Florida Air Museum, Lakeland

At Florida Air Museum, the official aviation and aerospace education center of the State of Florida, any vessel with skyward aims is worth preserving. Culled from all eras of aviation, the museum's collection encompasses vintage, factory-made, and homebuilt aircrafts alike, with plenty of military planes and air racers in between. Amid the aircrafts on display, visitors from around the world can see the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame that focuses on top Florida and female aviators, as well as famous pilots such as the Tuskeegee Airmen and Charles Lindbergh.

The museum also celebrates Howard Hughes by rotating artifacts from the world's largest collection of his memorabilia. The exhibit includes Hughes' leather flying suits, as well as models of his most famous vessels, such as his HK-1 nicknamed the “Spruce Goose." The Discovery Zone features flight simulators that whisk budding pilots away on their own journeys into the pretend-skies, interactive learning stations help guests explore the history of aviation, the Florida Aviation Timeline focuses on the state's military and commercial contribution, and the museum's year-round programs delve deeper into Florida aviation history through camps, workshops, and guest lecturers.