Lyon Air Museum Reviews

In a place like Orange County there is a lot of value placed on what is new. That said there is substantial history here, including World War II aviation history.

The Lyon Air Museum does a wonderful job bringing World War II aviation history to life. One of my favorite things is seeing Grandparents with Grandchildren viewing the collection and the displays.

Make it a point to visit.

A hidden gem in OC! Beautiful planes, lots of historical items and docents to answer questions and share stories.

Fun we took a lot of pictures of airplanes Old World car is a good place if you want to know if history on warbirds and war vehicles

Went here for a combination look at the museum's collection, plus a visiting tour of flying WW2 planes which were in town for several days last month. The museum is in a large converted airplane hangar, and has a fairly small collection of WW2 planes but they are in beautiful condition - lovingly restored and carefully maintained. It also has a number of items of historical interest from the era, including cars (race cars too) and motorcycles, even a convertible limousine that Hitler himself used. Numerous exhibits on various topics related to WW2. Didn't see anything specifically for children. Due to the limited collection and $12 price, probably best for enthusiasts of aviation, automobiles, WW2, and/or history. The area has no food facilities (snack bar, vending machines) so be sure to eat lunch beforehand if coming in the afternoon (a food truck was parked outside for a time while I was there but not sure if that's a regular thing or just due to the special event). If you are into plane spotting, the museum is on the west side of the runway of John Wayne airport and provides a good vantage spot for that. One last comment, perhaps it was due to the crowd that day, but it felt quite stuffy inside the museum. The hangar doors were opened just enough to allow access to the visiting planes outside, but there was no cross ventilation. It got so uncomfortable for me that I felt like I was having difficulty breathing, which is not at all normal for me, so I had to cut my visit inside short. Hopefully just a fluke.

and some fine automobiles! I was expecting to just see air planes but they have a nice little auto collection. A trio of Auburn Cord and Duesenberg coupes with the boat/swept tails plus a Packard thrown in for good measure. Plus they have a B-25 Mitchell! My father flew in one of those in the war and it is the first one I've ever seen in person. I was amazed at how little protection the soldiers had in those planes. It takes a very special person to serve their country. They were and are truly brave!

Excellent place for families. Lots of large planes for kids to look at. Great exibits for all to see

Lyon Air Museum has a nice smaller collection of planes and vehicles including cars, motorcycles, even a bread truck.
**
Though right on the airport, it is a little difficult to find, GPS helped a lot. There are several volunteers that like to help describe the exhibits. The grounds are exceptionally clean and all the exhibits are well maintained. You can walk right up to them and get a very close look. My favorite was Hitlers vehicle, you could almost see him standing in it.
**
According to the volunteer I talked to, all the planes still fly, that would be something to see, the doors of the museum open onto the airport.

This is a stunning museum with not only beautifully restored aircraft but vintage motorcycles and military vehicles as well as artifacts. There is a movie theater playing old ww2 documentaries. At first glance the museum seems small but I spent hours here. If you want you can go on a docent led tour (highly recommended), but there are also informational video kiosks throughout.

Visited this museum for about two hours. It is a fairly small museum, but it is packed with incredibly well kept aircraft. I would highly recommend a visit to this museum. Very enjoyable experience.

There are some amazing planes and vehicles here! The staff is very friendly, and overall there are great explanations about the planes. There aren't many explanations for the vehicles, however, and one Navy plane had none at all. Don't plan to get inside of anything--you can't. They have video stations at several of the planes to give you history, however they aren't loud enough, and in one case it is right in the sun where there is so much glare you can't see. The hanger was quite warm (it was HOT outside), and they were setting up for an event and making quite a bit of noise while we were there, so that wasn't fun. However, it was worth it--so many things you won't see anywhere else, including the B-17, and one of the large vehicles that belonged to Adolph Hitler. Plus, for anyone who grew up in S. CA in the 60's, there is a Helms Bakery truck. Talk about nostalgia! My grandchildren would love this place, but feel really badly that they can't touch anything.

Great collection of aircraft and race cars, all nicely maintained and referenced. Mostly WWII and related vintage propeller types. Don't be afraid to walk up on the catwalk, great view from up there.

This place is a gem! The planes and WW ll exhibit with the very friendly and knowledgeable volunteers is excellent! I was so surprised and enjoyed our few hours there.

We were pleasantly surprised by this small museum. William Lyons, real estate developer has a great collection of planes, car, motorcycles, etc, most from World War II or before. There was just two of us and we were given a tour of the facility by one of the knowledgable docents. The admission price was $12, $9 for seniors.

I had the distinct privilege of conducting business with Bill Lyon on several occasion. He was a successful developer in Orange County and conducted all of his affairs with meticulous attention to detail. It comes as no surprise that this collection is presented in a similar manner. I have a fondness for all things Air Force. In addition to business successes, Bill was a retired USAF Maj. General, and a pioneer in California commercial aviation, especially in Orange County. Quite a guy.

If you are near the John Wayne Airport in Orange County be sure and take the time to see the Lyon Air Museum. There is a rotating collection of vintage aircraft, motorcycles and fabulous cars, and is suitable for all ages. It is small, but so worth the time and they also have excellent docents.

Unlike the two Smithsonian air museums, the planes and cars and motorcycles at the Lyon Air Museum are all set up to work, not just look pretty. There are drip pans beneath the airplanes, because they are all oiled up and ready to fly or being made ready to fly, the jeeps have a whiff of gasoline about them and an occasional WW2 military radio in the back seat to coordinate your position with the troops. The docents have flown in the planes, a mechanic might be half-swallowed up inside a WW2 bomber getting it ready to fly when you visit. The museum is small, but well worth the visit.

A docent (Al) greeted us right away and gave us a personal tour! Al was very knowledgeable about the planes history...you can tell he enjoys interacting with the public very much. The exhibit hall is very nice and the planes, cars, motorcycles and etc. were restored to mint condition. Allow between 1-2 hours. Located right next to the John Wayne (SNA) airport.

Great WW11 planes, motorcycles, cars & more. Very informative, we were met by Bob a 94 year old WE11 veteran & pilot! He was amazing & inspirational. Some interactive areas. A hidden treasure!

The staff where highly knowledgeable and had many first hand stories of their own bringing like to the exhibits. My boyfriend is a pilot and had such a wonderful time speaking to the other pilots.
Well worth the time and money

This Museum has been open since 2009, but appears to be a still hidden treasure in Orange County. Part of this appears to be its location on Ike Jones Road; it's behind the Orange County Airport. Even knowing it was there I found it a little confusing to find. But if you follow the road around the bend and behind another building you will be rewarded by a gem of a small museum. There are many World War ll airplanes and war vehicles, as well as, an old bread delivery truck. There are many display cases with War and personal memorabilia. Make sure you find the wedding dress made from a parachute. What a great way to walk down Memory Lane and a tremendously interesting, educational experience! There are Docents available to give you a guided tour, which I highly recommend. Or you can tour the museum on your own, as we did after the tour. Be sure sure to look for the small movie theater that currently shows a movie called The Grey Eagle. Well worth watching. There is a small entrance fee for the museum, but discounts for military personnel and seniors and a reduced price for children.

My husband and I enjoyed every minute of our visit to this wonderful air museum in Santa Ana. General Lyon has assembled an astonishing array of his best stuff here, with WW2 aircraft and motor vehicles all in working condition. Now in his 90s and still very actively involved with the museum, General Lyon also had his collection of Duesenbergs on display. All I can say is WOW!!

Went here on a day that was fairly crowded and on first glance I thought that we would not be able to get a tour. When we went inside I was very surprised to see that it is such an interesting place full of great memorabilia some of which was donated by some of their very own volunteers. Upon walking in we were greeted by this young man named Marcus. He was a really great guy and he was really easy to talk to. He was knowledgeable and interacted really well with my kids relating some of the planes to things that would really appeal to my kids. My kids were interested from start to finish and I could not believe that they actually stayed put the whole tour. If you ever need a tour guide for your children have Marcus do it. He works really well with them and gets them listen and makes learning about history fun for my kids and even me. I will be coming back in the near future when they have events.

Located next to the John Wayne Airport was Lyon Air Museum. This was founded by Major General William Lyon to have a collection of functional aircraft, rare vehicles, and World War II era memorabilia. I enjoy going to air museums like this, because there’s always something of interest. It’s always fun to look at the old cars, especially because you can see manufacturer’s which aren’t in business any more. Plus it’s interesting to compare the amenities of these older vehicles to what can be found in modern cars. Of course, I like checking out the vehicles which were made during the war era to see what interesting designs were created then.

The main reason to go to an air museum is to see the planes, like the Douglas C-47 “Skytrain.” A fleet of over 800 of these planes dropped 13,000 paratroopers into Normandy during the D-Day Invasion. Note the pans next to the wheels. Those are there to catch oil dripping from the engines. That’s one way to know these planes, for as old as they are, are still flyable. One of the great things when visiting an air museum is to see the types of planes which took part in critical missions.

