My 5 year old son has always loved airplanes. He’d gaze up to the skies and point every time he heard the rumble of a plane engine. We’d watch planes land right over our heads at Gravelly Point Park, and on his recent first airplane rides he loved the attention (and golden plastic wings) given to him from the pilot and stewardesses.

To encourage this new love, I took my son and some pals to visit the College Park Aviation Museum. Opened in 1998, it is a 27,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located on the grounds of the historic College Park Airport, the world’s oldest continuously operating airport.

The College Park Aviation Museum is full of child-friendly activities including model and kite-making workshops, aviation crafts and stamps and each child leaves the museum with a goodie bag that rivals most birthday party swag. Be sure to check out the second and fourth Thursdays of every month at 10:30am for the Peter Pan Club, the museum’s pre-school learning club for three to five year olds.

The College Park Aviation Museum
Open daily from 10am to 5pm
Cost: $4 for adults, $2 for children & students
Children under 2 are free
Map & Directions

Patti Lalley is a native Silver Spring-er and mom to a five year old boy entering kindergarten in the fall. Her interests include finding fun, local activities for elementary school age kids.