Just outside Tucson in the picturesque Sonoran Desert lies the largest non-government funded aerospace museum in the world. Opened in 1976 with just 75 airplanes, the Pima Air & Space Museum has grown to include over 275 vintage aircraft and spacecraft, with everything from nimble fighter jets and attack helicopters to twin-engine jet airliners like the Douglas C-9B Skytrain II. In addition to the aircraft, which are divided between five hangars and on display outside as well, visitors can drop by an authentic World War II barracks, a space gallery with a training version of an Apollo space capsule, and the 390th Memorial Museum, which features a fully restored B17 G "Flying Fortress," an impressive airplane if there ever was one. If you still haven't gotten your fill of flying machines after an hour or two at the museum, board a bus for a tour of the Boneyard, an Air Force storage and maintenance facility that takes care of more than 4,400 aircraft. The sheer scale of it all boggles the mind. Guests at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites or any of Starwood's Tucson properties might enjoy a visit to this sprawling tribute to the miracle of flight.
