21 Mar Armstrong Air & Space Museum—More Than Just a Place to View Exhibits

Walking through the museum, visitors pass a bright yellow airplane flown by a young Neil Armstrong, peer inside the spacecraft he operated on the Gemini VIII mission, and examine the moon rock on display. However, it’s not just the artifacts on display that make the experience stand out, it’s how the museum involves people in the celebration of the history and knowledge it holds. It’s in the events. This year, the Armstrong Air & Space Museum is rolling out events to educate and inspire people of all ages.
This spring kicks off with some favorite annual events including the Egg Hunt and Rocket Weekend. On March 24 the museum will co-host the Egg Hunt with First United Methodist Church of Wapakoneta to unleash an epic hunt. Kids in various age groups search for Easter eggs placed about the museum’s outdoor grounds. A special rocket launch precedes the event with the Easter Bunny visiting throughout. Rocket Weekend, set for May 12-13, will launch the museum into summer with two days full of rocket building and awe-inspiring rocket launches. The Wright Stuff Rocketeers, a section of the National Association of Rocketry, will assist all weekend with building and launching rockets of various calibers.
July brings the grandest event of the year, the Summer Moon Festival. The event will occur from July 19-22 to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the moon landing on July 20. Prepare for the annual Run to the Moon 5k and 10k race, and expect each day to be filled with special guests, live music, science experiments, inflatables, and so much more! This weekend-long outdoor event brings visitors from all over the world to help celebrate the historical moment when man first stepped foot on the moon.
Following the summer festivities, the museum’s next event draws in an even wider range of visitors. Astronauts, superheroes, political figures, and the occasional villain can be found roaming through the museum on this night. While they explore, they even get to collect candy! On Oct. 23 people of all ages get to trick-or-treat through the museum during the annual Halloween event, Boo! on the Moon. It won’t be the only Halloween event this year, however. The following week on Oct. 30, Mystery Masquerade will be an adventure for adults (sorry, kids) to escape the museum. Come in costume, enjoy appetizers and drinks, and solve the clues to make it through!
Assuming everyone has escaped the museum by December, the holiday festivities will begin with Cosmic Christmas. On Dec. 6 enjoy hot chocolate, holiday activities, and meet Santa Claus, all while touring the museum. Explore the most magical parts of this event by walking through the Holiday Lights Display on the museum grounds. Over 50,000 lights form beautiful archways and several space-themed displays. Luckily, the public can enjoy this outdoor display all through December and January.
The final event of the year on Dec. 29 will require guests to take a step back in time and Party Like Its 1969. When entering the museum, expect to hear music and enjoy refreshments all themed to that historic year. This adult event will be a glimpse of the year-long celebrations to come in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.