DAY TRIPPER NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum flies visitors back in time?
Why the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum is worth the trip
The NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum in Cape May transports visitors back to the 1940s through immersive exhibits, historic aircraft and a restored World War II hangar. OK, maybe it’s not exactly a journey through time. While there’s technically no actual apparatus that can successfully travel through time and space like the DeLorean from “Back to the Future” or TARDIS from “Doctor Who,” the folks at the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum in Cape May found the next best thing: decking out a 1940s airplane hangar and making it a living, breathing tribute to the brave men and women who were involved locally with the second World War.
Located at 500 Forrestal Road in Cape May, the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum is a collection of World War II era aircraft and memorabilia located in the airplane hangar that once was the Wildwood Naval Air Station. “I always say it, the minute you walk into the hangar you get teleported in time,” Austin Myers, events and communication manager at the museum, said. “There’s 1940s music playing, it smells like people were working there in the ’40s. It’s a nod to the guys and girls of the past. It’s a glimpse into Cape May County in the ’40s.”
According to Myers, the hangar, which is currently part of the Cape May Airport, was built by the Navy in the early ’40s to be a fully functioning training facility and base. “It’s a hidden gem tucked away at the airport,” Myers said. “I think that the Navy had a training base in Cape May County is so cool.”
But with great power comes great responsibility. The base was home to countless brave men who were training to fight overseas, some of which didn’t even make it that far. “These were young guys,” Myers explained. “Eighteen to 23 years old who signed up to fight for their country and the world. These young men, 42 of them, didn’t go on to the Pacific or European Theatre. They died in New Jersey.”
And that’s what the mission of the Wildwood Aviation Museum is – to memorialize and remember those who tragically lost their lives in training exercises at the air station. The museum, which is open daily from 10am to 4 pm, is home to more than 26 historic airplanes, jets and helicopters that can be seen up close and personal. In some, guests can even test out how it feels to play pilot by taking a seat in their chair.
The original control tower from Bader Field (Atlantic City Municipal Airport) is there, too, which guests can climb into and explore. But the piece-de-resistance, according to Myers, is what he calls the 1940s room. “It’s like you’re looking at a home in the ’40s,” he described. “A lot of our visitors find something that resonates. A washing machine their parents had, or someone’s dad had a chair he sat in just like that and had a cup of tea every night before bed. It’s cool to see people pick that out. It feels nostalgic for people visiting the museum.”
Beyond the aircraft displays, visitors can explore military memorabilia, photographs and exhibits that highlight Cape May County’s role during World War II. The museum’s recreated 1940s living space gives guests a glimpse into everyday American life during the war era, while the original control tower from Bader Field adds another layer of local aviation history. Families, history buffs and aviation enthusiasts alike can easily spend a few hours walking through the hangar and speaking with knowledgeable staff and volunteers. – Salem Godfrey