Museum of Aeronautics at Bourget

Visit the Museum of Aeronautics at Bourget in Paris

Since 1975 France’s Air and Space Museum has delighted the world with a host of attractions. The museum was originally situated in Meudon, founded right after WWI. It moved to the Bourget in 1975. Why Bourget? Well it just happens to be the place where Charles Lindburgh landed after his 33 hour flight from Long Island.

The Main Gallery, where the oldest aircraft are displayed, offers a collection of over 180 machines giving a complete panorama of the aerospace era, from the original “heavier than air” glider Massiat-Biot (1879) to the Ariane rocket. Connected to the Main Hall is a remodeled building which was once the Le Bourget air terminal. Here you will find a unique collection of flying machines which once belonged to some of aviation’s most storied pioneers: Santos-Dumont, Farman, Bleriot, Fabre, Garros and the WWI flying aces. Five other halls facing Le Bourget’s runways depict the conquest of the air from the period between the two world wars up until the present day.

In the Main Gallery: – The exhibit “Le Temps des Ballons” presents an exceptional collection of balloon theme, “objets d’art” and aero station equipment of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Museum of Aeronautics at Bourget: An old air-traffic controller's console. — Museum of Aeronautics at Bourget: An old air-traffic controller’s console.

In the Concorde’s Hall: – The prototype 001 Concorde also the Griffon, France’s first aircraft that reached the speed of mach 2 in 1958.

Also, an impressive collection of French Military fighters is housed at Bourget

Visitor Hours:

Open every day except Mondays and the following except Christmas and New Years. Hours: 10am to 5 pm (6pm from May 1st October 31th). Free under 18 years old.

Location: Aéroport du Bourget, BP 173 93352

Visit the official Museum of Aeronautics at Bourget website.