Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum

The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale is a small military base located at 4000 W Perimeter Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. It has one of the most interesting museums in the state, and it’s not even on an air force base! A visit to this museum is a must when you’re in the area.The address may seem odd since most of the city is east of 26th street, but there are several locations in the city that have addresses that don’t make sense. The museum itself is easy to miss but well worth a quick look around if you have time at the NASFL base. Outside it looks like just another maintenance building and only if you walk inside do you see all of the interesting artifacts that are kept here. If you’re visiting with kids they’ll be enthralled by the planes and other military memorabilia on display.

 

History of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum

The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale originally opened as Camp Milton H. Young in 1918. This was a branch of the famous Camp Mills in New York. The camp was partially constructed on land leased from the Pineapple Company that would later become the city of Fort Lauderdale. The purpose of the camp at this location was to train pilots for wartime service. In the 1930s the military renamed the camp to honor Admiral Milton H. Young, who was Secretary of the Navy at the time. After World War II the camp was decommissioned and in 1948 the city of Fort Lauderdale took control of the base. The city of Fort Lauderdale has owned the base since the military left and it has undergone many renovations. The original aircraft hangar has been renovated and now houses the museum. There are also exhibits that show the history of the city and the base. A highlight of the museum is a large scale model of the aircraft carrier “USS Kitty Hawk” that was based here in the late 1940s. The model was built by the museum and can easily stand out as one of the most impressive pieces in the museum. There are several other military bases in the area and NASFL is fairly small compared to the others. It’s also not in a very touristy part of town so it’s easy to miss. If you’re visiting the other bases and happen to pass by NASFL you may not even know that it exists. Learn More

 

What to Expect At The NASFL Museum in Florida

The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum has several displays that are typical of a military museum. There are displays of ships, aircraft and other memorabilia. There are also displays of items that are significant to the city and base. One of the most interesting pieces in the museum is a scale model of the USS Kitty Hawk that was part of the navy’s presence in the Florida area. Like most museums, the NASFL has a gift shop that sells a variety of military items. It also has a small cafe and meeting space. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9AM to 4PM. It’s closed on Sundays and Monday. More Information on Website

 

Take a tour of the museum

There is a small fee to enter the museum and there’s no way around it. Once inside you can take a self-guided tour of the exhibits or you can take a guided tour that lasts about 45 minutes. The self-guided tour is sufficient and can give you an overall idea of what the museum has to offer. The guided tour is done in small groups and lasts about an hour. The guide takes you to several sections of the museum with the highlight being a visit to the USS Kitty Hawk model. The museum is fairly small and the tour guide can easily take you to the sections that have the most interesting items. If you have time you can even take the tour twice.

 

Tips for Visiting The NASFL Museum in Florida

– There is a small fee to enter the museum and it’s not worth skipping it just to save money. You can get in the door but there’s no getting around the fee. – Get there early. The museum is small and it will be packed. Wait times can get long, especially in the summer. – The museum is small and you can easily take the tour twice. The first time through it is enough for most people. Once you’ve seen everything there is to see it’s easy to spend an entire day at the museum. – The gift shop is small but they have a decent selection of military items and you can also buy a few books to read while you’re there. – There are no regularly scheduled events at the museum but they do host special events that are listed on their Facebook page. – The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9AM to 4PM. It’s closed on Sundays and Monday.

 

Conclusion

The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale is a small but historic military base in Florida with a very interesting museum. The museum is worth visiting even if you’re not connected to the base in any way. The museum features a variety of military memorabilia and is also home to a scale model of the USS Kitty Hawk.