Canadian Air Museums

If you like airplanes like we do, there are a couple of Canadian Air Museums near Toronto that might call to you.

The Canadian Air and Space Museum (formerly the Toronto Aerospace Museum) is a “newcomer” on the aviation museum scene. It was founded in 1997.

It has more than history just on the inside…. You’ll find the building is historical in itself. It was the original 1929 home of de Havilland Aircraft of Canada. The site contains the oldest surviving aircraft factory in Canada, and it’s the birthplace of Beaver and Otter bush planes. The field used to be Toronto’s air force base.

Their collection is a little light, but growing, and they have plans for expanding the facility. They have a couple of de Havilland planes and a Lancaster which was taken from its “airplane on a stick” display status in downtown Toronto and is now under restoration.

This museum is open Wednesdays thru Sundays. On Holiday Mondays it is also open. Check their website for hours and fees.

The other Canadian air museum is a little further from Toronto, but you need to see it if you love planes. The Canadian Warplanes Heritage Museum is in Hamilton, Ontario. It has a large collection of aircraft used by Canadians from the beginning of World War II up to the present.

Their collection includes great things like a Westland Lysander, a Hurricane, a Spitfire and an Avro Lancaster. Those all are flyable aircraft. The Lysander just came out of restoration, and we saw it along with the Lancaster and the others in Oshkosh.

There are some older planes too. How about a de Havilland Tiger Moth, a Fleet Finch, and a reliable old Stearman PT-27 Kaydet.

Airplane buffs know, and you need to remember, that some familiar planes like AT-6s that are called Texans in the U.S. (or SNJs in the Navy) are called Harvards and Yales in Canada.

Many of the Museum’s aircraft are flyable. Some visit airshows throughout the year. The museum’s website tells you to check the flying schedule to see which planes will be at the museum and which may be on tour.

The Canadian Warplanes Heritage Museum is about an hour from Toronto at Hamilton International Airport. They are open daily all year between 9 am and 5 pm. Closed only on Christmas and New Years Day.

If you become a member of the museum, you can upgrade your membership to include a ride in one of their warbirds! They offer flights in the Boeing Stearman, North American Harvard, DC3 Dakota, Beech 18, Chipmunk, Cornell, Tigermoth, PBY Canso, B-25 Mitchell, Fairey Firefly, and even… are you ready… the Lancaster…. of course those big ones are going to cost you, but hey, where else can you fly in something like that? Check their website for details.

OK, we admit we’re airplane nuts, but we think it’s great to have two Canadian air museums close to a great city like Toronto.