The Hill Aerospace Museum, near Hill AFB in Ogden, Utah, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its L.S. Skaggs Gallery on April 29, 2024, officially opening it to the public on May 2. This 91,000-square-foot expansion brings the museum’s total enclosed display space to 240,000 square feet, enabling most of its 79 aircraft to be housed indoors. The $20 million project was primarily funded by a $15 million grant from the Utah State Legislature, with additional support from private donors via the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah.
One of the museum’s rarest aircraft, the Lockheed U-2A (s/n 56-6716), was recently moved into the new gallery. Built in 1957, this U-2A saw extensive service, participating in the High Altitude Air Sampling Project and operating in locations like Argentina and Thailand. In 1960, it sustained damage during a deadstick landing in Canada and was later transferred to Taiwan’s Republic of China Air Force in 1965, where it remained active until 1980. Now, it rests permanently in the museum. Check Aero Visual for more information.
Photo via Hill Aerospace Museum
Now that the majority of the museum’s aircraft are displayed inside, only the largest of the collection remain outdoors, including the B-1B (83-0070) 7 Wishes, B-52G (58-0191) Bearin’ Arms, and C-124C (53-0050). The Hill Aerospace Museum is on Facebook and is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit their website at: www.aerospaceutah.org.
