HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah, March 23, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Hill Aerospace Museum will soon get an additional gallery, since the Utah State Legislature has appropriated $12 million toward construction of a third aircraft hangar.
“We are excited about improving the care of the collection and developing our storyline to enhance our visitors experience as they learn about the dynamic, impactful history of Hill Air Force Base and Utah aviation,” said Aaron Clark, Hill Aerospace Museum director, in a prepared statement.
“We are humbled our state leaders recognize the impact this museum makes, both locally and nationally.”
The Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah, the museum’s supporting private organization, has been working with members of the Legislature for several years on the possible museum expansion. In addition to the money earmarked for the project by the state, an additional $2 million has been raised through private donations.
Currently, more than 20 aircraft are displayed outdoors. The third hangar will be more than 150,000 square feet and will allow the majority of those aircraft to be brought indoors while new environmental controls will better protect these national collection pieces.
Bringing the aircraft indoors also permits the museum to enrich its storyline, as it will complement these statics with additional exhibits to expound on the existing and future narratives, Clark said.
“Our stakeholders have been working extremely hard to share the message of the importance of the museum and the need for expansion,” Clark said. “We are extremely grateful that message was heard. The new hangar will be a magnificent addition to the museum and the community as a whole.”
The project is expected to get underway within the next six to eight months.
The Hill Aerospace Museum is one of the highest rated activities in northern Utah. It is located on the northwest corner of Hill Air Force Base, five miles south of Ogden, Utah. It has more than 70 aircraft on display in its two inside galleries and outside air park and exhibits thousands of artifacts depicting the history of aviation of the United States Air Force, Hill Air Force Base and the State of Utah. For more information, visit aerospaceutah.org.
