Water Rocket Rally
2026-06-24 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-04 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-05 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-15 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-09 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Water Rocket Rally

Upcoming Dates
Sunday May 17, 2026Sunday June 14, 2026Wednesday June 25, 2026Saturday July 4, 2026Sunday July 5, 2026Wednesday July 15, 2026Sunday August 9, 2026Sunday August 23, 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.

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

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Drone Plex, Flight Sim Zone, Invention Lab, FMX Flight Simulator
2026-06-27 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-06-28 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-07-04 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-07-05 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-07-11 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-07-12 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-07-18 10:30 - 15:00, 2026-07-19 10:30 - 15:00 and 6 more dates | 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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Happy Birds
2026-06-27 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-01 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-07-18 11:00 - 12:00 | 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 wild and trained behaviors of all sorts. Arrive early for best seating and take flight on the wild side with these popular parrots and their friends.
These avian performers have been featured on The Tonight Show, Pet Star and The Ellen Show. Their repertoire includes: animal impersonations, singing opera, crying like a baby, and even a song called Clementine!
Show included with museum admission - no charge for museum members.

Upcoming Dates
Wednesday June 10, 2026 at 11 AM & 1 PMSaturday June 27, 2026 at 11 AMWednesday July 1, 2026 at 11 AM & 1 PMSaturday July 18, 2026 at 11 AMWednesday August 12, 2026 at 11 AM & 1 PMSaturday August 22, 2026 at 11 AM

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

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Bubble Bonanza
2026-06-28 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-22 10:00 - 12:00, 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

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

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Line Tracing Robots
2026-07-08 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-26 11:00 - 12:00 | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Line Tracing Robots

Explore screen-free coding with line tracing Ozobot Robots!
With Ozobot Color Code Magnets, the magnet pieces lock into place, enabling students to create and modify their codes effortlessly. If they want to test a new idea or adjust their sequence, they can simply swap or reposition the magnets without having to start over, making the learning experience feel more effortless and achievable. As they experiment with arranging and adjusting the magnets, they continue to refine their fine motor skills in a fun, low-pressure way.
Color Code Magnets give students the tools to learn the basics of sequencing, pattern recognition, and logical reasoning. By arranging the magnets in different sequences, they create coded tracks that instruct Ozobot how to move, change speed, or perform actions. This simple yet powerful approach allows students to experiment with cause and effect, reinforcing key concepts that will serve as building blocks for more advanced coding in the future.

Upcoming Dates
Wednesday July 8, 2026Sunday July 26, 2026Sunday August 16, 2026

Get your tickets

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

Buy Tickets

Paint-A-Plane
2026-07-19 10:00 - 12:00, 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 April 19, 2026Sunday May 10, 2026Sunday June 21, 2026Sunday July 19, 2026Sunday August 2, 2026

Paint-a-Plane Cessna Cardinal**
Jump House**
Scorpion Helicopter Checkout
Paper Helicopter Construction
Penguin Airplane Assembly
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!

Sponsored by

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

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Kids' Air Fair
2026-07-29 10:00 - 12:00 | 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
Great American Big Rig Tow Truck

* 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
Penguin Build-a-plane
Obstacle Course Bounce House
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) table
Woman of Joby EVTOL Aircraft table
Drone Plex, Flight Simulation
And More!

Aircraft

San Carlos Flight Center Cessna 172
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
