The Best International Aviation Museums

The first flight of an airplane might’ve been in the United States, but today, aviation connects the world. But let turning eyes abroad, highlighting international aviation museums to add to your travel wish list.

The Best International Aviation Museums

Imperial War Museum Duxford, Duxford, United Kingdom

Housed in one of the first Royal Air Force stations, Imperial War Museum Duxford has some 200 aircraft on display.

Museo del Aire y del Espacio, Madrid, Spain

Spain established its Air Force following the Spanish Civil War, and the Museo del Aire y del Espacio is dedicated to its legacy. Here, you’ll find around 150 aircraft in indoor and outdoor exhibits, from a Fokker DR-1 to a McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II, plus artifacts like uniforms, weapons, and hundreds of model planes. The museum, selected by Bubb for this list, is located on Cuatro Vientos Air Base, about 20 minutes from Madrid’s city center.

British Airways Heritage Center, Harmondsworth, United Kingdom

Interested in commercial airlines more than warplanes? Visit the British Airways Heritage Center at the airline’s headquarters near Heathrow — it’s free to visit, but you’ll need to make an appointment to do so.

Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace, Le Bourget, France

France has a long aviation history, much of which is chronicled at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace, another Bubb pick. It’s located just a 10-minute drive from Charles de Gaulle at the Paris–Le Bourget Airport, a historic airfield that’s used primarily for business jets today. The museum was founded in 1919 and holds a collection of aircraft that includes a Concorde and a Boeing 747, as well as numerous aviation-related works of art and posters.

Technik Museum Sinsheim and Technik Museum Speyer, Germany

Though the Technik Museum Sinsheim and Technik Museum Speyer — two linked institutions located about 30 minutes apart between Frankfurt and Stuttgart — are not solely dedicated to aviation, these museums of technology do have an impressive collection of aviation artifacts. At Sinsheim, you can see both a Concorde and a Tupolev Tu-144, a Soviet commercial supersonic jet. At Speyer, you can climb through the interiors of a Boeing 747 and spot a Soviet Buran space shuttle.

Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Canada

Located on a former military base in Ottawa, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, one of Bubb’s favorites, is the country’s most extensive aviation collection, with more than 130 military and civilian aircraft and artifacts. Highlights include the World War II–era Lancaster bomber, the largest surviving pieces of an Avro Arrow (the famous Canadian-designed interceptor aircraft), and the Canadarm from the space shuttle Endeavour. The museum also offers scenic flights in helicopters, vintage biplanes, and Cessnas.

The Royal Air Force Museum, London and Cosford, United Kingdom

Split between locations in London and The Midlands, the Royal Air Force Museum is a testament to the air power of the U.K. from World War I to the current day. The museum has more than 160 aircraft on display, with a particularly robust collection of World War II planes . There are also various thematic exhibitions; subjects range from the Battle of Britain to the Red Arrows, the RAF’s aerobatic display team.

Polish Aviation Museum, Krakow, Poland

With 250 aircraft and 124 engines, the Polish Aviation Museum has one of the largest collections in Europe — and it’s located at one of the oldest airports in Europe, the now-defunct Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport, built in 1912. Though the Nazis destroyed most Polish pre-war aircraft during the occupation, the museum has the only remaining PZL P.11c Polish fighter aircraft. The museum also has a number of Soviet aircraft from the Cold War, on display in what’s referred to as “MiG Alley.”

Aerospace Bristol, Patchway, United Kingdom

Back in the U.K. — this time at Aerospace Bristol, home of the last Concorde ever to fly. The iconic supersonic aircraft is undoubtedly the highlight of the museum, but there are more than 8,000 artifacts here for you to peruse. The museum is also an archive for the Bristol Aeroplane Company (and its predecessors and successors), honoring the city’s contributions to aviation.