There’s a lot more to living in Fayetteville than exploring the outdoors, so I figured I would share a cool local museum with you today. It’s a huge attraction downtown that comes complete with interesting exhibits, local history, and even a motion simulator ride. Here’s my guide on visiting the Airborne and Special Operations museum in Fayetteville with everything you need to know to plan your day out. If you’re stationed at Fort Bragg, it’s definitely something you have to see while you’re here.
Visiting The Airborne And Special Operations Museum In Fayetteville
Basic information
What is the cost?
Free – but donations are recommended.
Is there parking?
Yes, there is free parking in a large lot in front of the museum.
How long do you need?
Allow about 2 hours to go through all the exhibits.
Are there any restrictions?
Backpacks and large bags are not allowed. Also no flash photography.
Getting there and parking
The museum is massive which makes it pretty easy to find and there aren’t really any special directions needed.
You can use the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Google Maps and it will get you there.
There is free parking in a large lot in front of the museum.
Memorials at the front of the museum
Entrance information
The museum is free to enter but donations are accepted. About $5 per person is suggested which you can pay in cash there or online when you register your visit.
When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by the friendly staff or volunteers who will show you how to register your visit. It only takes a minute – all you do is scan a QR code on your phone and then enter a few details on the page that pops up. The staff are also super friendly and help you get orientated with some information about the exhibits and where to go.
One thing that is important to know is that you can’t bring a backpack or large bag in. They also don’t have lockers to store your bag, so if you don’t drive there, you’re SOL.
The first time I tried to visit I Uber’d there and had my backpack since I was out adventuring for the day and was refused entry. Just want to make sure you have the heads up so you don’t get stuck like I did.
What to expect
The museum itself is pretty cool.
You’ll walk through a range of exhibits that are informative, eye-catching, and well put together. I like that it starts at the beginning with the history of these groups and goes through their development and key moments over time. So even if you’re not a big history buff, you’ll be able to follow along.
As you walk through you can see a mix of plaques with information, a video area, lots of old artifacts like weapons and uniforms (my favorite), and figurine displays.
I think it’s really cool that for each section you are in, the exhibits are put together to represent that setting and time period so it adds a cool visual dimension to the experience.
There’s also a room for guest exhibitions located in the building. You can visit their website to see the upcoming exhibitions if you want to plan your visit around a specific one. The Ghost Army exhibit was there when I went and it was really interesting to learn about because I had never heard about any of it.
The highlights
For me, there were two big highlights of this museum.
Firstly, there is one display that has wreckage from the Super 61 that crashed in the Battle of Mogadishu. Now, while I’m not a big history buff, I did watch Black Hawk Down last year. I know, I’m the last person to see it and a little late. It was so gripping that I followed it up with reading the book and I’m currently reading the memoir of one of the men who was there. It made seeing the wreckage a highlight for me since there was a connection that I had recently learned about it.
The other big highlight for me was the motion simulator ride. It costs $10 and you get your ticket from the gift shop. It’s well worth the fee in my opinion. The simulator is something fun and interactive after all that reading you do while going through the exhibits, and really helps piece together visually what you’ve been learning about.
Veterans Park
If you are outside and facing the entrance to the museum, directly behind you at the end of the path is Veterans Park. It’s a state park dedicated to military veterans.
While you’re here, it’s also worth visiting.
It’s a nice area to finish your day with because you can walk through to see different sculptures, sit by the fountains, and kind of just have a quiet place to reflect on everything you learn about in the museum.
Veterans Park
More information
Visit the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation website and follow their Instagram page.
Other guides you might enjoy:
6 Of The Best Coffee Shops In Fayetteville (And Surrounding Area)
Reservoir Park In Southern Pines, NC – Hello Gorgeous Lake Hike
If you found this useful, return the favor by sharing it or following me on Instagram!
No Comments