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Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos

Hiller Aviation Museum, from its own website

Photo from the venue's own site

Museum · Admission $22 (adult) · 1 verified saving

Tickets on official site →

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Admission $22 (adult). Open 10 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week.

About Hiller Aviation Museum

Hiller Aviation Museum displays restored airplanes and helicopters alongside flight simulators and hands-on exhibits in San Carlos. Visitors explore aircraft up close, pilot simulators, and attend seasonal events like Paint-A-Plane workshops where children paint a Cessna Cardinal. The museum hosts programs including Starlab's domed planetarium simulation and Robot Roundup coding activities. School groups and scout troops arrange field trips with guided tours. The facility opens daily, and admission tickets sell online through hiller.org with published pricing available on the site. Active military members receive free admission. The museum sits at San Carlos Airport with free parking available. Guests can visit the Aerospace Hall, view vintage aircraft collections, and explore interactive displays throughout the facility's expansive grounds.

Tickets, prices & hours

AdultSunday
$22
Children (3 and under)with Paid Adult
Free
Seniors (Age 65+)
$14
Youths (5-17)
$14

Hours: Open 10 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week

Buy tickets on hiller.org →

Prices and hours quoted from hiller.org. Prices can change — the link above goes to the page they came from.

Tickets, prices and savings

Free entry
FREE! Children (3 and under) (with Paid Adult)

From hiller.org · checked on

What’s on at Hiller Aviation Museum

8 reasons to go, each in the venue’s own words, with the date we checked it.

Nov 14 · 10:00 amEvent

E-Waste Recycling

The Golden State Hauling and Demolition truck offers e-waste recycling and shredding under the Hiller Aviation Museum sign. Visitors should delete sensitive data from devices before recycling. Shredding is limited to three banker boxes per person.

Check event details and ticket requirements with the venue.

“Dates: November 14, 2026 at 10:00 am”

From the venue’s own calendar, hiller.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Nov 22 · 11:00 amEvent

Robot Roundup

Young learners explore robotics through hands-on play with age-appropriate educational robots. Children develop STEM concepts, logical sequencing, and problem-solving skills while learning coding and computational thinking through interactive learning adventures.

Check event details and ticket requirements with the venue.

“Dates: November 22, 2026 at 11:00 am”

From the venue’s own calendar, hiller.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Nov 25Event

Turkey Toss!

In commemoration of the 1978 WKRP in Cincinnati "Turkeys Away" episode, the Hiller Aviation Museum presents the Turkey Toss, an aviation-themed celebration.

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“November 25, 2026 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm”

Quoted from hiller.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Nov 29 · 11:00 amEvent

Glider Discovery

Families learn airplane parts, help build a full-size Penguin airplane, and assemble balsa wood gliders for a festival of flight in the museum courtyard. Each child receives a glider to take home. Event is included with museum admission.

Check event details and ticket requirements with the venue.

“Dates: November 29, 2026 at 11:00 am”

From the venue’s own calendar, hiller.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Dec 26Event

Open Cockpit Day

Visitors gain a pilot's eye perspective on many of the Hiller Aviation Museum's aircraft during this unique hands-on opportunity to explore cockpits and experience aviation from the pilot's viewpoint.

Check event details and ticket requirements with the venue.

“December 26, 2026 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm”

Quoted from hiller.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Dec 29Event

U-2 & T-38 Pilot

John Huggins, the first civilian instructor pilot to fly the U-2 solo, shares his experience. After retiring from active duty in 2014, Huggins trained the next generation of reconnaissance pilots at Beale Air Force Base.

Check event details and ticket requirements with the venue.

“December 29, 2026 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm”

Quoted from hiller.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →
  • Members Only: Wings & Winter Wishes on December 12, 2026, 9:00 am-12:00 pm, opens the museum early for members.
  • Santa Arrives by Helicopter on December 5, 2026, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm: Santa is arriving in his personal helicopter! Join us for Christmas Carols and Christmas wishes.

More events from hiller.org · checked on

The saving

Active Military Free Admission

Active Military members receive free admission year-round

Free $23

“Blue Star Museums, Active Military and immediate family members are FREE from Memorial Day through Labor Day.”

Quoted from hiller.org · checked on
See it on the attraction’s site →
Why there’s no expiry date here. Most attractions don’t publish one, and the dates that do appear are often stale. The date here is the day this offer was last read on hiller.org, and the link goes to the exact page, so you can check it yourself in one click.

Before you go

Parking
Free parking available in the museum parking lot.
Getting there
By Train: Train users must walk from Caltrain Station to Hiller Aviation Museum (approximately 1 mile). By Bus: SamTrans provides bus service over the El Camino corridor; take any bus to the San Carlos stop (very near the CalTrain train station). There is no direct bus service to the airport.
More (2)
Re-entry
Same day re-entry is permitted, but keep your wristband on if you plan to reenter the Museum the same day.
Paying
Credit Cards Accepted: MasterCard, Visa and American Express welcome.

From hiller.org/visit and hiller.org/membership-faqs · checked on

What’s there

Rides and attractions
Wright “Vin Fiz” – Exhibit and Simulator: you can fly a simulation of a Wright Model B aircraft.
Real Time Air Traffic: large displays show, in real-time, air traffic in the San Francisco Bay Area and flights en route to SFO from around the world.
More (6)
Women in Aviation: the stories of 29 women from different countries and ethnic backgrounds who achieved their dreams of flight.
Boeing 747: Step inside the Boeing 747-100 Nose Section, a marvel of aviation history.
Boeing 737-200 Cockpit: Step inside our Boeing 737-200 cockpit and experience the thrill of flying with United Airlines.
Sky Portal: This interactive exhibit uses the real-time power of Google Earth to observe any place on the Earth, to view it from miles above the ground right down to the Earth’s surface.
SFO Airport Beacon: Restored by skilled museum volunteers, the beacon is now illuminated and rotates continuously while dominating the center of the museum’s gallery.
Size
The museum features over 40 unique aircraft.

From hiller.org · checked on

Who it suits

Wheelchairs and strollers
The museum is wheelchair accessible. The museum’s aircraft collection is viewable from the ground level and the mezzanine level, accessible by elevator. The Flight Sim Zone is designed to be fully wheelchair accessible.

From hiller.org · checked on

Accessibility

Accessible parking and drop-off
You can pick up and drop off passengers at the main entrance to the museum.

From hiller.org · checked on

Rules and safety

Pets and service animals
The Hiller Aviation Museum welcomes service animals. Service animals must remain under their handler’s control at all times while inside the museum. Animals whose sole function is comfort, companionship, or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under federal law and are not permitted in the museum.

From hiller.org · checked on

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