About the AAMB
The American Air Museum at IWM Duxford stands as a memorial to the 30,000 members of the US Army Air Forces who died while flying from Britain during the Second World War. It tells the story of the people whose lives were shaped by American airpower over a century of war.
Over 850 objects including equipment, uniforms, keepsakes, and photographs, illustrate the individual experiences of 85 people from over 100 years of Anglo-American history. From Private to President these people’s lives have shaped, or been shaped, by their experiences of war.
The American Air Museum is also home to the largest collection of American military aircraft on public display outside the United States.
Mission
The American Air Museum in Britain commemorates the pivotal role of air power in preserving freedom, by connecting generations to stories of heroism and aircraft that have shaped history.
Vision
The American Air Museum in Britain endeavors to be an enduring monument and education hub that honors ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice from the First World War to today.
The History of
Duxford Airfield
Duxford airfield in Cambridgeshire was home to the 78th Fighter Group from 1943 to 1945. Following the end of the Second World War, the airfield was returned to RAF control and as an air defense fighter station until closure in 1968.
The airfield was purchased by IWM in 1976 to display its internationally significant collection of aircraft and vehicles. Homage was paid to Duxford’s American history in the 1980s, with the first exhibition dedicated to American forces in the UK.
IWM launched the American Air Museum project in 1993 to provide a permanent home to its collection of American military aircraft- the largest of its kind outside the United States.
The American Air Museum building was designed by celebrated British architect, Lord Norman Foster and was opened to the public at IWM Duxford on 1 August 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II.