Glenn H Curtiss Museum: Early Aviation History
4.9
81 Ratings
Hammondsport
Discover the fascinating early aviation history at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum. Witness priceless artifacts and visit the Restoration Shop to see historic aircraft being restored.
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Glenn H. Curtiss Museum - Initially a bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer, Glenn Curtiss made history in 1907 by becoming the ‘fastest man alive’ with a record speed of 136.4 MPH on his V8 motorcycle. A precise replica of this motorcycle is among the various Curtiss motorcycles exhibited. On Independence Day in 1908, Curtiss achieved fame in a new realm by piloting his aircraft, the ‘June Bug’, over a distance exceeding 5000 feet, securing the Scientific American Trophy. This marked the first publicly announced and witnessed flight in the United States, a milestone that led to him receiving the first-ever pilot’s license. A life-size model of the ‘June Bug’ is showcased alongside other significant aircraft.\n\nBeyond motorcycles and planes, the museum also showcases a collection of vintage tools, toys, boats, and a plethora of other items. There’s an array of attractions for all visitors!
What's Included
  • All fees and taxes included
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information

Situated half a mile south of the Hammondsport village, on State Route 54, stands the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, a tribute to the town’s beloved native son. The museum is a testament to the life of trailblazing pilot, Glenn Curtiss, and houses a valuable assortment of artifacts pertaining to early aviation and local history. The establishment not only includes a 75-seat theater and spacious venue for special occasions, but also a museum gift shop. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Restoration Shop, converse with the volunteer craftsmen, and observe as they restore historic aircraft, in addition to exploring the museum’s many displays and exhibits.

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Children 6 and under are free
  • Free on-site parking is available
Location
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
8419 State Route 54
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(81 Ratings)
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Evan
Apr 9, 2024
Fantastic history of Glen Curtis - Stopped by the museum with my father and we enjoyed it very much. Learned a lot about the history of Glen Curtis would highly recommend. The staff and everyone there were very nice and helpful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
681wms
Apr 8, 2024
Amazing - It was so amazing. All the different ages of bicycle, and cars and aircraft I would definitely recommend that if you have the chance you go vist.
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Davidvj5147qz
Oct 30, 2023
Great destination. - Very interesting and well-presented displays. Good short film of Curtiss' life in the theater. Small shop of a restoration in progress.
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Mary
Oct 10, 2023
Shows rewrite of history - Extremely informative and interesting if you have any interest in aviation. Spent about 4 hours and could have spent more.
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J9182wwlindaw
Sep 8, 2023
Wonderful look at airplane, bike and motorcycle history. - The documentary about Glenn Curtiss was very enlightening. The Wright Brothers seem dwarfed by the accomplishments of Glenn Curtiss,
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Diane
Aug 5, 2023
Glenn Curtis Museum - The museum has a lot of great history that I wasn't aware of. Lots of vintage bicycles, planes, cars. Also the young lady at the entrance desk. .here name is Amy was wonderful. Gave us some history of the museum and when we asked her about places to see she gave us some great information. One of them was the Mansion and Gardens of Sonnenberg and Maybe Baby Burgers..absolutely the best burger we had in a while. THANK YOU AMY!!!
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367hankm
Jul 26, 2023
Great museum! bring you camera! - If your interests are in boating, motorcycles, cycles of all kinds, old cars and aircraft, this is the place. Excellent!
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Peggy
Jul 5, 2023
A must see - This is an excellent museum with so much to see and read about. I had really only heard about Glenn Curtiss because I'm somewhat in the area. What a fascinating life! The museum is set up so well, with a lot of different things to see; very vintage motorcycles, airplanes, engines, displays of the first pilots from different countries, a very good film to watch about his life and clash with the Wright brothers, and more. A fun thing we did was the letter scavenger hunt. I had noticed 'secret letters' at a few of the displays. As we were close to leaving I asked how many letters there were supposed to be. I hadn't even found half, but hadn't seen the scavenger hunt paper when entering. So we went back around looking for the letters. I think it was even more fun to do it after we had been through once as we now had a bit of an idea as to where to find them. We had a wonderful time. My daughters are planning on taking their kids for a school trip in the fall.
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Johnrn3026vv
Jun 30, 2023
A Man's Life takes Flight. - This museum is a little off the beaten path but it is worth every minute of the drive. I like aviation and was blown away how a kid with a passion for bikes and motorcycles eventually began designing airplanes that not only flew but took off from the water. There was a great display of bikes, motorcycles, antique cars, boats and memorabilia connected to flying machines. It is very airy and spacious and very large vehicles are displayed throughout the building There is a movie theater that was showing a film about Mr. Curtiss. There is a nice gift shop The historical significance of each item on display is explained. It is a self guided tour. You can go backwards if you wish to review something again. The admission price as $12.00 per adult
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Shawnh777
Dec 9, 2023
Curtiss Museum / Local History Stop - If you are like me and love historic planes, cars, and motorcycles - then I'd stop by this museum. Through the film and some of the exhibits, you will learn a bit of the under-reported Curtiss story and his long rivalry with the Wright brothers. This story does get kind of lost at times in the mixed mission of the museum, which also serves as a general local history museum - with historic fire trucks, exhibits about local businesses, local industrial equipment, and a somewhat random collection of locally-owned motorcycles and cars. These were good things - but the quality of these add-on exhibits was mixed in both worthiness and context and the way they were integrated into the Curtiss story (or not) kind of muddled the experience. This is probably a a result of the Curtiss-specific exhibits having gaps and not filling the space. Still, worth a stop.
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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