The masterplan and renderings for a proposed US$35m (€27.4m, £21.6m) museum dedicated to flight have been revealed in Houston, Texas, with the facility scheduled to open in late 2016.
The Lone Star Flight museum, to open on the Ellington Field Joint Reserve military base, will cover 130,000sq ft (12,000sq m) and will feature interactive exhibits looking at the history of aviation, science and technology.
“When you consider the synergies from having NASA and Space Center Houston and then the Lone Star Flight Museum, this area will become a must-attend, must-visit destination for anyone who is passionate about flight,” said Houston mayor Annise Parker.
“The Lone Star Flight Museum has the potential to pump millions of dollars into the regional economy and it will also, we hope, be a catalyst for students to continue to implant that dream of aviation and inspire students in every way possible to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.”
Museum officials say an initial US$25m (€19.6m, £15.4m) has been secured, while further fundraising efforts are being sought for an initial US$10m (€7.8m, £6.1m) to fund an educational programming and additional exhibits.
The museum was previously located in Galveston, Texas, but the decision was taken to move the facility to the Houston area following the damage suffered in the wake of Hurricane Ike in 2008, which largely destroyed or heavily damaged many of the museum’s static exhibits.