Not every piece in the museum saw action during the war. The B-17 Flying Fortress here was one of the last to be delivered to the Army Air Forces, and used mostly as a VIP transport in the Pacific. This specific plane was used in the classic film "Tora! Tora! Tora!," and later re-named “Fuddy Duddy” to honor a plane which flew 93 missions before being lost over Germany in December 1944.

It only took a hour or two to go through this completely, and that was including the short film on site, but it was worth it. This makes a nice afternoon destination location when you’re in the area to see something perhaps you haven’t seen.

General Lyon deserves not only a thanks for this collection but also his, and so many others, service during a pivotal time! WWII may feel like history but the reality is we are only a few generations away. This is a great reminder of what happened before the internet but well after most of our modern realities.

Such a great tribute - and though I grew up on air bases and thought I was keen on most things in WW II, do take them up on their guided tour (no extra $$) as it brings a different awareness. Understanding so many truly did remarkable, and often heartbreaking sacrifices, will raise the impact of your visit.

Enjoy, reflect and ultimately say thanks - to what may well be one of the greatest generations! Stay strong, stay free and remember to stand in awe (and let a C47 pull the rip cord for those that made our today!).

Perhaps the best few hours we spent on our trip from Vancouver to greater LA!

Not a movie or a Disney ride but delivered better ratings than all combined!!

My husband and I went with our two adult sons. We all really enjoyed it and thought it was worth seeing. As others have said the museum is kept very clean. All planes and vehicles are extremely well taken care of. This is a piece of history worth seeing. Enjoy!

Aircraft, motorcycles and cars from a bygone era were in pristine condition. Mr. Lyons collected the memorabilia and opened the museum in 2009. After his death, the foundation owned by the family runs the museum. It’s is a small place but the collection of artifacts was amazing.

Excellent location to watch the planes take off and land before it opened.

Seven beautifully restored antique planes, a few older motorcycles, several special cars, a small, constantly-running movie theater and a friendly staff make this a fun, interesting place to visit.

It was a wonderful day for a small air show, with beautiful planes from all over and from several points of history! It was a nice way to get up close and personal with the planes that were on display. The docents were extremely knowledgeable about the planes, motorcycles and cars on display at the museum, and there were plenty of military personnel to speak with as well. I was able to meet, talk with and thank veterans who served in Korea, WWI and Viet Nam. There were several artifacts on display and the docents took their time in explaining what each item on display was. A small museum packed full of historical vehicles and planes and well worth the visit!

These planes and the memorabilia are so interesting and they often have unique events, where a pilot will fly one of the old war planes. Visits from past pilots, and other interesting people

I'm a vet and I was impressed with the quality and detail in this museum, The young man giving the tour was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Well worth the price of admission.

I have flown into John Wayne several times over the years and always noticed WWII planes off to one side of the runways. At my hotel lobby, I saw a brochure for the Lyon Air Museum. I am a aircraft buff, especially of planes from WWII. I had a free afternoon and decided to find the Museum.

It is inside a huge working aircraft hangar that opens out to the runways at the airport. The general admission was $12, but it is $9 for Vets and AARP members.

As I walked inside, I was taken back the cleanliness of the hangar with white painted floors (Lyon White, I found out later) since all of the planes and vehicles are operational. They did have oil pans unders the engines of the aircraft.

All of the vehicles and aircraft except for one plane (Cessna Bird Dog) is part of Maj. General Lyon's private collection.

The shining star is a B-17 that was used as a transport once for Eisenhower and then for MacArthur. It is now painted as a plane that was shot down in WWII (the Fuddy-Duddy). It was used in a few movies including "Tora, Tora, Tora".

In addition to the B-17, there is a B-25 Mitchell, an A-26 Marauder, a C-47, and a DC-3. While I was there, they had taken out the Cessna O-1E Bird dog and had started it up for a flight around the area.

Intermingled around the planes are military vehicles, motorcycles, and automobiles. I was impressed that they had a Mercedes staff car that was used by Hitler and a German motorcycle that had tank tracks to propel it (Kettenkrad).

There are display cases around the edges of the hangar with memorabilia from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam war. They have a platform you can walk up to that gives a great overview of the hangar and the aircraft.

I found a small theater, off to one side, that was showing continuous runs of various WWII themed movies.

Is it not a huge museum like the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola or the Air & Space Museum in DC, but you have to admire the fact that this is a working hangar with flying aircraft and not static displays.

I was told that in April and May of 2012, they would be taking out the B-25.

They had a few guides around the museum to answer any questions and to explain what vehicle you were looking at. All the while, they had WWII era music playing over the loudspeakers to add to the atmosphere.

I was very impressed with the museum and would encourage any plane or WWII buff to take the time to visit this nice little gem.

Located at Orange County/John Wayne Airport on the other side of the runway compared to the main terminal. They have a nice collection of WWII aircraft in flying condition (the oil is dripping from the engines) as well as unique cars and motorcycles. The docent was very nice, helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely worth a visit for an airplane enthusiast.

Get there early to have the small or individual guided tour.

Nicely maintained and we understand that most can be used. Looks good overall and there is information on various branches of the military.

Worth your time to see, takes about 2+ hours. Theater shows history of aviation and is very interesting.

Fantastic small private museum focused on WWII airplanes and historical cars (Packard and WWII vehicles) close to John Wayne Airport. It was a real find and worth the time despite the fact that the admission is 12$. We could easily spend half a day here. Our guide Gerry was fantastic and explained everything in great detail. Hope to return in the future.

This Air Museum is simply awesome. The history from wall to wall is impressive and the people on sight give you great insights as well. It was certainly like walking back in time and would be great for all ages. If I was visiting from out of town I would add this to the list of must do's while I'm the area.

The Lyon Air Museum is a bit of a hidden treasure in Orange County. Located on a side street across from the runway at John Wayne, the museum is awesome. It is on the small side, but you can easily spend a couple of hours.

From the moment we stepped in the door, the staff and docents were so friendly, and willing to walk with you around the museum, which I recommend, you will learn a lot. You can also do it on your own.

Stepping in to the museum, you get a slight scent of oil, reminds me of my Dad's garage. You can watch planes as they take off and just stroll around the planes and display cases. There is a lot of flight and war information tucked in and it is really interesting. The planes are still flown and are beautifully restored. Until Sept. 7th, 2015 they are showcasing quite a few Duesenberg automobiles. These cars are exquisite and worth a look.
The museum also houses a small theater where they show short films on flight. Definitely worth watching.

We will continue to watch their exhibits and will go back.

This is small museum located next to the John Wayne Airport. It is full of vintage aircraft and vehicles. I would definately recommend this to anyone who enjoys vintage cars and planes. Interesting film regarding WWII aircraft and their contribution to the war effort.

The best $12 you will ever spend going to see this little gem of a museum. Easy to get to in a quiet cul-de-sac the far side of Orange County/John Wayne Airport, with ample parking, clean facilities, and a nice cooling drinking water fountain. Some really gorgeous well preserved stuff here, both aircraft and automobiles. The B17 and American Airlines Dakota are the mainstays, but it was some of the smaller stuff like the O-1 Birdog and the cars like the Buick 8 that caught my eye too. Spent a superb couple of hours there, and photography is welcomed. Definitely worth a visit. Well done Lyon / Martin Air Museum team for a good job!

What a great selection of planes from World War Two. Nicely displayed with nice legible write ups for each piece.

It looks like these planes just came off the assembly line. The museum is in a large hanger right off the the landing strip at John Wayne Airport. Planes were landing and taking off all the time. The museum is exceptionally clean. There is a short movie of a combat mission. Many of these types of planes were shot down in WW2. They have a Nazi Field Touring wagon.

This small museum is located by the Orange County John Wayne Airport. There are numerous clean & shiny WWII airplanes on display, plus a few cars and other vehicles on wheels. One of the docents, Pete, was particularly knowledgeable and personable. My husband was particularly impressed with a large Mercedes that was Hitler's vehicle. While we were there there was a sudden short hail and rain storm that we watched by looking out the huge glass windows. There were some items that children, and adults, too, were allowed to climb and sit on, A worthwhile stop.

Didn't really know what to expect but I'd heard nice things about this. The $12 admission seemed a bit high (not terrible) but a few hours later, it was well worth it.

The place is not too large: all inside one building (I think it's an old hangar). Some very nice looking WWII planes: B-17, B-25, A-26, DC-3, C-47 and more. All of the planes are SPOTLESS. I've never seen such clean planes in a museum. And you can get right up next to them. Step under the bombers and look into the bomb bay. And I was told that many of the planes still fly!!

In addition to the planes, there are lots of other smaller WWII exhibits: jeeps, trucks, cars, motorcycles, etc. Some pretty neat stuff.

The volunteers working there were great. I saw four or five that day which is a lot since there were only about ten paying customers. It seemed there was always a guy around to answer our questions.

This is a great place to go. Might get a bit boring if you're not interested in planes but a WWII buff would enjoy it and young kids that like planes will, too. I'll be going back soon with my 5-year old grandson.

