The March Field Air Museum: An Exploration

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Feelings of isolation and loneliness can quickly derail successful recovery, according to an article published in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. Getting out and about can help ward off negative emotions to support ongoing sobriety, and the March Field Air Museum is an inspiring destination for sober fun. The March Field Air Museum is one of many museums in Riverside, and it’s one of the most popular. You don’t need to know a thing about flying to enjoy the exhibits and appreciate the beauty of numerous airplanes on display. The March Field Air Museum is a great sober activity for a solo afternoon or a day with friends.

About the March Field Air Museum

Opened in 1918, March Field is the oldest continuously operated military airfield on the West Coast, and it’s the birthplace of the modern-day Air Force. Today, it’s officially known as March Air Reserve Base, and is home to the March Field Air Museum, featuring one of the largest collections of military aircraft on the West Coast. Trip Advisor ranks it as the Number One attraction in Riverside.

What You’ll See at March Field Air Museum

Located on the west side of March Field’s runway, the March Field Air Museum houses more than 30,000 artifacts, including flight gear, photographs, personal letters, and more than 70 aircraft–from fighters and bombers to helicopters and spy planes–that you can see up close and tour. A new exhibit, “March of Flight: Saluting a Century of Service,” highlights the field’s 100-year history and its important milestones. The exhibit includes original aircraft propellers, an MQ-1 Predator engine and scores of other artifacts.

Other exhibits at March Field Air Museum include “Mission Control: Exploring Space,” which highlights space exploration from 1957 to the present; “Strategic Reconnaissance,” featuring the legendary SR-71 Blackbird and related artifacts; and “Innovation Through Conflict: Mileposts in the Evolution of Military Aviation.” This fascinating display includes artifacts spanning from the Great War to the Afghanistan conflict. It highlights Women Air Service Pilots (WASPs,) the Tuskegee Airmen, aviation pioneer Jimmy Doolittle, and Hollywood’s portrayal of war in the movies. The “Commercial Aviation Exhibits” covers the evolution of civil aviation and includes a quarter-section of a 727 passenger jet, and the “Fire Base Romeo Charlie” helicopter display is an immersive Vietnam-era exhibit.

Spend the Day at March Field Air Museum

The March Field Air Museum is located at 22550 Van Buren Blvd. in Riverside and is open Tuesday through Sunday year round, from 10 am to 5 pm. The admission fee is $10 for people 12 and older, $5 for children 5 to 11 years of age, and free for children under four.

Re-defining fun and engaging in enjoyable activities is important in early recovery, according to the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. The March Field Air Museum is one of a number of museums and other attractions in Riverside that offer sober fun for people of all interests.

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