Flying Leatherneck Museum to Open in Early 2026

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum will move to The Great Park, Irvine in the early fall of 2026.

The sole museum dedicated to the preservation of aircraft and artifacts associated with the air arm of the United States Marine Corps, it opened in 1989, when Brigadier General David V. Shuter, commanding general of MCAS El Toro in Irvine, California, proposed the idea of establishing a museum foundation dedicated to Marine Corps Aviation to local retired and reserve officers. This lead to the formation of the MCAS El Toro Historical Foundation, which was formally recognized as a non-profit corporation on June 30 of that year, with Brigadier General Jay W. Hubbard as chairman. 

Unfortunately for Marine veterans and the general public alike, the museum had to close its Miramar location on March 28, 2021 due to budget cuts to the Corps, but thanks to the museum foundation’s tireless efforts and widespread public support, the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is set to return to its roots at the former site of MCAS El Toro in Irvine.

For more information, visit the FLAM website.