The Lyon Museum is tucked away behind John Wayne Airport, but is well worth seeking out. They have several WW2 era aircraft in first class condition, docents who flew in them, and vehicles both US and German from WW2. They also show some interesting film clips from the period.

The staff is very friendly and helpful as well as knowledgeable. There is a lot to see, read and watch, they even have a mini movie theater.
For the money this is a great adventure for the kids, especially with this much history under one roof.

I had the opportunity to visit the Lyon Air Museum recently when I was at Orange County Airport. This is a great secret, I have visited many museums across the county and the Lyon Museum may have the best quality display and artifacts of any you will see. The B-17 "Fuddy Duddy" is in perfect condition, as good an example of any you will see. Also the motorcycle displays from WWII including the German BMW with the sidecar is a true gem. The item that is worth a visit alone is the Mercedes Benz Hitler motorcade car. This is an item you will not see anywhere else and this one is perfect. I highly recommend this museum, you will not be disappointed!

I recently stumbled onto this museum and what a pleasant surprise. Upon entering I was given a very friendly greeting docent and asked if I would like a guided tour. There knowledge of all of the airplanes, vehicles and motor cycles was in great depth. I highly recommend this activity for the whole family. Easy to find with near by freeway access. Allow 2-3 hours.

Immaculate bullding with beautifully restored aircraft from WWII era. Aircraft and old cars and motorcycles are all operational, maintained by MGen Lyon's staff. Docents -- at least the one who hosted us -- very knowledgeable and interesting. In addition to aircraft and autos, there are several informative and well done display cases of interest. $9 apiece for seniors or military. Time and money well spent. Don't miss it.

I really enjoy the special exhibits and the speakers of those who flew the planes of days gone by. The opportunity to walk through the big birds, or take a flight (which they do on occasion), is informative and fun, especially if you can envision yourself on a mission. Just take a look at their website for any upcoming events. Even, if there aren't any, just to walk through this lovely small gem of an air museum and a chance to talk with their volunteers, is a worthy way to spend an afternoon.

Small but very interesting. Walt, an older docent, gave us a private 1 hour tour, which was great! We stayed 2 1/2 hours, and only left because I was hungry. The airplanes, motorcycles, cars and old bike are great, but the info is really the best. We could have stayed a couple more hours to watch the videos of airplane history...do yourself a favor and visit.

It's a great venue for work parties. we were able to sit around all of the planes, take pictures in front of them, and even walk inside these old planes that flew in WWII and shortly after. Very Interesting place!

Walked over from tHe hotel on an overnight for my airline. Found the museum to be outstanding. Had a personal tour guide and then spent another hour waking around. Recommend it if you are in Orange County.

It’s a small, but nice and very clean air museum! We went for the open cockpit for the B-25. They also have some other vehicles like cars, jeeps and motorcycles, some of which you can get on to take pictures! It’s good if you’re in the area or want something light to do for the day.

It has been some time since my last visit and I have always enjoyed the exhibits from WWII military to classic exotic cars and not to overlook the amazing planes they have on display.

I'm a pilot so I thought it would be great to see some of the WWII history so close to where I was visiting in Orange County. I took an Uber ride from the hotel and walked in. Paid my $12 and off to the museum. I immediately ran into a volunteer named Bill. We spent the better part of two hours together and then he gave me a ride to lunch. Fantastic attraction.

If you like planes and want to see a nice collection of planes and cars, visit this museum. It is small but it is very well organized and the staff members are great and proud of their work

A great way to spend a Saturday. All exhibits are clean and well explained. The docents are very helpful as well.

We went flying at SNA and went here as a side trip. We really enjoyed 5he visit. This is a private collection of WWII vintage aircraft. You can get up close to them and Cris, our docent, did a great job of explaining how each aircraft type fit into the history of the time. There are also some great vintage cars and motorbikes on display.

The Lyon Air Museum is an exceptional destination for anyone passionate about aviation and history. Their stunning collection includes iconic aircraft such as a B-17, B-25, A-26, and two DC-3s, one in D-Day configuration. The hangar is bright, spacious, and thoughtfully designed, making it easy to explore and admire the exhibits. The upper-deck observation area offers fantastic views of the aircraft from a unique perspective.

I visited with my service dog, Jackie, and was impressed by the friendly and accommodating staff. The volunteer docents are incredibly knowledgeable and eager to share their passion for aviation history.

The museum radiates a remarkable positive energy, celebrating American aviation achievements while honoring the sacrifices of those who served to protect our freedoms. Be sure to allow at least two hours to take it all in—it’s worth every minute and the drive from Los Angeles to Santa Ana. For those who love airplanes, this is an unforgettable experience with fantastic photo opportunities from every angle.

The Lyon Air Museum exhibits WWII airplanes, military vehicles and motorcycles, and vintage automobiles. The large aircraft dominate the airy, well-lighted exhibit space, with the other exhibits apparently placed where they will fit. This makes for many unique visual juxtapositions of gleaming vintage race cars with flat-painted military vehicles with shiny, impeccably restored warplanes.

You can spend an hour and leave delighted, or wander through at a leisurely pace and read everything. The abundance of windows, supplemented with well-chosen electric lighting, makes for some splendid photo opportunities, even with smartphones.

I was in Orange County this week and made a visit to the Lyon Air Museum - Just Excellent WWII History. The displays here are just fantastic! The B17 is one of the best surviving WWII bombers!

This is a small but very interesting museum with aircraft lovingly kept in flyable condition. The large B-17 Flying Fortress being the centerpiece. There are also a number of WWII motorcycles and off road vehicles both American and German plus a staff car used by Hitler. I've been there twice, the last time with my grandson and the docent who showed us around kept even an eleven year old fascinated with his stories and descriptions of the plans and other vehicles.

We were visiting from Virginia and had the opportunity to tour Lyon Air Museum. We had a great time, the docent Bud Carter was especially good at giving us information on each of the airplanes... some of what he actually trained and flew in.

Had a chance to visit the museum when I was taking a flight on a 1930s built Ford Tri-motor airplane. The museum is located at the Orange County Airport (John Wayne Airport) and is easily found. It's a very well kept museum and contains a small, but very interesting, set of old planes, mostly military. During my visit, the planes consisted of a B-17, B-25, B-29, a WWII trainer, DC3, and a C-47. Along with the planes, there was a good selection of WWII German, Japanese and Allied ground vehicles, as well as some vintage motorcycles once owned be Steve McQueen. There was also a small display of US and German WWII infantry weapons and equipment. The museum also has a small theater which continually runs some WWII films showing the history of military aircraft. It shouldn't take more than an hour to view everything and take some photos. There are also several very helpful staff members and docents about to answer questions and supply background information on the exhibits. I highly recommend a visit.

The museum is small but was done so very well. The planes and cars are amazing. The Steve McQueen motorcycle is also a highlight. The best part of the museum is the staff aand the docents who actually flew missions in WWII. Amazing place! Thank you Mr. Lyon.

We were looking for something to do with our son who is 13 and currently "into" cars ( he is a BBC Top Gear fanatic). I read about the Lyon Aur Museum on tripadvisor, and decided to give it a go. We were very impressed by the aircraft and automobiles on display, and how carefully they have been refurbished. We also were shown around by the very attentive docents who have a wealth of knowledge both about the exhibits and WWII.

Found this by chance after looking for things to do on our last day in OC before we left. It is right by the airport - in fact, you can watch the jets take off from the hangar. It was a great experience. We got there early and although there was a school outing, it was still accessible. We had our own docent guide, Al, who was fabulous. AND, what made it even better, General Lyon was there speaking to the school children so we got a chance to meet him and take a photo. Lots of beautiful planes and vehicles from WW2, even Hitler's car - other memorabilia and information. Plan on around 1 hr. You cannot go in any of the planes, but you can go under and look in the bays and doors - it's really nice.

The Lyon air museum has a lot of great WWII (mostly) airplanes as well as vintage cars. The museum is not huge, but their is plenty to check out. The employees are knowledgeable and can add context and color to the exhibits. We visited on a Saturday morning and it was not crowded so we got a personal tour. The interactive area is great for kids. My 13 yr old did the flight sim and had fun.

Museum is very clean well maintained. Given the size, the cost of entry seems a little high, but not by much. I would recommend this as a place to visit for air enthusiasts.

A very cute museum with kind and helpful people to answer all my questions. What a delight on a cold Saturday afternoon!

We toured the Lyon Air Museum on Sunday, October 1, 2023. Possibly the wrong day to tour the museum. They were hosting several aircraft flying in the Huntington Beach Air Show and had moved some of their displays around and carved out a chunk of the center of the hangar for that group. I have flown several airshows as a Naval Aviator and later as a civilian pilot representing a flight school. I was always eager to talk to the crowd. This group of pilots was not interested in talking to anyone outside their group and their aircraft had no signage.
Outside of that "distortion" of the museum, nice, clean, good overall signage. Not a lot of aircraft. However the ones they had were in excellent condition. Numerous motor vehicles - cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
Docents were nice, cordial, and rather well informed.
We spent about 2 1/2 hours there and covered what was on display pretty well.
Recommend you call ahead to see if special events are going to interfere with the museum's quality of presentation.
Thanks,
Rex

We had some time so decided to visit the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana California. It was fairly easy to find and is right on the runway of the airport so some great plane watching. Everything was very clean and well maintained. We had a wonderful docent showing us the planes, cars, etc. in the museum. Everything displayed was so awesome in my opinion. You get to go under the planes to see where the bombs were kept. My husband and I both enjoyed this place and took a lot of photos.

