Grissom Air Museum

If you've seen the movie “Top Gun: Maverick,” there are so many references and jokes to be made here. This is, after all, an air museum built near a former active air base. There are four loosely worded references to quotes from “Top Gun: Maverick” contained within this report. Can you find them all?

The Grissom Air Museum opened in 1991 and is primarily focused on military aviation during the Cold War era, 1947–1991. The aircraft on display are on loan from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy. The museum does not receive any financial support from the U.S. Department of Defense, so turn in and burn if you would like to make a donation. 

Originally, the Navy opened the base in 1942 as the Naval Air Reserve Base Peru. This lasted until 1954, when the U.S. Air Force made it an active base named Bunker Hill Air Force Base. In 1968, the base was renamed after Indiana astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom as Grissom Air Force Base. It remained on active duty until 1994, when it was renamed Grissom Air Reserve Base.

The aircraft on display range from fighters and bombers, such as an F-14B Tomcat, an F-11F-1 Tiger, and a MiG-23. There are also cargo, observation, and refueling aircraft. For a better look, even if it's the only one you've got, climb the guard tower.

Inside the museum, there are several aircraft you can enter to get a better feel for what the pilots and crew would have dealt with. There is also an excellent tribute and display honoring Gus Grissom. Special events are held year-round when the museum feels like it's not the planes, it's the visitors.

The outdoor exhibits are open year-round, and there is no fee to tour this area. The museum is closed from January until the second week of March. Days and hours of operation vary during the rest of the year, so check the museum's website to make sure it's open. Admission is $10, while seniors, children ages 6–11, and veterans pay only $8. If you need to ask where you are, the answer would be Earth, at a fantastic park and museum.