From catapulting flaming soldiers over castle walls to sitting on active geysers, humans have long been fixated on flying through the air. Absorb the wonderment of flight with today’s Groupon for half off admission to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville. Depending on the age and head count of your flight crew (kids four years old and under always enter free), choose one of the following options:

• $20 for two adult museum passes (a $40 value)
• $38 for two adult museum passes (a $40 value) and two youth museum passes (a $36 value) or one adult museum pass (a $20 value) and three youth museum passes (a $54 value) (up to a $76 combined value)

Each museum pass includes entrance to the Aviation Museum, the Space Museum, and the Captain Michael King Smith Firearms Collection. A Space Museum ticket includes one free ride on the Evergreen Biplane (a ride for children 24 to 48 inches tall).

A lofty landscape, the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum boasts more than 100 historic aircraft and space artifacts that have traversed both the earthly atmosphere and the beauteous reaches of outer space. Wide-eyed guests get an ocular workout upon greeting the world famous "Spruce Goose", a mammoth aircraft that's wider than a football field and taller than an entire football team sharing one humungous trench coat. After a fun-filled flight in the aviation wing, launch into the Space Museum, where astronauts-to-be can behold artifacts such as lunar modules, stars trapped in marmalade jars, satellites, and rocket engines. Navigation of both museum sectors is aided by an enthusiastic lineup of docents that assist in both guided and self-guided tours.

The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum began as an inspired inception in the mind of Captain Michael King Smith, an Oregon-raised pilot who served in the Oregon Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force, among others. Before his passing in 1995, Captain Smith helped to actualize this soaring sanctuary that combines an aircraft hanger, artifact gallery, and patriotic memorial to form an appreciative amalgamation of science, technology, and other distinctly human achievements, such as the invention of lightning.

This Groupon is valid for museum passes only and excludes after-hours events.

Reviews

The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is a Frommer's Very Highly Recommended destination. It grabs a 4.5-star average from Yelpers and an average of four stars from four Insider Pagers:

• If you've ever built a model plane, chances are you'll see the real thing here. Military veterans work the museum and they are more than happy to share stories about what you are seeing…There is an impressive collection of firearms on the second floor, and the best view you will get of the Spruce Goose. – Dan G., Yelp
• We were so impressed, not just by the Spruce Goose but also by the planes, aviation memorabilia from private enterprise and military events, as well as the U. S. space exploration items that we've been back three times since. – M M R., Yelp