This place is of great historical value, the docents are very knowledgeable, a must stop for plane enthusiasts!

My husband is a air force vet and he loved the museum. We had a guide who walked us through and answered all his questions and explained many things about the planes, pilots and crews who flew those planes.

The exhibit was quite interesting and the staff was exceptional. We recommend this to anyone interested in WWII history.

This was my third visit to the Lyon Museum, and it never disappoints. This time we brought my dad, sister, and our nieces and nephews ranging in age from 12 to 25. Everyone enjoyed the experience. Our tour guide was an extremely knowledgeable docent. We had three WWII history buffs with us, and he answered every question - didn't get stumped once. Glass cases house small memorabilia including personal letters, pins, photographs, clothing, and WWII era newspapers. Planes, motor cycles, jeeps and some civilian vehicles are on display for you to get up close to and even look inside. There is also a cockpit you can actually get into. An informative movie runs on a loop in the theater. Some excellent books, models, pins and unique t-shirts are in the small gift shop. Clean restrooms and a drinking fountain are available on site.

Went on my one day off before a big job. This museum, which opened four years ago, has one of the few fully restored, operational B17s! There's a C47 that's operational as well as B25 and an A20. There are also other planes as well.
The museum is small and I like the intimacy between the collection and the viewer. The docents know their thing! If you're lucky enough you may encounter a WWII air vet and bear witness to living history. That was special for me.
There were also a collection of cars that rotate from collectors so the so it's never stale.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time and if you're a WWII buff, this should be on your list of places to go!

It was only a five minute drive from the Orange County airport. I love seeing WW2 aircraft and they have some very knowledgeable volunteer guides. The displays of authentic equipment were interesting. The theatre runs a continuous film anout the development of aircraft.

Beautiful place!!

Right next to Orange County Airport it has a lot of cool stuff, including some great classic cars. Three blocks to the south is the Crevier Classic Car Museum and they don't charge for admission but no planes.

The Lyon Air Museum is visible from Joyn Wayne Airport. It is small but contains many aircraft used in WWII. A docent will accompany you and explain facts about the various aircraft and cars. Our docent, Paul, was very knowledgeable and had flow unmanly of the aircraft, so he added a great deal of enthusiasm! We stopped for lunch at the Atomic Cafe one street over from the museum. It is located in an industrial center. Food is delicious. We had the ion sandwich- yummy! Soup was home made and tasty. Inexpensive menu.well worth the visit

This is an unmissable boutique collection of mainly WWII era aircraft and vehicles. They include a B17, B25, and two DC3s among others. Most are kept in flying condition. As with other similar venues, a number of highly knowledgeable and friendly volunteers are at hand to answer any questions.

This is a very worthwhile and interesting. It’s brought to life with the knowledgeable docent that are so well prepared. Suitable for children as well.

This is an interesting small museum with huge aircraft. It is highlighted by the car used by Tom Sellik in the T.V. and the 1939 Mercedes touring car used by Adolph Hitler. The venue really shows what WWII was all about with volunteers at hand to answer any questions. Small admission fee. Well hidden but worth the bother to attend.

i recently did a photoshoot at this museum. The aircraft all flys and is impeccably maintained. There are a variety of aircraft, jeeps, cars and motorcycles. There is even a German car that is very rare. This is not a large museum but instead a hidden gem next to John Wayne Airport. A must see for kids.

My first visit. I arrived just after opening on Sunday and was able to walk around, see all the attractions and take pictures with very little “image interference” from group tours and/or roaming children. The museum is small for its type (one room), but the space is clean and very well laid out. I would recommend a visit, but don’t expect anything approaching the scale of the top aviation museums in the U.S. (e.g., Nat’l Air & Space Museum, New England Air Museum, Seattle’s museums, or the ones on/near military bases).

The brochure at the front desk has a checklist of things to see, with a breakdown as follows: 6 aircraft (all military except for the early American Airlines DC-3), 5 civilian automobiles, 5 military automobiles (including Hitler’s 1939 Mercedes), and 5 military motorcycles. I counted 7 planes, so one may have been added or was on loan, not sure. Also, there seemed to be numerous other cars and motorbikes than what was listed in the brochure. In addition to the “heavy stuff” there are numerous glass cases with war memorabilia (Allied and Nazi), archival pictures and miniature aircraft models. It seemed to me that 90% of the things on display were from around the WWII era, so there’s a little bit of a history lesson there.

With the exception of one motorcycle (note the kids milling around for picture-taking) everything is don’t touch/don’t go inside. One can peer inside a few of the planes, but I thought there could have been a great opportunity for letting visitors walk inside at least one of the planes to look at the interior. I was told that the planes are actually put into service from time to time, so there might be a liability issue, oh well.

Look for the staircase that takes you to an upper level from which you can get a nice perspective of the whole showroom. On the south end of the building is a little cinema (three dozen seats or so) that shows a History Channel documentary on aircraft manufacturing for WWII. I watched the whole thing; it was really good. You can tour the whole place in less than an hour, but if you watch the movie add at least 30 minutes to your overall stay.

For your consideration:
* Free parking is available in a small lot next to the building, or along Ike Jones Road (private street off the east end of Baker Street). On weekends you may have to overflow onto Airway Avenue.
* Full admission is a little steep at $12; various discounts (e.g., seniors, military) apply.
* There are many giant sliding doors/windows from where you can watch aircraft takeoff/land at the adjacent John Wayne Airport.
* The Collings Foundation “Wings of Freedom Tour”--offering rides on vintage WWII aircraft--stops here every year around Mothers Day. LOTS OF PEOPLE show up so expect much higher attendance and difficult parking during the tour. [No listing yet for this attraction. Briefly, I would highly recommend flying on one of the aircraft if you can afford the fare … $400 to $2200 for 30 mins]

The Lyon Air Museum houses an outstanding collection of WWII aircraft in mint condition. All aircraft are said to be operational and are housed in a beautiful hangar location facing the John Wayne Airport. Aircraft are not accessible for climbing inside, but there are docents who accompany the visitors around and answer any questions that might be of interest. Visitors can peer into bomb bays, hatches and doors. There is a ten-minute (looped) movie on the B-17 bomber at the far wall of the museum. There is also a collection of military vehicles from the period.

A nice smaller museum with some beautiful flying planes. You'll not spend a lot more than an hour and a half here, but it's easy to get to if you're anywhere near the airport, and worth a visit. Very nice to think that all these planes are in airworthy condition and do get flown! Pity the airport doesn't allow visitors to get in front of the hanger and get a taste of airport life - a small outside terrace serving food and drinks for passing visitors and pilots would be nice at SNA.

What a hidden gem near the Orange Co airport. Very reasonable price, no crowds, very knowledgeable docents, great exhibits. Whats not to to like

A jewel of Museum with World War II Era aircrafts sits across from the take offs and landings of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. The showpiece is a restored B-17 Flying Fortress with bomb bay doors opened. A B-25 like the ones used on the Dolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942 glims in its polished aluminum skin. The real wonder is the knowledgeable docents of the museum. George Emerson will fascinate you with his tale of surviving a midair collision of B-17s, capture, and internment as a POW complete with photos and documents.

My friend and I took her parents here and we really enjoyed it. The facility is very clean and all the planes and vehicles inside have been restored very well. There is a small movie theatre were you can watch a short film on the War; it was informative. Although this isn't a huge place with tons of things to see, the things that are there are really cool. There are old planes and military motorcycles as well as a few old cars, military vehicles, and Hitler's car. There are display cases inside which have various items from the war. This place is worth checking out and is right by the John Wayne Airport. We really enjoyed our time here.

This is a small, very neat and do-able museum. We spent 1.5 hours - 2 would do it completely. The planes, all of which are airworthy, are well situated and give an insight into aviation in World War 2. There is an interactive section where kids (and their parents and grandparents) can sit in a 1943 motorcycle, climb into a WW2 jeep, and "fly" a mock up cockpit. It is a fascinating piece of history, bringing WW2 to vivid reality.
There are several cars, including a touring car used by Hitler. On a much happier note, there is an old time California bakery delivery truck - bringing memories of those types of trucks from wherever you grew up - if you are of a certain age. We completed our visit with an excellent video about the Mustang and a particular pilot who flew many missions inWW2. An excellent opportunity for a multi-generational experience.

