Model Mania Returns to The Museum of Flight for Valentine’s Day Weekend

Model Mania returns to The Museum of Flight for Valentine’s Day weekend, as the NorthWest Scale Modelers Show takes over the galleries on February 14 and 15. Widely regarded as the largest scale model show in the United States, the event features hundreds of expertly crafted models spanning aircraft, automobiles, armor, ships, figures, and science fiction. Visitors can meet experienced builders, learn about modeling techniques, and explore a special exhibit highlighting experimental aerospace designs that never made it past the prototype stage.

Amreetam Basu
Amreetam Basu
Grumman A-6E Intruder BuNo 158794 on display at the entrance of the Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington. (Randy Malmstrom)
Barnerstormer Hugault 729x90

The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA, will host the 2026 NorthWest Scale Modelers Show on February 14 and 15, opening on Valentine’s Day. Known to longtime attendees as Model Mania, the annual event brings hundreds of scale models to Seattle, ranging from aircraft and automobiles to ships, armor, figures, and science fiction. Organizers describe it as the largest scale model show of its kind in the United States.

Model Mania Returns to The Museum of Flight for Valentines Day Weekend 1
Scenes from previous NorthWest Scale Modelers Shows. Ted Huetter/The Museum of Flight.

Model builders from across the region will fill the museum with aircraft, cars, tanks, spacecraft, and imagined designs, many of them built to an exceptionally high level of detail. Throughout the weekend, experienced modelers will be on hand to talk about their work, answer questions, and help visitors interested in learning the craft try their hand at building models themselves.

A special exhibit this year, titled Project Cancelled, focuses on experimental and unconventional aerospace designs that were developed on paper or in prototype form but never entered production. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and is included with regular museum admission. For more information and to support the Museum of Flight, click on this link: www.museumofflight.org.

Barnerstormer Hugault 729x90
Share This Article
Follow:
Amreetam Basu is a Content Manager at Vintage Aviation News with more than four years of experience in editorial roles. He began his career covering automobiles before moving into aviation, with a focus on aircraft history and design. His experience spans both news and feature content, with an emphasis on clear, well-researched reporting. When he is not reading about aircraft or editing stories, you will likely find him behind the camera or planning his next trip. For queries or story ideas, you can contact Amreetam at [email protected].