It has over 30 vintage and modern airplanes, both civilian and military, and other displays that highlight noted aviators and innovators.

The museum was established in 1980 by Ron Reuther and opened in 1986 in a room inside Hangar 5 at Oakland International Airport.

[5] The museum contains several galleries with exhibits, some of which emphasize the role Oakland and surrounding areas have played in the history of aviation.

[8] These include an aircraft engine room, the Eighth Air Force, Jimmy Doolittle, United States naval aviation, the Tuskegee Airmen, women in aviation, Transocean Air Lines, World Airways and Trans International Airlines.

[9] The museum hosts a number of special events including open cockpit days.