The origins of the museum lie in an effort that was begun in 1978 by members of the 512th Military Airlift Wing to restore an aircraft as a public relations and maintenance training project.

[2] Plans called for the completed airplane to be flown to the USAFM, but a significant desire existed to exhibit the history of Dover Air Force Base.

[3][a] Therefore, at the direction of 436th Military Airlift Wing commander Colonel Walter Kross, planning was begun to establish a permanent historical display.

Only three days later, a C-47, which had previously been located at Muir Army Airfield in Pennsylvania, was airlifted to the museum.

[10] After being forced to close to the public in 2001, the construction of a new access road allowed the museum to reopen in 2003.