Atterbury-bakalar Air Museum

Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum

Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum sits at the Columbus Municipal Airport in Columbus, Indiana, on ground that once carried the roar of troop carrier planes and glider training runs during World War II.

From Army Air Field to Air Force Base

Construction on the airfield began in the summer of 1942 under Captain Stratton O. Hammon, who was given broad authority over laborers, suppliers, and railroad access to get the job done. The base opened in February 1943, originally named Atterbury Air Base for its proximity to Camp Atterbury, located 14 miles north.

The base closed briefly from 1946 to 1949 after the end of the war, then reopened and was renamed in 1954 to honor James Eden Bakalar, a WWII pilot from Hammond, Indiana, who died over France on September 1, 1944. From that point on, it operated as Bakalar Air Force Base, serving through the Korean, Cuban, and Vietnam-era conflicts until operations wound down in 1970.

Preserving What the Base Left Behind

The museum's roots trace to 1988, when an F-4 Phantom was flown in as a sling load beneath a helicopter and placed on display near the old control tower. That display became the seed for something bigger, and founder Wendell Ross helped guide the effort to build a proper museum on the site.

The museum's building was formally dedicated on November 11, 1992, and the facility doubled in size in 2014 to accommodate a growing collection.

What's Inside

Visitors can see a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, a CG-4A glider nose section, a reproduction of the base's original barracks, and a 1:4-scale Wright Flyer replica. Exhibits cover WWII glider pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Columbus-area manufacturers who supplied equipment for the war effort, along with the Indiana Aviation Wall of Fame.

Kept Alive by Volunteers

The museum, along with its Jeanne Lewellen Norbeck Memorial Chapel, is staffed and maintained entirely by volunteers — veterans, former base service members, and local citizens who keep the site running and the stories of the men and women who served there alive for every visitor who walks through the door.

More information on Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum; Click here https://www.atterburybakalarairmuseum.org/

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