Museo de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica
Large aviation museum of the Air Force at Cuatro Vientos, with seven hangars and an outdoor exhibition of nearly two hundred aircraft.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica was created by decree on 16 June 1966, under the Ministry of Air, to gather, preserve and display the historical heritage of Spanish aeronautics. The idea dated back to the 1940s, but for decades there was debate over where to house it: the initial plan to occupy the ground floor of the Ministry of Air, on Plaza de la Moncloa, was ruled out in 1969 because the aircraft acquired or donated, such as the Heinkel He 111, the DC-3 and the Junkers Ju 52, were too large.
The definitive seat was the Cuatro Vientos aerodrome, chosen in 1975 for its proximity to Madrid, to the Maestranza Aérea and for its historical value. The museum occupied the former hangar of the first School of Aeronautical Engineers, built in Germany in 1929 and brought to Spain in 1940. Conversion works began in 1979, and the museum opened to the public on 24 May 1981 with 18 aircraft outside and 25 in the hangars.
In 1993 two new hangars were inaugurated and the outdoor exhibition was expanded, and in 2003 hangar 4, dedicated to helicopters, opened. Hangar 1 was renovated with current museum criteria between 2015 and 2019, with galleries on the pioneers of aviation, the African campaign and the great Spanish flights. Today the museum has some 67,000 square metres, seven hangars and around two hundred aircraft, as well as engines, models, uniforms and decorations.
Highlights
- Seven hangars and outdoor exhibition with nearly two hundred aircraft
- Hall of the great flights with the Breguet XIX “Jesús del Gran Poder” and the replica of the Dornier Wal “Plus Ultra”
- First aircraft built in Spain, the Vilanova Acedo, and a replica of the Wright brothers' aircraft
- Hangar 4 dedicated to helicopters, and combat aircraft such as the Phantom II and the Mirage F-1 in the outdoor exhibition
- Free admission and free parking
Permanent exhibitions
- Hangares y exposición exterior – Aircraft, engines, models, uniforms and decorations spread across seven hangars and seven outdoor zones devoted to helicopters, flying boats, combat and training aircraft.
- Hangar 1: pioneros, campaña de África y grandes vuelos – Galleries renovated by 2019 on the beginnings of aviation, the conflict in North Africa and the great Spanish flights.
- Founded
- 1979
- Operated by
- Ejército del Aire y del Espacio
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
The visit is free; a voluntary donation towards the upkeep of the facilities can be made in favour of the Fundación de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica Españolas.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Guide dogs and therapy dogs are admitted. Anyone with a special need should say so at the entrance.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Escuela de Transmisiones (autobús)
De Blas Cuatro Vientos buses, lines 511, 512, 513, 514, 516, 518, 521, 522, 523, 528 and 539, stop “Escuela de Transmisiones”. The Cuatro Vientos Metro and Cercanías station is about 1,000 metres from the entrance.
By car
Free parking
Free car park at the entrance, from 10:00 to 14:00. Vehicles over 3,500 kg access via Avenida de la Aviación, no number, through the entrance to the Cuatro Vientos Air Base, with prior coordination with the museum management.
The museum is at the Cuatro Vientos air base; access is from the A-5 motorway, direction Madrid, kilometre 10.7.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Café and souvenir sales point from 10:00 to 13:30. There are toilets and a public telephone in the outdoor exhibition. For safety reasons, large bags (40 cm or more) and backpacks are not admitted until further notice.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | For personal use no permission is needed; media must request prior permission by email. |
| Good to know | Individual visits are free and do not require a booking. Guided visits for groups are for a minimum of 10 people and must be requested at least 15 days in advance by phone or email. School groups from the third year of primary school onwards may have a guide, depending on availability. Visits combine the covered hangars and the outdoor exhibition; the Sala de Laureados, in hangar 1, is closed for works until further notice. Touching the exhibits, smoking and bringing animals in are prohibited, except guide dogs and therapy dogs. |
