Selfridge Museum Opens in April

See nearly $5-million worth of displays when the Selfridge Military Air Museum and Air Park officially opens early next month.

Hours of operation were announced this week for the volunteer-operated  nonprofit museum on Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.

The public is welcome from noon to 4:30 p.m. on weekends from April 2-Oct. 30, as well as on Fourth of July and Memorial Day. Due to traffic, the museum will be closed during the 2011 Selfridge Air Show Aug. 20-21. The museum is also open throughout the year by appointment, such as those made for group tours.

The nonprofit does not receive federal or state funding for operation or maintenance costs. The admission fee is $4 per guest ages 13 and up, $3 for children between 4 and 12 and a minimum donation of $25 for all appointment tours.

Visitors must drive to the  military base's main gate at M-59 and Jefferson for a pass to enter the restricted area.

Once inside the museum, they will be able to view an array of historical displays, including a World War I fighter plane replica and a soon-to-be interactive air traffic control radar display, as well as military weapons, uniforms and aircraft engines and models, documenting more than 90 years of base history.

Additionally,"the Air Park contains 31 full-size vintage military aircraft from World War I to the present day plus an assortment of military vehicles and missiles. Two new aircraft were brought into the Air Park in 2010, a C-130E 'Hercules' and an A-10A 'Thunderbolt II,'" according to the museum.

For more information, call 586-239-5035 or e-mail 127.wg.selfridgeairmuseum@ang.af.mil.