This is a wonderful, if small, collection of WWII-era aircraft and other vehicles, as well as a few cars and motorcycles. The planes are the star of the show, and they are beautifully maintained and presented so you can get next to, under, and around them. Docents are available to answer questions and provide additional information about the displays. The museum is located in a special hangar adjacent to John Wayne Airport and the view/sound of planes taking off and landing on the nearby runways just adds to the atmosphere. The museum also has a small theater. There are special events and some open cockpit days throughout the year so check before you visit. This place is a real treat, and piece of living history. The only caveat...since this attraction is in a hangar, it's not air conditioned, so it can get a bit warm on hot days.

The Lyon Museum is small compared to other air museums we have visited, but there are German vehicles and others that we have never seen and aircraft details and functions never explained before.
A huge surprise was Hitler's personal armored car in the exhibit. A bit disturbing but history can't be erased.
Our excellent free tour guide, Bob, explained features on the aircraft and vehicles that you would never know without a guide. Take advantage of the knowledgeable volunteers who will enhance your visit.
Admission was extremely reasonable and parking is easy.
If WWll history is one of your interests, this is a well worth the hour or two of your time

I will return next time around. Great collection and very helpful docents. The displays were awesome. Thank you!

This museum has a lot to view for it's size. We went on a Monday afternoon and it was empty other than one other couple. I must say, it's out of the way and if it wasn't for our GPS we probably would not have found it as we're not familiar with the area. But glad we did. It offers airplanes, motorcycles, jeeps and cars from times past. There are placards explaining the story behind each piece as well as a movie theatre as well. There are well versed docents to walk you around or feel free to view on your own. Free parking as well. I recommend visiting this museum - you won't be disappointed.

We were renting a car on our trip anyway, and the museum is at the airport, so this was an easy stop at the beginning of our trip. There are a few WWII aircraft that you can really get close to and examine. I've flown a B 25, and the one they have on display was a nice chance for me to show my wife details of the airplane. There are also several WWII era artifacts, trucks, vehicles, etc. Best of all, we were given a tour by someone who was a tail gunner on a B 17. He was able to point out specifics about the airplane (B 17 on display) and tell us about his experience when his plane was shot down over France, captured, and spend time in a POW camp in Germany.

I really enjoyed the Lyon Air Museum. It is spotlessly clean, in doors so great for those drizzly days when you don't want to be outside. Usually there is a plane open to the public or a "fly-in". Their website will tell you the schedule. They also have some military exhibits which my 12 year old student loved. There was one of Hitler's armor plated limousines. The big highlight for the 12-year old was to do the flight simulation from take-off to landing, The flight assistants were great with kids. Well worth a morning or afternoon excursion. Very kid and adult friendly.

Lots of very cool planes and vehicles with great historical significance. Not very big, but packed with interesting history and information!

All aircraft are beyond well maintained and in pristine condition! I was extremely delighted to see these aircraft as they should be presented as part of their rich aviation history. The entire museum reflects the pride in their collection and is a must see for anyone who comes to Southern California!

This small air museum is such a surprise. Good variety of air craft, jeeps and vintage autos. Fun place to take a family. Plus, little ones will enjoy watching aircraft at John Wayne Airport taking flight & landing.

If you have 30 - 60 minutes before/after a John Wayne Airport flight, sneak over the Lyon for a very informative and wonderful visit. Make a special effort to engage with the wonderful volunteers, many/most of whom served in the Air Force or are pilots themselves. They bring incredible information and stories to make your visit all the more special.

An added plus at this time is an exhibit of several vintage military and other vehicles. For price paid ($10 for seniors), this is a wonderful experience!

If you want to see an excellent B-17 or other WWII aircraft, this is a great collection of planes. I never heard of this place and my son saw it and I’m glad we came. Paul showed us around and gave us a great tour. I highly recommend it.

We visited in late April when staying with our daughter nearby. The museum has a collection of great airplanes as well as some wonderful cars. The special aspect, however, is the very warm welcome and the tour by knowledgeable and friendly guides - in our case we were fortunate to be accompanied by Chuck and Richard - their enthusiasm was infectious. It's not a large museum in comparison with some of the huge places these days but it has the space to display some iconic aircraft - in particular a flying fortress. My wife was not sure whether she'd enjoy it and loved the visit so we'd both recommend calling in there.

I have been to many a museum both for cars and for planes. This has been one of, if not the best.
I really really enjoyed my time here. It’s not overwhelming, but the collection of vehicles is just fantastic. Lots of good reading and learning as well. Highly recommend.

For anyone who has an interest in Aviation or WW2 history, this is a delightful museum. A warm welcome at the door, majestic aircraft, all in flying condition, and many other interesting exhibits laid out in a pristine hanger. Spend an hour or two, more if you want to study the smaller exhibits in detail, in a calm and charming space. Friendly volunteers will be pleased to share their first-hand experience of flying in the aircraft on show and tell you about their features and history.

Though there are exhibits for children, it's possibly not the best place for young kids, Older children will get an appreciation of the courage of those who flew these aircraft and fought for our freedom.

Easy to find with sat nav, tucked away in a corner of John Wayne airport, this is a gem of a museum and the custodians are to be congratulated. Entry charge at $12 or $9 for seniors is very reasonable considering the quality.

I give very few Excellent ratings to my reviews, but this museum is deserving. General William Lyon has put on display equipment that was used in WWII. Planes, trucks, motorcycles, bombers, transports all in working order. Docents are available to explain what you are seeing and offer personal and behind the scenes stories of great interest. Entrance fees are minimal. This is a museum that is well worth your time and one that its uniqueness may not be found anywhere else. If you found this review helpful, please tap the Thumbs Up tab below.

This museum was small but very interesting with a 45 minute movie about submarine life during WWII, along with airplanes, Jeeps, and motorcycles.

July 3, 2019. Just a quick walk around, having been here on several occasions, I know the displays. Sometimes something new catches your eye. Or, there is a figure stationed by an exhibit that can provide his own experience with the equipment and or time of the event. A pilot, crew member, or someone who has taken to flying historical aircraft. These, while airworthy, look so polished, so pristine, look like they belong in a Museum. So here they are.

Some great exhibits and bits of history. The most fun aspect of the museum, for kids anyway, is the interactive exhibits. We went on a day when one of the planes was open to walk into. Otherwise there is a car, a motorcycle, and a cockpit for them to pretend in. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, though the few teenagers they had there spent more time talking to each other and playing on their phones than helping kids safely enter and exit the open plane.

We accidently stumbled upon this museum when returning a rental car. We had time to kill so we went in and was pleasantly suprised. It's a great museum. Very clean and well organized. Lots of important WWII memorablilia. One of the docents was actually a pilot that was featured in one of the exhibits. You can tell that the exhibits are very important and a labor of love to the people involved with it. We were very sorry that we couldn't spend more time there.

This museum is at the John Wayne airport. Beautiful examples of planes flown in WWII and other vehicles from that period. Best part are the docents who are Veterans. They tell their stories making the museum come alive.

I share an interest in aircraft with my Father, a retired airline pilot and former bomber pilot for Strategic Air Command so when he and I had a chance, we spent some time over at the Lyon Air Museum. As others have mentioned, this is a small museum - basically one hanger off of John Wayne Airport - but the facility is great, the planes are well maintained, and the volunteers friendly and knowledgeable (especially when they find another retired Air Force pilot!). They have several planes my Dad flew as initial trainers so it was a bit of a walk down memory lane and they have a DC3 in American Airlines livery from the 1930's, which he appreciated. The hanger faces the runway and you can see the planes taking off as well!

Notes:
Parking - no issues, plenty of spaces as it's never crowded
Food - no restaurant but you're right off Bristol so there's places to eat very close by.
Facilities - clean restrooms.
Bring a camera and plan on spending about an hour or so.

My Father and I had a great time!

The Lyon Air Museum is a beautiful setting in a bright hanger across the runway from the SNA terminal. It features a beautiful collection of both peace time and war time machines of the 1930s, including some beautifully restored cars, motorcycles, jeeps and aircraft, all of which look like they are maintained in running condition. There are volunteers who are very knowledgeable about the stories behind the planes, that include 2 DC3s, one in paratrooper configuration and the other in commercial passenger configuration. There is also a B25 Mitchell and a B17 Superfortress that was used by Eisenhower and McArthur after the war. There is a great collection of war era motorcycles from the US, Germany, Russia, Japan and England, including some that belonged to Steve McQueen. The walls are full of displays, models and artifacts that tell the stories of WWII and General Lyon’s experiences. Best of all, the admission is a high value at $12.

Absolutely interesting exhibit of military hardware in great details. The volunteers explained in professional and vivid manner yo me, and I nearly thought I was at the warfront in English channel!
The museum tells the war history in comprehensive setting yet in detail in certain aspects － mainly about the airforce.

I had a couple of hours to kill at SNA so I went to the Lyon Air Museum. I'm an airforce brat so always love airplanes and their history. Well worth the visit and had an outstanding docent who took the time to walk with me the entire time.

Lyons air museum is hit in at John Wayne Airport. It is Mr. Lyons personal collection of World War II airplanes cars and memorabilia. Then one of Hitler's cars. 90 minutes to two hours was the perfect time for a visit

This is a must see for the aviation or automotive or WWII enthusiast. It may be small but the collection is amazing and contains some rare items. What impressed me most is that the airplanes are in working order with most still flying!

