Visit the Millville Army Air Field MuseumThe Millville Army Air Field Museum preserves the history of the Millville Army Air Field, in Millville, New Jersey, which was dedicated by the U.S. War Department in 1941 as America’s First Defense Airport. During its four year existence, more than 10,000 men and women served here, with 1,500 pilots receiving advanced fighter training in P-47 Thunderbolt and P-40 Warhawk fighter planes.
Incorporated in 1988, the Museum is located in the original Millville Army Air Field base headquarters building. The surrounding historic complex includes the original Link Trainer Building with a rare, operational Link Trainer flight simulator, the Henry E. Wyble Historic Research Library and Education Center, and a connecting courtyard with several aircraft displayed. Visitors will enjoy numerous displays of WWII aviation artifacts of local and national interest. Exhibits serve to recognize and commemorate all aspects of aviation history as well as document and honor the lives of American veterans. Expanded displays include items of interest from the Korean and Vietnam Wars, collections from the Philadelphia Seaplane Base Museum, New Jersey Aerospace Resource Center and the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots’ Association and Advocates.
The Millville Army Air Field Museum hosts numerous historic aviation displays and commemorative events including the Millville Wheels and Wings Air Show, the WWII Warbirds at Millville static display, and Veterans Appreciation Day, among others. These events bring vintage warbirds, military aircraft, and veterans to Millville to be recognized for their important history and service. Thousands of visitors come to the Millville Army Air Field Museum and its events each year.
The Museum promotes the excitement of aviation through its history, instills patriotism as it honors the lives of all veterans and American military, and educates and inspires youth. The Millville Army Air Field Museum is a great source of pride and a genuine asset to the City of Millville, as it impacts a greater regional, statewide and national audience.
Millville Airport’s historic district was named to the New Jersey Historic Register in October 2009. Twenty-five WWII-era buildings including two hangars received the historic designation to protect these vintage structures, which reflect an important period of aviation history on the home front at America’s First Defense Airport from 1941 to 1945. National historic designation is currently in process at the National Parks Department in Washington, DC.
