of Fame is an organization dedicated to preserving and restoring classic aircraft. Its collection, which is partially located at the Chino Airport, includes aircraft from the earliest days of flight through both World Wars and into the jet age.

Many of the aircraft are in flying condition, but the collection also includes static displays of non-flyable aircraft. One of the museum’s major focuses is restoring aircraft back to working condition. While visiting the museum, you’ll be able to see exterior displays, a boneyard of unrestored aircraft from various eras, and military vehicles.

The museum was formed in 1957 from a collection of 10 airplanes. It was first located elsewhere, but was forced to relocate as it outgrew its original space. Currently, its collection is split between Chino, California and Valle, Arizona (the Valle museum is only open seasonally).

Know Before You Go

The museum is accessible off Merrill Avenue, east of Euclid Avenue (State Route 83) in Chino, California. It is almost centered between Interstate Freeway 15 on the east, and State Highway 71 on the west.

General admission is $11.00 for adults and children 11 and older. It's open Sunday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.