Take a Trip to the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas

KS – Did you know that there’s an Amelia Earhart museum in Kansas? The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas, officially opened in 2023. Eventually, the museum hopes to have a 4,000 foot runway that’s 75 feet wide, but for now, visitors should plan to land at nearby airports, like Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, MO and the Horton Municipal Airport in Horton, KS. From those airports, it’s just a short drive into Atchison, where you can create memories at the museum and enjoy a day or weekend in a town that was founded in 1854, 34 years before Amelia was born.

Who Was Amelia Earhart?

Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, and officially declared dead on January 5, 1939. She might be most well-known for trying to fly around the world in her Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, but that wasn’t all she accomplished. Amelia was a female aviation pioneer and adventurer who was born in Atchison, Kansas. She was known as an adventurous child, but she didn’t immediately enter aviation. Instead, she attended to her schooling, including going to the Ogontz School for Young Ladies in Rydal, Pennsylvania, which was a prestigious and private girls’ school that operated from 1850 to 1950.

However, she soon left finishing school to take care of wounded WWI soldiers in Toronto, CA, but by 1920, she was back in medical school. Unfortunately, her trip back to school wouldn’t last long. A decree from her parents had her traveling to California to live with them. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because she took her first airplane flight and fell in love with flying.

Shortly after her first flight, she started taking flying lessons and working at the Los Angeles Telephone Company as a filing clerk. With her wages, she paid for her flight lessons and bought a used yellow Kinner Airster named “The Canary.” In December 1921, Amelia passed her practical flight test and acquired her National Aeronautics Association license. Then, she proceeded to set several aviation records until her disappearance in 1937.

A few of her famous aviation records include being the first woman to fly above 14,000 feet and being the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She also flew the first solo, non-stop flight across the USA. For that flight, she took off from Los Angeles and landed in New Jersey after flying for 19 hours.

Amelia also believed that women should have just as many opportunities in aviation as men. To further women in aviation, she founded The Ninety-Nines, which is an organization that works for the advancement of female pilots.

Amelia’s Fateful Flight Around the World in a Lockheed Model 10-E Electra

Of course, her most famous and infamous flight was her trip around the world in June 1937. What’s lesser known is that she attempted this flight on March 17, 1937. On that date, she suffered a takeoff crash that damaged her Lockheed Model 10-E Electra.

Her aircraft was repaired, and she took off again on June 1, 1937. She took off from Oakland, California, with stunt pilot Paul Mantz, navigator Fred Noonan and Captain Harry Manning aboard. She landed in Honolulu, Hawaii. In this instance, she wouldn’t be the first person to fly around the world. However, she would be the first person to fly around the world along the equator, and her 29,000-mile flight would be the longest around-the-world flight.

Initially, Captain Harry Manning was Amelia’s navigator, but after several instances of poor navigational performance, he was replaced by Fred Noonan. They made it from Florida to Lae, New Guinea, and were roughly 22,000 miles into their historic flight.

On July 1, Earhart and Noonan departed Lae for Howland Island. They were expected to arrive on July 2. In order to help ensure that Earhart reached Howland Island, a cutter ship with RDF technology was sent to the island. The ship received regular reports from Earhart until about 8 AM. At that time, they were running out of fuel and could not find Howland Island. A search was conducted, but efforts to find Amelia and her airplane failed. It is surmised that the Lockheed Model 10-E Electra ran out of fuel and subsequently crashed into the ocean. Although, theories continue to this day about what actually happened to Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan.

Celebrating Amelia Earhart’s Aviation Accomplishments at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum

The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is aptly located at the place where Amelia was born. Today, Amelia is known as a trailblazing female aviator who broke numerous records for females and aviation. The museum takes visitors through Amelia’s amazing life. The highlight of the museum experience lies in their Lockheed Electra E-10, named Muriel. Muriel is believed to be the world’s last Electra E-10, and it’s identical to the one that Amelia was flying on her fateful trip around the world.

Muriel – The Last Lockheed Electra E-10

Muriel was built in 1935 and spent time flying between Brazil and Argentina as part of the Pan American Airways fleet. Because of its flight location, it was spared wartime duty during WWII. Pan American Airways was finished with the Lockheed Electra by the 1950s and sold it to Provincetown Boston Airways. They flew the plane until 1970 when it was purchased by a skydiving business.

The plane was used for skydiving until 1979, when it was sold to the Wings and Wheels Museum in Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, the museum had to store the airplane outside, where it was exposed to high humidity and heat.

By the mid-1980s, the Lockheed was ready for the scrap heap. However, at the last possible moment, it was saved by a woman who wanted a replica of Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra E-10. For the next 30 years, Muriel would be restored to its former glory and beyond until it became a mirror image of the airplane that Amelia flew in 1937.

The owner then sold the airplane to the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, and they transported it to the museum where it resides today.

Experience Virtual Reality and Fly Amelia’s Airplane Across the Ocean

In addition to the replica Lockheed, the museum offers a virtual reality experience like none other. The virtual reality experience allows ticket-holders to fly Amelia’s 1932 flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Adults and older children can test their flight and navigational skills in this virtual reality event.

Gifts at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum Shop

The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. It is ADA accessible, and there is a museum shop where souvenirs and gifts, such as T-shirts, compasses, airplane ornaments, and coffee mugs, can be purchased.

Once you’ve explored the museum, there’s plenty more to do in town, including visiting historic and haunted sites like the 1889 McInteer Villa and the Dilgert House. You can also grab a bite to eat at the Cedar Ridge Restaurant, Daylight Doughnuts, Gambino’s Pizza and La Maria’s Mexican Restaurant. Atchison is sure to be fun for the entire family.