They have a number of vintage aircraft such as a B17 and B25 and DC3. You can also get up close compared to some museums.

We took our grand children to the museum. The docent was knowledgeable and informative. We viewed the exhibits and artifacts. The grandchildren even went on the sidecar motorcycle and the aircraft trainer. Everyone enjoyed the visit. Not a big cost and right next to the airport so you see planes taking off.

While my toddlers said wow upon entrance, they were quickly bored. There is a small area that is interactive but everything else had no touching signs. My husband and 13year old really enjoyed the personalized tour though. We were not able to get a cab to pick our group of 6 up to go to the airport after 30mins so I had to ask for 2 separate cabs.

We were not sure what to expect at this museum but we were surprised and would visit it again. They house WW2 Aircraft all of which fly. Helpful staff and interesting visit as the aircraft are nicely displayed. It is in the John Wayne Airport, Orange County where these aircraft fly out of.

The museum is in a 33000 foot hanger opposite the SNA airport terminal. There is no AC except in the small theatre but they had a hanger door cracked and it was fine. The place is spotlessly clean. All the planes are close to being able to fly. There was a lot of interesting info on wall displays as well. You can get right up close and touch the planes so if you like old mechanical things this is a good place for you. There are some interesting cars and motorcycles as well between all the planes. Most interesting was 1 of Hitler's Limousines. There is a lot of WW2 stuff but not all. The docents are knowlegeble and but leave you alone if you want. If you really want to look and appreciate everything you will need3 - 4 hours, maybe more. Restrooms were spotless. Family and handicapped friendly. Adequate parking outside. The $12 was well worth it.

Good place to visit in Orange County, California. The volunteers are very nice and helpful! I recommend.

The Lyon Air Museum was founded by Maj Gen William Lyon, USAF [Ret]. Gen Lyon later founded William Lyon Homes, and several other business enterprises. It is located on the west side of John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.

I am really impressed with this museum. The hangar is immaculate. It is clean and bright. And while you should always look where you are going, it is easy to move about. And while they do not encourage touching, you really can get close enough to get a good look at all of the specimens.

The museum has aircraft, motor vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles. There are also encased displays which are very well organized. There are docents available to show you around. The most impressive thing is that all of the vehicles are operational. I raise this point because I have been to many air museums where there is a mix of working machines, specimens which are cosmetically restored—but do not work, and aircraft which are unrestored, “bone yard” hulks. This is not the case here.

The museum is not too big; not too small. I was there for about 1 hour: 30 minutes with the docent providing a guided tour, and 30 minutes on my own to look at the displays on my own. The museum has a really nice website which provides a lot of information above and beyond basic directions and admission information.

I think this may be a hidden gem. It is a must go for history buffs and aviation fans.

Reluctantly I visited the museum, but was quickly turned into a photo snapping enthusiast. This is a treasure trove of aircraft and car/motorbike wartime history. A stunning collection of top notch maintained cars had us both intrigued.

The cinema showed interesting educating wartime video clips. Friendly staff.

The museum has many interesting exhibits, though I have seen better aerospace and auto displays. It is not worth $13 for admission. They may have a Groupon offer. Disturbing was the glorification of Nazi memorabilia (car, motorcycle, etc.). I could understand the desire to show items captured from the enemy, but the restoration and "bragging" about possession of such memorabilia left us feeling very uncomfortable.

This site is clean, organized, well labeled, interesting and informative. It has airplanes and automobiles from WWII and more recent. A very nice stop for people of all ages, but there is a portion that is "interactive" for the kids and therefore they love it the most. It is adjacent to the airport and you witness take offs and landings, live.

Interesting collection of WWII military aircraft and vehicles. A tribute to the men and women who "saved the world for Democracy" in the '40s.

We visited the museum in May 2014. Its across from John Wayne Airport. Cool little museum with a lot of history. They have a few war birds from back in the day and a little movie theater inside too to watch a mini movie about the museum and the history of the airplanes. Although it says Air museum they have cars as well as motorbikes from the world wars. There is a fee to get in but worth it. Parking is free. You can also see the airplanes take off and land at John Wayne from inside the museum. There is no food to purchase here or vending machines for drinks. The museum is well run and the people working there are more than happy to help answer any questions you may have. Cool place for the family to spend a few hours learning the history of our country.

My husband and I don't exchange Christmas gifts. But when I saw the Tripadvisor special on the Lyons Air Museum, I just had to buy it for my husband. The half-off price was very enticing too. He loves airplanes and airplane history/war memorabilia which the Lyons Museum is filled with. You can easily spend an hour or more there. Surprise someone who is fascinated by planes and war history. It's an interesting museum tucked away at the end of the OC Airport.

I will start off by saying that this museum is very small. However, the depth of your experience will largely depend on what you put in to your visit! If all you want is to take a bunch of pictures of lots of old aircraft, then this museum will probably not be for you.

However, if you are willing to read the informational plaques, watch the educational videos, and spend time with a guide...you could easily spend three hours here. My docent (Mr. Ermerson) was an amazing man and a WWII veteran. I spent almost one hour with him, listening to his stories and looking through his picture book. That alone was worth the price of admission!

The Good:
The aircraft are all in great shape and so impressive to see!. Additionally, there are some amazing WWII era vehicles, and an impressive collection of motorcycles (Indians, BMW's, and even a Japanese Rikuo). There is also a very impressive 1939 BMW G4!

The Bad:
There are only six aircraft, and you are not allowed to enter any of them. The reason is because they are all in flyable condition. Still, I always feel that museums come alive when there are hands on exhibits. This museum is definitely a "look, but do not touch" approach.

Conclusion:
I would recommend this museum to anyone! Just be advised that children may not find it as appealing because of the lack of interactive exhibits. However, for those interested in WWII history, plan time to speak with a guide during your stay. You won't regret it!

Bonus:
The museum offers a nice discount for military veterans!

Lots of things to explore all around. Even aircraft that were still flyable. The people were very nice, and there was a lot of helpful information. From maps of the battles and strikes of WWII, to details on the cars at the museum. I recommend it to everyone who has some time near the airport.

A step back into WWII military battle. Not only are there U.S. planes but there are vehicles from Japan and Germany. If you appreciate items from this episode in history, you will completely enjoy your experience.

This museum close to the John Wayne airport is both educational and entertaining. Cost is very reasonable and the museum is open daily except for Christmas and one other day. For World War ll buffs it is a must; for everyone else it is an unforgettable opportunity to see fabulous airplanes, motor vehicles and a short documentary about the air war of that war. Our teenage grandsons loved all the classic planes and cars, one of which was made for Adolph Hitler! Don't miss this place when you visit Orange County. Wear comfortable shoes and if it is summer wear shorts and short sleeved shirts because there is no air conditioning and it gets very warm. The space is open and expansive - a former hangar. Parking is convenient.

Our favorite time to go is on a weekday when there are few people.

Where else can you walk right up to actual WWII airplanes, cars and motorcycles in running condition? The respect General Lyon has for keeping these incredible pieces of our history in tip-top condition is a testament to his patriotism. The displays are spectacular and the venue first-rate. Do not miss it.

There really something for everyone. I had been wanting to go to this museum for a while, so this past weekend we finally did. My wife and Son really enjoyed it, I am a B-17 nut so I like to see Fuddy Duddy up close. My son enjoyed the kids area where they can hop inside a cockpit, sit on top of a Nazi motorcycle with side car, Dodge WWII truck and put on a WWII helmet. You also can stand and watch planes take off and land across the way at SNA. Overall a very clean modern museum friendly staff and easy free parking.

Impressed that several of these planes are still flown. WWII footage in a small theatre, and typical of Lyons cars, several very nice, significant specimens (Open up that collection, heirs!). Can see everything in 2 hours - I missed the knowledgable docents others mention; they seemed entirely absent during my visit, thus explanations limited to the also limited signing. Still nice to see these aircraft up close.

I sort of stumbled upon this place but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the exhibit. It's small and tough to find but I say if you are anywhere near then come on by.

If you want to see the planes the Greatest Generation produced and went to war with, this is your museum. You can get get up close and personal to awesome aircraft like the B-17. Stick you head in the bomb bay and imagine it filled with munitions. The collection also includes jeeps, half tracks, motorcycles and other modes of transportation dating back to WWII. Various civilian cars of the era, including race cars, are also on display.

This is the type of place I would normally drive past, so when I realised we were going there for dinner I was unsure I would like it. I was wrong. The collection is amazing and the history of the planes and cars was well told and really made me strop and think. There was something particularly powerful about sitting among the planes for dinner. Delicious food and great music.

We visited when there was a Dusenberg exhibit. The Dusenburg exhibit was great. The normal exhibits were nice but very few to see considering admission was $12 each. It looks like there is 20 cars/planes that are normally there. The building is very nice but the displays are weak.

You should not miss this place, every plane and auto has a great history, all of them are waiting for you to discover it. There are plenty of knowledgeable people who can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about these wonderful exhibits. As well as having a free movie theater too. The movie is very informative. It is worth watching. You will not be disappointed.

