Empire State Aerosciences Museum
Encyclopedia
The Empire State Aerosciences Museum (commonly referred to as ESAM) is a non-profit museum
which strives to "educate, entertain and excite with experiences in air and space.” Established in 1984 and chartered by the New York State Department of Education, the museum is located on 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) of land on the western perimeter of the Schenectady County Airport
in Glenville, New York
.
ESAM sponsors an annual air show
at the Schenectady Airport.
The main galleries contain more fragile aircraft, detailed models, artifacts, memorabilia, and photographs. Other exhibits include the Amelia Earhart
Exhibit, the DePischoff "flying motorcycle," and a 32' scale model of the Japanese World War II
aircraft carrier
"Akagi"
. There are also several interactive displays. In addition, the museum houses a Restoration Center which treats aircraft in various stages of restoration.
ride that costs $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for children in addition to the admission charge.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
which strives to "educate, entertain and excite with experiences in air and space.” Established in 1984 and chartered by the New York State Department of Education, the museum is located on 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) of land on the western perimeter of the Schenectady County Airport
Schenectady County Airport
Schenectady County Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles north of the city of Schenectady in Schenectady County, New York, USA....
in Glenville, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
ESAM sponsors an annual air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
at the Schenectady Airport.
Exhibits
The museum has a collection of military aircraft outside of the main building, including:- Grumman F-14A TomcatF-14 TomcatThe Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
- Grumman A-6E IntruderA-6 IntruderThe Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
- Grumman S-2 TrackerS-2 TrackerThe Grumman S-2 Tracker was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the US Navy. The Tracker was of conventional design with twin engines, a high wing and tricycle undercarriage. The type was exported to a number of navies around the world...
(new for 2009) - Douglas A-4F Skyhawk IIA-4 SkyhawkThe Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...
- McDonnell-Douglas F-4D Phantom II
- McDonnell F-101F Voodoo
- Republic F-105G Thunderchief ("Wild WeaselWild WeaselA Wild Weasel is an aircraft specially equipped with radar seeking missiles, and tasked with destroying the radars and SAM installations of enemy air defence systems....
" variant) - BellBell AircraftThe Bell Aircraft Corporation was an aircraft manufacturer of the United States, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of many important civilian and military helicopters...
UH-1 Huey helicopter - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F "Fresco" (USSR)
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 "Fishbed" (USSR)
- Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog"A-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
- VoughtLing-Temco-VoughtLing-Temco-Vought was a large U.S. conglomerate which existed from 1969 to 2000. At its peak, its component parts were involved in the aerospace industry, electronics, steel manufacturing, sporting goods, the airline industry, meat packing, car rentals and pharmaceuticals, among other...
A-7E Corsair II - Republic F-84F ThunderstreakF-84F ThunderstreakThe Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
The main galleries contain more fragile aircraft, detailed models, artifacts, memorabilia, and photographs. Other exhibits include the Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
Exhibit, the DePischoff "flying motorcycle," and a 32' scale model of the Japanese World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
"Akagi"
Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi
Akagi was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , originally begun as an . She was converted while still under construction to an aircraft carrier under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty...
. There are also several interactive displays. In addition, the museum houses a Restoration Center which treats aircraft in various stages of restoration.
Empire State Aviation Hall of Fame
The Empire State Aviation Hall of Fame, located on museum grounds, recognizes the contributions made by New York State aviation pioneers.Hours and prices
The Empire State Aerosciences Museum is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and on Sundays from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM. Private tours are available by request. Admission costs $8.00 for adults, $6.00 for senior citizens and military personnel, and $5.00 for children aged 6 to 16. Those under six are admitted free of charge. The museum has a virtual realityVirtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
ride that costs $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for children in addition to the admission charge.