Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Texas Houston 1940 Air Terminal Museum

1940 Air Terminal Museum

This historical air terminal in Houston is slowly becoming an aviation museum dedicated to the city's aeronautical history.

Houston, Texas

Added By
meghannconley
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
1940 Air Terminal Museum   Wiki User: Mlickliter
A plane given away in a raffle held by the HAHS   Wiki User: Mlickliter
DC-3 Aircraft at Houston Municipal Airport in 1941.   Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library
An example of the art deco design.   Flickr User: Bill Bradford
Part of the exhibit in the museum located in the North Wing   Flickr User: Bill Bradford
A beautiful example of the art deco era.   Flickr User: Bill Bradford
A carving on the outside of the building.   Flickr User: Bill Bradford
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelamiller / Atlas Obscura User
  jayrocky / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelamiller / Atlas Obscura User
1940 Air Terminal Museum   lfhphoto / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
  Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
Sextant   Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Once the commercial hub of an exciting new way to travel, this art deco air terminal is a time capsule of a bygone era full of ambition and design.

Thanks to the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society (HAHS), this window into aviation history and architectural treasure has been preserved. Gatekeepers of Houston's aeronautical history, the society was actually formed to save the terminal in 1998, born out of the Houston Aviation Alliance and made up of enthusiastic lovers of architecture, aviation, and history from all walks of life. The organization has taken on responsibility for the long-term care and restoration of what was the first (and for a long time, only) commercial flight terminal in the city.

The 1940s were a time of great change in America, and while hard battles were fought and lessons were learned, great innovation and inspired art and architecture also blossomed. The William P. Hobby Airport was an example of both, its sleek art deco design inviting to the air travelers dressed to the nines, ready to take the first commercial flights into the friendly skies. The only commercial terminal in Houston until 1954, it didn't fall out of use until 1978. Set for demolition, the terminal was immediately championed by historically inclined citizens, and was given clemency.

The HAHS took restoration slowly and in phases, removing asbestos and lead and restoring the mezzanine and atrium as funds allowed. In 2004, the first section of the terminal-turned-museum was opened to the public, and the museum will continue to expand as restoration progresses.

Besides being an object of interest in and of itself, the terminal is now home to a collection of exhibits that tells Houston's story of aviation history. A visit to the Museum also affords a front row vantage point to Hobby Airport's diverse airport operations. Between airline traffic, business aviation and frequent fixed wing and rotary wing general aviation traffic, the Museum has an air show every day.

 

Related Tags

Aviation Museums And Collections Art Deco Airplanes

Community Contributors

Added By

meghannconley

Edited By

Rachel, larryhockett, lfhphoto, Edward Denny...

  • Rachel
  • larryhockett
  • lfhphoto
  • Edward Denny
  • michaelamiller
  • jayrocky

Published

February 15, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
1940 Air Terminal Museum
8301-8399 Travelair Street
Houston, Texas, 77061
United States
29.647642, -95.286903
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Smither Park

Houston, Texas

miles away

The Orange Show

Houston, Texas

miles away

Eclectic Menagerie Park

Houston, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Houston

Houston

Texas

Places 35
Stories 8

Nearby Places

Smither Park

Houston, Texas

miles away

The Orange Show

Houston, Texas

miles away

Eclectic Menagerie Park

Houston, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Houston

Houston

Texas

Places 35
Stories 8

Related Places

  • The Mid-America Air Museum is filled almost nose-to-tail with aircraft.

    Liberal, Kansas

    Mid-America Air Museum

    A former Army airfield is home to one of the largest aviation museums in America.

  • Airplane Model

    Kansas City, Missouri

    TWA Museum

    The golden age of flight captured in a downtown airport.

  • World War II aircraft

    Belgrade, Serbia

    Belgrade Aviation Museum

    In the hinterlands of Serbia's capital, a giant reflective mushroom houses an aeronautical history of the former Yugoslav republic.

  • Aircrafts Museum, housed within a disused plane

    Dhangadhi, Nepal

    Aircrafts Museum

    Nepal's first aviation museum found a logical home in the most unexpected place.

  • The First Flight Monument hints at a darker time.

    Tokyo, Japan

    First Flight Monument

    A monument marking the first airplane flights in Japan hints at the dark history behind its peaceful park setting.

  • Ford TriMotor Plane

    Port Clinton, Ohio

    Liberty Aviation Museum

    Inside an airport, visitors can explore this museum where history takes flight.

  • Pangborn-Herndon Memorial.

    East Wenatchee, Washington

    Pangborn-Herndon Memorial

    A monument tucked within a suburban neighborhood commemorates the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean.

  • Located in George Izay Park in Burbank, California

    Burbank, California

    The 'Spirit of Burbank' F-104 Starfighter

    This distinctive blue and white jet fighter is a symbol of the area’s relationship with aviation.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.