Prairie Aviation Museum, Bloomington

About Prairie Aviation Museum

Prairie Aviation Museum displays the only F-14 Tomcat in static display in Illinois, the type of aircraft Tom Cruise flew in the original Top Gun movie. Visitors tour 11 aircraft and 2 helicopters in the Chuck Schumacher Aviation Airpark, plus jet engines including a J57, TF-30, and A-4. Inside the museum, two 2024 additions—a Convair 880 simulator and B-57 cockpit—let visitors sit in restored aircraft. Open Cockpit Days throughout the season offer closer access to planes like the A4M-Skyhawk and T-38, which NASA used to train Space Shuttle pilots. The all-volunteer nonprofit operates Saturdays and Sundays with both guided tours and self-directed visits suitable for families and aviation enthusiasts. Located in Bloomington, the museum charges admission; children 5 and under enter free, and museum members and active military are admitted at no cost, as stated on prairieaviationmuseum.org.