I was planning on going to the Lyon Air museum during my trip to visit my son. To our surprise, we heard and saw the B-17 and B-24 fly over.
We went to the museum and really enjoyed the aircraft, cars, motorcycles, and period pieces. Everything was so clean , well layed out ,and enjoyable. We spent as much time looking over the indoor displays as we did the Collings collection outside.

The Lyon Air Museum is a terrific museum! Its small, but it packs a huge punch. It has a number of WWII aircraft and automobiles, and ALL are in flying / driving condition. The amount of history in that building is amazing. In addition to the planes and vehicles, there are a number of displays around the building with a lot ot historic documents and artifacts. If you are in the Irvine/Santa Ana / Orange County of Southern California, I would highly recommend a visit!

I was in Santa Ana, CA over the weekend and needed something to do. So, I chose to spend some time here. The aircraft were nicely restored and so were the vintage vehicles and motor cycles. You can spend and hour or two here, depending on how much you like to read.
The vehicle that I was impressed with the most was a car that Hitler was said to once stand in as he visited where ever. You have to see it to believe it. If you like aviation of any kind, take this some time to visit the museum. It's at the John Wayne Airport, on the opposite side of the terminals. With GPS, it is easy to get to too. Admission is cheap and there is a senior discount. You'll enjoy.

While this museum is small, it is filled with planes and automobiles from the 1930's and 1940's. The docents are very knowledgeable and willing to spend as time with you talking about WWII and airplanes on display and about the Allies and Axis powers. Well worth a few hours to a half a day.

This museum is small but extremely well kept. The exhibits are extremely well maintained. Great placement and very good displays of memorabilia. Recommend this place

Nice little museum , grand kids(7 yrs old) allowed to sit in US military jeeps and motorbikes, very nice old cars were roped off to protect from kids, helpful staff

Have known about Lyon Air Museum for years from many flights out of John Wayne and seeing them from the terminal. I finally made the decision to visit them and scored a Groupon discount as well. The museum is primarily a single hangar stuffed full of airplanes and some vehicles. All are in pristine condition and all of the airplanes are in flyable condition. Will definitely spend some more time here..!!

Located near the John Wayne Airport, this museum is an aircraft hangar with some magnificent specimens of World War II aircraft including a B-17 and a B-25. There are other military vehicles as well as some vintage automobiles.There are several large maps on the walls showing air operation theaters from World War II along with several displays of interest. There is a good amount of free parking available right outside the entrance. The is a great place to spend a couple of hours, especially if you are interested in World War II history. When I went, there was a docent available for further information.

My family had been here before an recommended this Museum to us both. The hanger was spotlessly clean the aircraft's on display were just gleaming, also the fact that all the aircraft were airworthy and could fly at any time. Information was given by each exhibit which was very informative and there was also volunteers to help at any time. It was vert hot when we went no AC but the hanger door was opened which did help. Because the hanger is right next to the run way at John Wayne you can see all the aircraft movements as well. It is only a small exhibition but well worth the visit.

Tucked away at the back of the Santa Ana Airport...and you best trust your GPS, is this very nice private museum found by Major General William Lyon. The planes, vehicles, and other display pieces are absolutely pristine in their presentation. Each of the aircraft we saw on our visit was totally operable and many had either been in recent area air shows or in feature films. The docents are extremely friendly and thoroughly knowledgeable. This museum is a very pleasant step back in time and you get a real hands on experience. Do not pass this by.

I have attended and photographed events at this venue and it is a stunning location! It can get very warm in the summer, be aware, but luckily SoCal weather is perfect 99% of the time.

Great family event! Planes and artifacts are amazing. The docents and volunteers make this museum so much more than just a bunch of hardware. The kids love watching planes takeoff just outside at John Wayne. Been there three times now. Check it out!

Attended as part of an aircraft display (I’m a pilot considering the purchase of a plane) and had a chance to walk the floor of the museum. Wish I had known it was here long ago.....what a treat!
They have a B-17, C-47, A-26 and DC-3 on display and have done an incredible job of refurbishing them. They also have a Daimler German staff car and several other interesting pieces from the war years.....
Worth the price of admission, and if you have any connection to those planes (my wife’s dad flew in the ‘17, and was a nav in ‘47 as a candy bomber), you’ll be lost for an afternoon, maybe more!

Took my dad here for Father's Day as a surprise and met up with some of his friends and their families that we had not seen for years. It was an amazing exhibit and visit with friends. We spent several hours and were fascinated every moment.
Highly recommended.

A great place to view some vintage aircraft, cars, and motorcycles. It is very clean. It is a great place for kids. Most of the items on display are operational and fly at airshows.

This is a great little museum, featuring planes, motorcycles and cars of the WWII era. Not so big you can't view it in an hour or two, but very interesting pieces in the collection, including a Mercedes Benz owned by Adolf Hitler and a motorcycle owned by Steve McQueen. We went with 2 couples and had a great time. This place is right next to Orange County Airport. Look for a docent if you have questions, they are friendly and knowledgeable. Price is reasonable too, about 12 bucks to get in, discounts for vets, children and seniors.

Flying into John Wayne airport, this is a great stop before heading out to a hotel. I strongly recommend this museum. If you like planes or cars, don't miss this. The planes and cars are in incredible shape - all in working order. We spent hours walking around with the docent, and on our own. We also stopped at the theater and watched the movie Gray Eagles about a P51 pilot who was rejoined with his plane in 2007.

What a fantastic collection of history this person has saved for us all to learn and enjoy. Try to get a docent if possible.

If you like the classic WWII era planes and pre WWII automobiles this little air museum is worth a visit.

For any aeronautical buff or anyone interested in WW II memorabilia, this is the place to visit. Located on the John Wayne (Santa Ana) Airport property in Orange County CA, this great attraction has many airplanes and ground vehicles, including one of Hitler's armored limousines. A special feature of the museum is the fantastic group of docents that are WW II veterans. This group of the "Greatest Generation" can tell you amazing stories of their exploits, as well as the history and features of the aircraft and other memorabilia on display. For example, one docent piloted a glider into Normandy on D-Day and survived without a scratch. Another tail-gunner on a bomber was shot down, ejected from his place in the rear of the plane, and was captured and sent to a German POW camp. A plane similar to his is on display as he walks through his story. Great time with amazing vets!

Nice place to visit and they hold regular events here. The planes are fun to view, there are also old cars and military artifacts.

Educational and great for plane or military buffs. Be sure to check out the theater for some wonderful old film clips!

Awesome airplanes and cars, like Hitler's convertible and other classics. They have many special events that make this museum even better, like in May they have the WWII planes, and you can even pay to fly on an old bomber, check their website for events.

Smaller museum with vintage cars, motorcycles and aircraft. Even a small theatre to watch a short aviation film (loops around). This museum rents out space for events, we went on a Saturday around 2:00pm and they were setting up tables for an event which blocked photos I wanted to take. Second level upstairs remedied some of that, but would recommend phoning in advance or going at an earlier time to avoid banquet tables being set up in your way.

Went to all four museums in the area. In order of preference: Planes of Fame, March Airfield, Yanks Air Museum, Lyon Air Museum. Please see our other reviews for these museums.

If you love history and vintage planes this is a place to see. The smell from the oil that still comes from the planes it not that great but otherwise very interesting

I discovered this treasure after hearing...then seeing, a B-17 Flying Fortress with a yellow tail, flying over Orange County one day. After a few minutes of searching on the internet, I found that the WWII bomber "Fuddy Duddy" was part of the exhibit at Lyon Air Museum at John Wayne Airport.

Having not been previously aware of this museum, I visited shortly thereafter with my family, and truly enjoyed it. From what I remember, there were about a dozen or so aircraft(mainly WWII era), a handful of classic automobiles from the same time period, and military vehicles as well.

What made it truly worthwhile, however, was listening to the docents perspective and insights. As far as I could tell, they were all WWII vets, and had firsthand experience with the aircraft on display. Truly memorable.

Walk under the wings of aircraft of the second war..see Hitler's jeep. Beautifully maintained planes and cars. This museum is a must see destination for history buffs, car or plane hobbyist. Great location..looking out at small planes landing john wayne airport.

My wife and I, although not really into avionics and war museums, saw this highly rated attraction on Trip Advisor and decided to attend.

The Lyon Air Museum is somewhat tucked away but was not too hard to get to. It cost $12 each as adults and we were warmly greated by "Bill" (deconter) who took us on a highly informative tour. Bill was very friendly and added greatly to our experience.

The exhibits were simply stunning (and all in working order) including, a "flying fortress", two DC3s, Hitler's armoured car, German WWII sidecars, and even two motorcycles once owned by Steve McQueen.

You really need to visit if you have the time.

