World War II fighter planes on display in the hangar at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum

Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum

Photo: Laina Cooper via Google Maps

The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum fills three hangars at Paine Field in Everett with World War II era fighters, bombers, tanks and other military machines from the conflicts of the 20th century. The museum counts 26 aircraft and more than 30 vehicles spread across nearly 110,000 square feet of exhibit space on a nine acre complex.

What makes it worth the trip is how real it all is. The museum’s stated mission is complete authenticity, down to the mechanical systems, paint schemes and markings, and many of the machines are still capable of flying and driving. Mechanics work on the collection right on the museum floor, so expect the smell of oil and drip pans under nearly every airplane. Volunteer docents are often on hand to walk you through the hangars and explain each artifact.

What You’ll See

  • Hangar A, Aspects of Technology: Follows the rapid leap from wood and canvas biplanes to all metal jets between 1935 and 1945. A North American Mitchell bomber greets you at the entrance, and nearby an exhibit tells the story of the Soviet “Night Witches,” the women who flew Polikarpov biplanes.
  • Why War digital wall: An interactive video wall that digs into the causes of eight wars important to the United States, from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War.
  • Battlefront Theater: Four short films on the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Kursk, the Battle of the Philippine Sea and D Day, each tied to aircraft in the collection.
  • Hangar B, Iconic Fighters: Built by the museum and opened in 2013, it lines up some of the best known land based fighters of the war, including a Mustang, a Zero, a Spitfire, a Hurricane, a Tomahawk and a Focke Wulf Fw 190 “Butcher Bird.” The museum says all are airworthy. Exhibits here also cover beach landings with a Higgins boat, life inside a tank and the Vietnam War.
  • Hangar C, the Human Element: Honors the people behind the machines, with exhibits on the roles of women in World War II, animals in war, the Battle of the Bulge, tanks and personnel carriers, and ongoing restoration projects. Look up for the original White Knight aircraft suspended beside a replica of SpaceShipOne, the XPrize winner.

The Story Behind It

Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen began assembling the collection in 1998 out of a passion for aviation and history and a sense that original World War II aircraft were growing scarce. It opened to the public in 2004 at an airfield in Arlington as the Flying Heritage Collection, moved to Paine Field in 2008, and took its current name in 2017 after expanding into tanks and other combat vehicles.

Allen died in 2018, and the museum closed in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. In 2022 the collection was acquired by the Wartime History Museum, a nonprofit founded by Steuart Walton, a grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton. The museum reopened at Paine Field under its familiar name on Memorial Day weekend 2023, and today it operates as a Washington nonprofit, Wartime History Museum, Inc., doing business as the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum.

Tips for Your Visit

  • The museum keeps a limited weekly schedule and posts holiday closures on its homepage, so check the website before you head out.
  • Every visitor completes a waiver. You can fill it out on your phone ahead of time using the link on the museum’s homepage and show proof at guest services.
  • There are no restaurants or concessions on site. Guests can eat in designated outdoor areas when the weather allows.
  • The museum is ADA accessible, and a limited number of wheelchairs are available at Guest Services on a first come, first served basis.
  • Free parking is in the lot next to the hangars, with overflow parking on the street. Boeing Future of Flight is also at Paine Field if you want to make a full aviation day of it.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 3407 109th St SW, Everett, WA 98204
Phone: 425.312.2144
Website: flyingheritage.org
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps

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