The Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover is open again after various pandemic closures.
Operations Manager Michael Hurlburt says the free aviation museum is ready to continue its mission of connecting visitors to history.
“We shut down in 2020 for a few months, and then opened back up later that year," said Hurlburt. "And then in January to mid-March of this year, we did have to close again for the new variant, but luckily that’s over with now.”
Hurlburt notes the museum itself has rich history.
The museum started in the mid-eighties, a small hangar on the other side of the Dover Air Force Base.," said Hurlburt. "At the time, it was not open to the public, but then we moved over here and then after 9/11, we got the new gate to allow visitors from the general public to come and see us at our new location, which is historic in itself. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest facility on Dover Air Force Base built in 1942."
But the main attraction is the the museum's collection - 30 historic aircraft and 589 artifacts that range from World War I to today.
“At the AMC museum we specialize in the mobility mission of the US Air Force. We have everything from obviously the airplanes all the way down to challenge coins and everything in between," said Hurlburt. "Uniforms, we have artifacts from every major US conflict, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, and Global War on Terrorism.”
And that collection continues to grow.
"We have our next addition, a KC 10 is inbound coming here for display. But it won't actually be on display here at the museum for quite some time," said Hurlburt.
The museum has resumed its Open Cockpit Days and other events, and will be part of the Thunder over Dover weekend at Dover Air Force Base May 21 and 22.
People can also get involved by volunteering or donating artifacts
More information on the museum and its events can be found at its website.