Located next to the John Wayne Airport, this museum has historic aircraft from World War 2, and one from the Vietnam War, as well as vehicles including Dusenbergs and motorcycles. While visiting, we almost had the place to ourselves. We were given a tour from our docent, Tom, who gave us countless stories about the aircraft and vehicles. There is a B-17 Flying Fortress that was the private transport of both Eisenhower and MacArthur during the Pacific Theater. There was an A-26 Invader that was owned by Howard Hughes. My favorite was the C-47 Skytrain, with the jump-door open, and a paratrooper inside. (My grandfather was a paratrooper in World War 2, so this plane had a special place in my heart.)
Our docent Tom showed us every aspect about the various planes, and story after story about them. He had a great story about DC-3 Airliner, and how, back in the early 50's, flying was such a glamour filled event...until you hit strong turbulence, and the glamour was taken away by the passenger next to you utilizing a barf bag!
The museum also has exhibits that show the different aspects of military pilot life, the best of which was a wedding dress made from a parachute that saved the groom's life. (Tom's telling was very touching and heartwarming.)
The cost to visit the museum is affordable for families, and it helps if you are a fan of aircraft and World War 2 history. The museum is housed within one hanger, and does have an upper level viewing area to see the planes. The restrooms are immaculate, and there are even a few souvenirs, which are all reasonably priced. There is no food available. (It is a museum after all.) There is free entertainment with the jets landing and taking off at John Wayne Airport. (The museum hanger is on the tarmac of the airport.) The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, and as said before, our docent Tom was very entertaining.

I don’t know much about airplanes, but I enjoy seeing unusual things. So I enjoy little museums like this, where I can get a little exposure to something and learn a thing or two. The place is small, but it has a lot of interesting exhibits. It’s definitely worth a look if you are in the area with some time to kill.

One of the best things about little museums like this is you can often get some fascinating first-hand information from a friendly docent who knows a lot about the history and background of the exhibits. That’s a wonderful way to get all the information you want. The only drawback is that frequently the docent’s interest in the topic far exceeds my interest.

Unfortunately, that means I’m often done listening long before they are done talking. Don’t get me wrong, I REALLY appreciate that these exceptionally-nice people volunteer their time to share their knowledge! I really do! And I’m glad they are there! It’s just that I sometimes I would rather have the 2-minute version of the half hour story they are telling. I wouldn’t want to miss out on their commentary entirely, but occasionally I wish there was a “fast-forward” or “skip to the next topic” button.

I have the highest respect for the docents, and I never want to be rude. But I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of faking a trip to the bathroom in order to ditch-the-docent, so I could continue my tour at a faster pace that better matches my level of interest.

This museum is in a hangar on the back side of the John Wayne Airport, but so worth the time to find it and visit! I love that they have special parking for our Military Veterans too! When you first enter the museum, you are greeted by warm and friendly personnel, and the docents there are so knowledgable and friendly! They will take you on a tour of the museum, fill you in on all the attractions there and then you can wander around on your own and take lots of photos! Major General William Lyon wanted to preserve history, and he did just that! What an extremely great place to visit with all kinds of military history from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Step back in time and look into the belly of a B-25 with bombs inside! Although they are "dummy bombs", you can only imagine what the men who flew that plane must have been thinking. Step up the Birddog plane and know that these little planes put themselves into harms way looking for the enemy and then sending off white smoke once the enemy way found. Or you can even walk up to Hitler's armored car! How about seeing 3 of actor Steve McQueen's motorcycles! History! History! History! I would suggest coming early because you will need a lot of time to walk the entire museum! Although the museum is not large by most museum standards, it is packed with history along all the walls, in cases along the walls, videos and there is even a movie theater located inside the museum! You can watch a movie in this theater that has the actual Flying Fortress from the museum, in the movie!!! You can see things from World War II Pilots, a Kamikazee pilot uniform, to a war brides dress made from her future husband's parachute that he brought home from the war. As the docent said, they never wasted good silk! So much to see, so much history to learn and absorb, what a wonderful way to spend the day! This museum is so packed with historical pieces that you feel as though you are transported back in time.

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT AND WAR BIRDS. Great displays including race cars, vintage motor cycles, and rare military vehicles. some interactive.
Easy access and parking.

An eclectic collection of aircraft spanning almost the whole history of aviation, as well as a few ground vehicles, including Hitler's own Mercedes. Easy access, easy parking. Good for a couple of hours.

Although this is a smaller museum it's very much worth the visit and the price of admission. Considering everything is from a private collection, and all of the vintage airplanes are operational the presentation is top notch. Highlights include a B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell, and excellent presentation of a C-3 transport, and finally a 1937 Mercedes-Benz touring car used by Adolf Hitler when he entered Poland in 1939.
Many interesting displays and personal stories of honored and decorated vets. Small movie theatre on site. Definately recommended.

Very educational and fascinating for those interested in WWII.
Be sure you get a docent to give you a free tour. They are volunteers and bring the planes and vehicles to life. Also get a groupon ticket- 4 of us paid $27 total verses $24 each. Allow 2 hours. You will find out the origin of the terms "that's a duzy" and "the whole 9 yards". We waited too long and didn't have time to see the movie before closing so arrive close to 1:00 pm or head right to the movie after the tour to get it all in. Enjoyable!

A delightful surprise. Spacious, spotlessly clean hangar filled with beautifully displayed WW2 aircraft and motor vehicles. Volunteer hosts, all of whom are former pilots, stand ready to answer any questions you may have. They are extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Great for kids. Our 10 year old granddaughter loved it. Able to climb on static displays, which made for memorable photos. Great film clip in onsite theater of these aircraft flying in WW2. Gives you a greater appreciation of the sacrifices made by thousands to provide us the peace and prosperity we now enjoy. A definite must stop if you are vacationing in the area. You will not be disappointed.

This museum is fairly new and unknown to many people, even the locals. We've gone there a couple of times. Great little place for history buffs and engine lovers. Beautiful displays and interesting history narrations. A must go place when they have special events. We went there on Mother's Day to see the Flight Experience show; i.e., people spending $$$$$ for 30 minute rides in WWII aircrafts! The general public were permitted to look inside the planes afterward. Very cool! I recommend this place for fathers, uncles, and grandfathers. Would be nice if there are more comfortable seating throughout the building, and snacks and drinks outside. No food! :(

So I had seen this small museum when taking off from Orange County airport and thought it might be worth checking out for 30min. I was wrong - we spent two hours there and could have stayed longer, it is small but packed with great planes, old WW2 bikes and even Hitlers old Limo.
Very well done and worth a visit

What a great place to visit. While traveling on business I had some time to kill and visited this little museum located by the John Wayne Airport. Loaded with WWII US
aircraft and some great German pieces too. All are kept operational
Highly recommend this for solo or families
Well worth a couple hours of time

was a bit disapointed here , just one hanger with a few airplanes and some miltary vehicles (including hitlers car) and some random 50s cars

was done in well under an hour , so not great value at all

what they do have there is all in very nice condition , and the hanger is very clean too

the guides struggled with answering my questions , they seem to have a script to chant out and thats it , the girl on the front reception was rude too

id say check out the other air museums in socal first , they have a massive selection of airplans to look at and can chat about what they have in detail

The Lyon Air Museum located at The John Wayne International Airport in California features an excellent collection of stunning World War ll aircraft, vintage autos,motorcycles and memorabilia.The museum was the personal collection of Mr.William Lyon.
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The Lyon Air Museum is heavily focused on WW II era planes along with related land vehicles. If it were called the Lyon WW II Museum I would have given it 5 points, because then my expectations would have been different. Still, great place to see some awesome planes.

One of the most impressive aspects of the museum is that the planes are apparently all air worthy. The selection of planes is impressive too, and after spending a good deal of time checking out the B-17 I am even more impressed and grateful to the people who flew them or in them. I appreciate the displays being somewhat open (you can't get in them, but doors, hatches, bomb bay doors, etc are usually open so you can get a good look inside.

The facility itself is beautiful, a little hard to find, but right next to (or technically on) John Wayne airport. The fly planes at various times and I wish they provided more information on when they planned to fly what, because I would plan special trips to see some of the planes fly. I was also a little disappointed at the lack of a real book store/gift shop, they may be missing a revenue stream there.

My only other minor complaint was I had trouble finding the information on several planes. I could eventually find it for all but the "Texan" but sometimes it felt like a treasure hunt.

If you do go, be sure to seek out a volunteer docent. We talked to two, and they both had such interesting information to share and you can feel their passion for the planes.

I went to the Lyon Air Museum and as a pilot I enjoyed it.
My friend, not a pilot also enjoyed the trip.
Nice old planes in great shape
I went to the Lyon Air Museum and as a pilot I enjoyed it.
My friend, not a pilot also enjoyed the trip.
Nice old planes in great shape

A must see for all aviation lovers. Excellent WWII B-17 and B-25 that are actually still air worthy.

It is not huge but they have the planes well displayed with information about each plane. It is all indoors so you can visit anytime of the year. The vintage vehicles are beautifully restored. I highly recommend a visit.

The MTFCA (Model T Ford Club of America) visited there on a tour . There are planes & old cars . It would have been nice if there were more places to sit & rest after walking around this huge museum . Guys were more interested in it then the ladies .