Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) Aviation Museum will be reopened January 16, 2023, after temporarily closing for a much-needed roof replacement project on the north side of Hangar #1. The project started on November 14, 2022 and took nearly two months to complete. The building is listed on the National and State of New Jersey Registers of Historic Places and most of the roof components date to its original construction in 1942.
Hangar #1 was part of NAS Wildwood which operated as a dive-bombing training base for the United States Navy during World War II. This training was extremely dangerous and led to nearly 130 crashes and the deaths of 42 naval aviators. NASW Aviation Museum’s mission is to educate the public on the history of NAS Wildwood, restore Hangar #1, and to memorialize these aviators who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Funding for the replacement of the roof on the south side of the hangar has also been secured and that project is set to commence in October 2023. The two-year full roof replacement project has been made possible in part by the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund administered by the New Jersey Historic Trust as well as a grant from the Cape May County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. Additionally, NASW will match with museum funds.
Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum is located inside historic Hangar #1 at the Cape May Airport. Current museum hours are 10am-4pm Monday through Friday. The museum will be open on the weekends starting in March. For more information about NASW, visit www.usnasw.org, the museum’s social media pages, or call (609) 886-8787.
