Hiller Aviation Museum

Kids' Air Fair
2026-07-29 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Kids' Air Fair

Let your kids paint a plane!

Hands on fun for all!

Get up close to aircraft

Open aircraft cockpits

Learn how to fly!

Join the fun at the Hiller Aviation Museum's annual summer celebration of flight! Local aviation and public safety professionals bring their aircraft and vehicles to the Museum for a special show-and-tell session, while the museum opens the doors of many of its most popular aircraft! Kid-friendly activities abound, including balsa glider construction, paint-a-plane, paper helicopter construction and so much more!

Kids' Air Fair Participants

Emergency Service Vehicles*

Redwood City Fire Engine
San Mateo County Sheriff Patrol Car
California Highway Patrol Car
AMR Ambulance
Museum Forklift

* Emergency Service participation is subject to change

Hot Dog vendor

Kids' Activities

Paint-A-Plane, Cessna 177 Cardinal
Exhibit Scavenger Hunt
Glider Construction Station
Whirly-Twirly Construction Station
Obstacle Course Bounce House
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) table
Drone Plex, Flight Simulation
And More!

Aircraft

San Carlos Flight Center, Cessna 172
West Valley Flying Club, Citabria
Aero Commander 500U
Scorpion Helicopter
Open Cockpits (747, HU-16 Albatross, L-39 Jet)
US Coast Guard Helicopter (subject to availability)

Get your tickets

This Event is included with museum admission.Museum Members are Free. Just show your membership at the door.

Buy Tickets

Today's Schedule 9-5
2026-07-30 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-01 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-02 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-03 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-04 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-05 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-06 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-08 09:00 - 17:00 and 7 more dates | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
The Hiller Aviation Daily Schedule
The Hiller Aviation Museum is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.
The Museum is closed on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. And for other special events.

Today's Schedule 9-5:30
2026-07-31 09:00 - 17:30, 2026-08-07 09:00 - 17:30, 2026-08-14 09:00 - 17:30 | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
The Hiller Aviation Daily Schedule
The Hiller Aviation Museum is open daily from 9 AM to 5:30 PM.
The Museum is closed on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. And for other special events.

Drone Plex, Flight Sim Zone, Invention Lab, FMX Flight Simulator
2026-08-01 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-08-02 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-08-08 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-08-09 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-08-15 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-08-16 10:30 - 15:00 | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Hiller Aviation Museum

Weekend events

From piloting a realistic flight simulator to building robotic drones, there are inspiring weekend activities at the museum to immerse yourself in the world of aviation. Special weekend activities are described below.

Exercise your imagination at the Imagination Playground! Create and build large structures using safe and easy-to-maneuver foam blocks. Perfect for young children.
Free with Museum admission.Open Daily 10 am - 5 pm

The Invention Lab uses tools of science to explore aviation, aerodynamics, engineering, assembly, and design. Perfect for children and adults.
Free with Museum admission.Saturdays and Sundays 10:30 am – 3 pm

With expert help from one of our volunteer pilots, discover how airplanes move in three dimensions with your hands at the controls. Take a virtual flight across the Bay and see the world from the unique perspective of a pilot.
Pass Required.

$5 per Pass (in addition to museum admission).
Pass is free for Members.
Two people can fly on one Pass (pilot and co-pilot).
Each Pass is good for up to 30 minutes of flight time.
Obtain Passes at the Flight Sim Zone

Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 am – 3 pm
Simulator Mission Schedule

Fly with an instructor in the FMX Flight Simulator. It's an FAA-approved full-motion flight simulator, typically seen only in flight schools and academies used in real-world flight training. The cockpit is fully functional, and the sensations of flight are amazing. This is the most realistic experience possible, short of flying a real airplane!
Pass Required.

$10 for a 10-minute flight (in addition to museum admission).
$8 for museum Members.
Purchase tickets at the Museum Gift Shop. Additional discounts are offered to Museum members at the Pilot, Barnstormer, and all Premium levels.

Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 am – 3 pm

Discover the fun and challenge of drone flight!. Observe drone demonstrations and see the remarkable capabilities of robotic aircraft.
Demonstrations are suitable for all ages.
Saturdays & Sundays 10:30 am – 3:00 pmPeriodic Drone Flight Demonstrations & Drone Flight Simulation

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Paint-A-Plane
2026-08-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Paint-A-Plane

Join the excitement with special activities just for kids! Paint-A-Plane, Aircraft checkouts, cockpit exploration, glider and helicopter construction and more are just some of the activities available.

