One of the Oregon Coast’s biggest landmarks is getting ready to let visitors back inside. Tillamook Air Museum has announced an October 29 reopening after a storm forced it to close for roughly ten months. Doors are scheduled to open at 10 a.m. that Thursday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. for the return. For anyone who has driven past the enormous wooden hangar and wondered when the museum would be back, there is finally a date to put on the calendar.

The reopening is coming together through work by museum staff, volunteers, and a new nonprofit owner. Long-term repair and preservation work on Hangar B will continue after visitors return. The museum says work on the storm-damaged roof is continuing alongside preparations for visitors. October 29 is the announced return of public access, with more work still ahead.

Nearly 80 volunteers helped get the museum ready

In an October 13 update published by the Tillamook County Pioneer, the museum reported that nearly 80 volunteers joined a work evening on October 9. They moved aircraft, cleaned exhibits, helped prepare the gift shop, and took on other jobs needed before reopening. The update also thanked local organizations and businesses for food, drinks, and electrical help. That work is helping turn a ten-month closure into a welcome-back day for the community.

For a museum housed in a structure this large, preparing to welcome people back involves both the collection and the space around it. Aircraft and exhibits need to be returned and arranged, while visitor areas have to be ready for use. The museum has described restoring the experience people knew before the closure as its first priority. Further improvements and additional things to see are part of the plans that follow.

A nonprofit owner is taking on an enormous building

The Port of Tillamook Bay announced in August that commissioners had approved a term sheet covering a land lease and the future sale of Hangar B to Vintage Aviation Museum. The Utah-based organization is a nonprofit devoted to preserving aircraft and aviation history. The museum’s later reopening announcement describes Hangar B and the museum as now under the nonprofit’s ownership. The Tillamook Air Museum name is staying.

Vintage Aviation Museum has also outlined plans to move much of its aircraft collection to Tillamook and make broader use of the hangar. Those are future plans, rather than a list of aircraft guaranteed to be on display on opening day. For now, the clearest promise is the announced reopening and the work to restore the existing museum experience. Anyone hoping to see a particular aircraft should check with the museum before making it the reason for a trip.

Preserving the building is a substantial part of that undertaking. Hangar B is not simply a convenient roof over a collection; it is an important aviation artifact itself. The new operator’s plans include continued repair and long-term care for the World War II structure. Visitors will be returning to a museum whose largest piece of history surrounds the rest of its exhibits.

The hangar was built for Navy airships

Naval Air Station Tillamook was commissioned in December 1942, during World War II. Its wooden hangars housed K-class airships used for coastal patrol and convoy escort. Hangar B was completed in August 1943, and the air station later closed permanently in 1948. The aircraft and equipment displayed here are only part of the reason aviation history has a home on this stretch of the coast.

The scale is difficult to appreciate from the highway. The museum lists Hangar B at 1,072 feet long, 296 feet wide, and 192 feet high, enclosing more than seven acres. Its timber roof rises over a floor intended for aircraft far larger than an ordinary small plane. Photographs help, but the building’s relationship to a person or an aircraft is what makes those dimensions easier to grasp.

Our earlier Tillamook Air Museum feature takes a longer look at the attraction and its history. This new reopening announcement gives returning visitors a reason to revisit those plans. Keep the older photographs and exhibit descriptions in their date context, since collections and layouts can change. The images in this article also predate the storm and are labeled accordingly.

What to know before the October 29 reopening

Tillamook Air Museum is at 6030 Hangar Road near Tillamook Municipal Airport, south of the city. The announced opening-day schedule is 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026. Its posted winter schedule is Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check the official visitor information before leaving, since the reopening preparations and future hours may change.

Current posted admission is $15 for general entry, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $9.50 for youths ages 7 through 17, and $5.50 for children ages 2 through 6. A military rate is also listed, along with annual-pass options. Check the full terms for your group rather than assuming a discount from another museum applies here. The museum specifically says it does not offer several common reciprocal or membership-program discounts.

Dress for a large hangar in coastal fall weather. The museum advises visitors to treat the space like an outdoor activity when choosing clothing, so a warm layer is a sensible addition even though the exhibits are under a roof. Service animals are the only animals permitted inside. For the rest of the trip, our Oregon Coast guide can help you plan nearby stops, and the Oregon Events page has more seasonal outings.

For now, the day to watch is October 29. Confirm the museum’s latest announcement before making the drive, particularly if you are arranging a group outing or traveling a long distance. The reopening-day extension to 7 p.m. gives visitors more time than the posted regular winter hours. Arrive with a layer, some room in the afternoon, and time to look up at the building that made the museum possible.