From San Carlos’s airport side, Hiller Aviation Museum offers a close-up look at how flight has changed over more than a century. Set at San Carlos Airport, the museum brings together aircraft, cockpit exhibits and interactive displays; this guide covers what to see and how to plan your visit.
- Location: 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos, CA 94070.
- Typical hours: Open daily
- Admission: General tickets are $22 for adults and $14 for seniors and youths.
- Getting there: Free parking is available in the museum lot; SamTrans serves the El Camino corridor.
What to see at Hiller Aviation Museum
Hiller Aviation Museum opened to the public in 1998, founded by helicopter designer and inventor Stanley Hiller Jr. It is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and its collection includes more than 40 unique aircraft, with the museum describing its broader collection as more than 50 aircraft from over a century of aviation history.
Rather than presenting only one era of flight, the collection ranges from antique to futuristic aircraft and includes prototypes and models. Examples include the Avitor airship, Gull glider, Wright Flyer replica and Santa Clara glider.
Make time for the stories as well as the machines. The Wright “Vin Fiz” exhibit covers the 1911 attempt to make the first transcontinental flight in the United States while competing for the $50,000 Hearst Prize. It also includes a simulator of a Wright Model B aircraft.
Aircraft and aviation exhibits
Several exhibits bring aviation history close through aircraft sections, cockpits and stories of the people and infrastructure behind flight. The Boeing 747-100 nose-section exhibit includes part of the cabin and the cockpit, while another cockpit exhibit lets you explore a retired United Airlines Boeing 737-200.
The SFO Airport Beacon exhibit centers on a restored Crouse-Hinds Type DCB-36 beacon. It was originally mounted on the San Francisco Airport Administration Building and Control Tower around 1945. For a different perspective, the Women in Aviation exhibit tells the stories of 29 women from different countries and ethnic backgrounds.
Sky Portal uses Google Earth to explore locations, airports, airspace and routes of famous flights. The Flight Sim Zone is designed to be fully wheelchair accessible, and the museum’s aircraft collection can be viewed from ground level and the mezzanine, which has elevator access.
Hours, admission and visitor access
Hiller Aviation Museum is closed on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Hours may be extended for special activities, and scheduled events can bring public closures.
General admission is $22 for adults, $14 for seniors age 65 and older, and $14 for youths ages 5–17. Children age 3 and under enter free with a paid adult, and museum members enter free.
Opening hours
- Monday to Friday and Sunday: 10 AM–5 PM
- Saturday: 10 AM–4 PM
Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.
Online advance ticket purchases are available, though general admission is not stated to require advance tickets. The museum says it is wheelchair accessible; passengers can be picked up or dropped off at the main entrance, and the mezzanine is accessible by elevator.
Service animals that meet the museum’s stated federal-law definition and remain under handler control are welcome. Pets and emotional-support animals are not permitted.
Free parking is available in the museum lot. Fast-food and full-service restaurants are within a short drive. For changing hours, event closures or ticket details, check the official site before you go.
How do you get to Hiller Aviation Museum?
The museum is at San Carlos Airport, at 601 Skyway Road. If you’re driving, use the free museum parking lot. From San Carlos Inn, Hiller Aviation Museum is about a 5-minute drive.
SamTrans serves the El Camino corridor. You can take a bus to the San Carlos stop near the Caltrain station and continue from there, but there is no direct bus service to the airport.
The guide to getting around San Carlos without a car covers local transportation options. You could pair the museum visit with time exploring the city’s neighborhoods.
If you’re arriving by plane, follow the museum’s guidance for pilots: park at the airport terminal on the east side of the field and proceed to the airport office. Never walk across the runway.
A guide to San Carlos neighborhoods can help you plan time around town.
FAQs
How much are Hiller Aviation Museum tickets?
General admission is $22 for adults and $14 for seniors age 65 and older and youths ages 5–17. Children age 3 and under enter free with a paid adult, and members enter free.
Is Hiller Aviation Museum accessible by public transit?
SamTrans serves the El Camino corridor, with a stop near the Caltrain station in San Carlos. There is no direct bus service to the airport.
Is there parking at the museum?
Yes. The museum has free parking in its parking lot.
What other history museum is in the area?
The San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City offers another local history stop.