About the Cradle of Aviation
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an aviation and spaceflight museum located in East Garden City, New York on Long Island to commemorate Long Island’s part in the history of aviation. It is located on land once part of Mitchel Air Force Base which, together with nearby Roosevelt Field and other airfields on the Hempstead Plains, was the site of many historic flights. In fact, so many seminal flights occurred in the area, that by the mid-1920s the cluster of airfields was already dubbed the “Cradle of Aviation”, the origin of the museum’s name. The museum originally opened with just a handful of aircraft in the un-restored hangars in 1980. A major renovation and expansion program in the late 1990s allowed the museum to re-open in a state-of-the-art facility in 2002. Additional expansion plans are currently under development.

Mission
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an educational center preserving Long Island’s contribution to aerospace, science and technology by inspiring future generations through learning.

Vision
The Cradle of Aviation Museum’s vision is to become the leading center of aerospace and technology education through the preservation of museum artifacts, expanding educational opportunities towards the development of an innovative workforce for the region.