Paint-A-Plane Activities

Paint-A-Plane
March Through September
Sunday August 2, 2026Sunday September 6, 2026Sunday October 24, 2026

Paint-a-Plane Cessna Cardinal**
Jump House**
Open Cockpit Aircraft

**Weather Dependent

Halloween Paint-A-Plane
October
Saturday October 24, 2026Sunday October 25, 2026

Vertical Wind Tunnels & Ghosticopters
Special Spooky Crafts
Halloween-Themed Paint-a-Plane
Haunted Hangar Gallery Decorations
Jump House
And Much More!

Get your tickets

This Event is included with museum admission.Museum Members are Free. Just show your membership at the door.

Buy Tickets

Bubble Bonanza
2026-08-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Bubble Bonanza

Discover a hands-on exploration of water, air, and the world of bubbles!
Bubble Bonanza harnesses the science of surface tension to create the most hands-on of all hands-on experiences - bubbles! Visit multiple outdoor stations and experiment with bubble shapes, sizes, and colors.
Event is included with Museum admission

Upcoming Dates
Sunday May 3, 2026Sunday June 7, 2026Wednesday June 17, 2026Sunday June 28, 2026Wednesday June 22, 2026Wednesday August 5, 2026Sunday August 30, 2026

Get your tickets

This Event is included with museum admission.Museum Members are Free. Just show your membership at the door.

Buy Tickets

Planes, Trains & Cool Cars
2026-08-08 10:00 - 14:00 | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Planes, Trains, and Cool Cars at the Hiller Aviation Museum

Planes, Trains, and Cool Cars
Saturday, August 8, 202610:00 am – 2:00 pm

Come check out Unique Aircraft, Garden Steam Model and Lionel Model Trains, and Cool Cars featuring cars from car clubs and individual owners.

Unique airplanes in the museum and two different model train layouts including the Bay Area Garden Steam Trains.

Display car registration is now full. Thank you to all those who registered early. It’s going to be a great show.
Please purchase general admission tickets and come enjoy Planes, Trains, and Cool Cars!

Get your Tickets Online
General admission tickets are available now!
Admission:$23 Adults (18-64)$15 Youth (4-17)$15 Senior (65+)Free (Children 4 and under)

What are my transport/parking options for getting to the event?The museum has FREE parking

T-Mo Food Truck: Has got those all American classics on lock, serving up a full bodied menu built to satisfy. At T-Mo Food Truck, you’re getting big ol’ burgers, crispy chicken wings and fries to curb your cravings on the curb. Each burger takes inspiration from different cities all across America. From the spicy Denver burger topped with provolone cheese, ham, onion, avocado and jalapeno to the Jacksonville burger with jack cheese and mushrooms, each is a surefire way to tantalize your taste buds. But that’s not all. T-Mo Food Truck’s also got gourmet sandwiches, burritos, plates full o’ meat and homemade sides, plus fried chicken wings in a myriad of mouthwatering sauces. Drool-worthy? Absolutely.

Devil’s Canyon: Local Microbrew on tap!

Mister Softee sells soft serve ice cream sundaes, soda floats, cones, cups, banana boats, and shakes from a brand new state of the art Ice Cream truck.
There will also be a hot dog vendor onsite.

Water Rocket Rally
2026-08-09 11:00 - 12:00
Water Rocket Rally

Upcoming Dates
Sunday August 9, 2026Sunday August 23, 2026Sunday September 27, 2026

Discover the world of rockets!
Bring a recycled 1- or 2-liter soda bottle or purchase a new water rocket body in the Museum’s Gift Shop ($1.50/bottle) and join the rocket workshop! Use various common craft materials to convert a bottle into a high-performance rocket vehicle, then test fly it across the Museum’s Courtyard on a fountain of compressed air and water.
Participants must bring a clean, empty soda bottle (water bottles are not suitable for this activity), or may purchase one in the Museum’s Gift Shop on the day of the event.

See More 5

Get your tickets

This Event is included with museum admission.Museum Members are Free. Just show your membership at the door.

Buy Tickets

Happy Birds
2026-08-12 11:00 - 14:00 | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Happy Birds

This elite team of parrots, macaws, and cockatoos takes wing for a dazzling performance featuring a mix of wild and trained behaviors. These talented avian stars have appeared on The Tonight Show, Pet Star, and The Ellen Show, and their repertoire includes animal impersonations, opera singing, crying like a baby, and even performing a song called Clementine!

Arrive early for the best seating and get ready to take flight on the wild side with these popular parrots and their friends.
To join in the fun, guests are welcome to wear Hawaiian, floral, or tropical-themed attire. Dressing up is completely optional.
Show included with Museum admission. Free for Museum members. 🌺🦜✈️

Upcoming Dates
Wednesday August 12, 2026 at 11 AM & 1 PMSaturday August 22, 2026 at 11 AM

Get your tickets

This Event is included with museum admission.Museum Members are Free. Just show your membership at the door.

Buy Tickets
