20 best aviation museums around the world

The world's best aviation museums: From Russia to Australia to Canada, these museums -- including the Museo del Aire in Madrid, pictured here -- will delight fans of flight.

Museo del Aire

<strong>EAA Museum, OshKosh, Wisconsin: </strong>The EAA Museum is around 200 aircraft and more than 20,000 aviation artifacts in a collection of hangars on the grounds of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and Wittman Regional Airport in central Wisconsin.

EAA Museum, OshKosh, Wisconsin: The EAA Museum is around 200 aircraft and more than 20,000 aviation artifacts in a collection of hangars on the grounds of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and Wittman Regional Airport in central Wisconsin.

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<strong>Aerospace Bristol, UK:</strong> Aerospace Bristol's collection includes more than 8,000 artifacts, but the most photographed is Alpha Foxtrot, the last Concorde to be built and the last to fly.

Aerospace Bristol, UK: Aerospace Bristol's collection includes more than 8,000 artifacts, but the most photographed is Alpha Foxtrot, the last Concorde to be built and the last to fly.

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<strong>Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver, CO: </strong>Among exhibits that span the history of aviation in the U.S. is one automotive surprise: The museum houses the "Spirit of America -- Sonic Arrow," adventurer Steve Fossett's jet engine-powered car, which reached a speed of 675 mph in 1996.

Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver, CO: Among exhibits that span the history of aviation in the U.S. is one automotive surprise: The museum houses the "Spirit of America -- Sonic Arrow," adventurer Steve Fossett's jet engine-powered car, which reached a speed of 675 mph in 1996.

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Carolinas Aviation Museum, Charlotte, NC: Although the Carolinas Aviation Museum is relatively small compared to others in this list, its location on the grounds of Charlotte Douglas International Airport makes it convenient for travelers on lengthy layovers.

Carolinas Aviation Museum

<strong>Delta Flight Museum, Atlanta, GA:</strong> Reopening in 2014 after a $12 million renovation, the Delta Flight Museum is two World War II-era hangars chock full of exhibits on the airline's history as well as of those it's taken over through the years, including Pan Am, Continental and Northwest.

Delta Flight Museum, Atlanta, GA: Reopening in 2014 after a $12 million renovation, the Delta Flight Museum is two World War II-era hangars chock full of exhibits on the airline's history as well as of those it's taken over through the years, including Pan Am, Continental and Northwest.

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<strong>The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA:</strong> A new pavilion opened in 2016, showcasing some of the first of Boeing's most successful commercial jet aircraft, as well as the first jet Air Force One, the only Concorde on the West Coast, a B-17F Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress, the Cold War's B-47 Stratojet, and jet fighters spanning the wars from Korea to the Persian Gulf.

The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA: A new pavilion opened in 2016, showcasing some of the first of Boeing's most successful commercial jet aircraft, as well as the first jet Air Force One, the only Concorde on the West Coast, a B-17F Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress, the Cold War's B-47 Stratojet, and jet fighters spanning the wars from Korea to the Persian Gulf.

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<strong>Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC:</strong> It's the sheer number of aircraft and artifacts that make this Washington, D.C., museum beloved by both the aviation-obsessed and the marginally curious.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC: It's the sheer number of aircraft and artifacts that make this Washington, D.C., museum beloved by both the aviation-obsessed and the marginally curious.

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