Wildwood Live

About

This museum fills a real World War II hangar at Cape May Airport with more than 20 aircraft. There are propeller planes including a TBM Avenger and an F6F-3 Hellcat, jets from the T-33 to the F-16 and the F-14 Tomcat, and helicopters such as a Huey and a retired Coast Guard HH-52A. A jet engine from a Boeing 777 is on display too.

The exhibits are hands-on and aimed at the whole family. There is a 1940s room, and you can climb inside a real air traffic control tower. Despite the name, it is not in the Wildwoods: it is at Cape May Airport in Lower Township, about 5 miles west of Wildwood as the crow flies and about 7 miles by road.

History

The Navy built Hangar #1 in 1942 from a kit shipped by rail. Naval Air Station Wildwood was commissioned on April 1, 1943 to train dive bomber squadrons headed for the Pacific. After the war the hangar was used by airlines and other companies, then fell into disrepair. Dr. Joseph Salvatore and his wife Patricia Anne rediscovered it and got it from Cape May County for $1. The NASW Foundation, which has run the hangar since 1997, has restored it. It is on the state and national registers of historic places.

When to go

The museum is open daily from 10 to 4 from March through December, and Monday through Friday in January and February. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so check the website for other closures.

The hangar is not climate controlled, so dress for the weather. It is indoors, which makes it a good choice for a rainy day.

Check today's hours →

Good to know

You can book tickets online or buy them at the museum gift shop. Groups of 10 or more can book a guided tour ahead of time.

Price

• Adults$16
• Children 3–12$12
• Children under 3Free
• Active-duty militaryFree
• MembersFree
• Military veterans$2 discount

Prices checked November 2026 on the website of NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. They can change, so check before you go.

Something wrong? Tell us