At Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver, more than 100,000 square feet of space has been devoted to the history of aviation and space exploration. Displays including historic aircraft are exhibited at the former Lowry Air Force Base in Hangar 1 in eastern Denver, as well as at a second location, the 15-acre campus called Exploration of Flight at Centennial Airport.

© Wings Over the Rockies

Discover artifacts and memorabilia, or get a taste of space travel through interactive experiences including realistic flight simulators and real-life, 30-minute flights with a certified pilot in a Beechcraft T-34, Varga 2150A or Tecnam P2010. Aircraft on display include a Bell UH-1M Iroquois Huey helicopter, ubiquitous during the Vietnam War where they were used as air ambulances, gunships, and troop and cargo carriers. There’s also a ¾-scale replica of a Star Wars Incom T-65 X-Wing Fighter, which viewers may recognize as the craft flown by Luke Skywalker during the battle with the Death Star. A model R2-D2 robot is positioned behind the cockpit, and it even reacts when visitors are close by.

New to the museum is the highly anticipated Space: A Journey to Our Future! Exhibit, created by Evergreen Exhibitions in San Antonio, Texas, in partnership with NASA, which, according to Stewart W. Bailey, curator, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, provided much of the scientific and technical background for the activities and audio and visual media. Through April 13, visitors can step into outer space via interactive displays, exhibits and actual artifacts.

© Wings Over the Rockies

“The exhibit features a look back at humanity’s efforts to explore the Moon and the solar system, and looks at the tools that scientists use to expand our knowledge of the universe today, such as telescopes, space probes and the International Space Station,” said Bailey. “It also allows visitors of all ages to see where we plan to go in the future, with an immersive lunar habitat and exhibits about exploring Mars.”

Bailey also noted the new exhibit includes touchable pieces of the Moon and Mars derived from meteorites that have fallen here on Earth, along with a sample of an actual Moon rock brought back by the crew of Apollo 15. He encourages visitors to participate in hands-on activities including stations for designing spacecraft for voyages to other planets, designing a Mars base, and a centrifuge visitors can ride to experience elevated G-forces.