Destination Chesco: The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center

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Dozens of helicopters are on display at the American Helicopter Museum (Photo via Rachel Steveson)

By Rachel Stevenson

When I was a child, I wanted to fly. I dreamed of soaring high above the playground to escape the kids below. In my mind, it felt peaceful, quiet, and safe among the clouds.

As I got older, my fascination with flying continued. Like many kids, I went through my I-want-to-be-an-astronaut phase, which seemed fitting since my mom worked for NASA at the time. I even won a science project in my junior year of high school by creating a hypothetical mission to Mars. This prize earned me a trip to the NASA Space Station in Florida.

Museum Guide, Jim Palmer, tells stories about the 5,500-lb aircraft that carries only a few hundred pounds. (Image via Rachel Stevenson)
Museum Guide, Jim Palmer, tells stories about the 5,500-lb aircraft that carries only a few hundred pounds. (Image via Rachel Stevenson)

Two years later I returned to Florida with my family and had the opportunity to meet Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, the first men to walk on the moon.

As an adult, I still find myself fascinated with flight. While I never became an astronaut, pilot, or even flight attendant, to this day I enjoy learning about the science of flight and imagining what it would be like to escape everyday stress by flying with the birds.

This weekend, I visited the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in West Chester on American Boulevard, only minutes from the QVC Studios and a quick turn off of Airport Road. I had no idea such a treasure existed in our county!

You know you’ve arrived at the museum by the five large helicopters sitting on the lawn outside of a large warehouse building.

The museum lobby offers Brandywine Valley helicopter history. (Image via Rachel Stevenson)
The museum lobby offers Brandywine Valley helicopter history. (Image via Rachel Stevenson)

The lobby of the museum features a wall of Brandywine Valley helicopter history and across from that, a museum gift shop filled with flying toys for kids of all ages.

The warehouse opens up beyond the lobby and is packed with helicopters of all sizes, colors, and ages from WW2 to present day. A bit overwhelming at first, each helicopter tells a unique story.

The museum guide, Jim Palmer, shared a variety of helicopter facts with me as I made my way through the exhibit.

My favorite story was the one about the 5,500-lb helicopter that could only accommodate 300 pounds of passenger weight. He joked that it could fit a pilot and his lunch. That was about it.

Jim invited me to watch a movie on helicopters in the museum theater, then escorted me to the air tunnel for a flight demonstration.

A MASH exhibit brings back memories for TV buffs. (Image via Rachel Stevenson)
A MASH exhibit brings back memories for TV buffs. (Image via Rachel Stevenson)

The museum showcases a number of helicopters one can step inside, a MASH exhibit, and an entire play area for kids. It even offers helicopter rides for $60/person.

Sadly it was raining that day, and rides are limited to specific days throughout the year, but I was excited to learn that “the next date for Helicopter Rides is Sunday, September 11, beginning at 12:30 pm for Grandparents Day,” according to the museum website.

So, get your flight gear ready and visit the museum for an afternoon of fun, education, and flight!

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