Luxury Cars in New York / Full Size Van Rentals and the Cradle of Aviation Museum
The Cradle of Aviation Museum documents the history of aviation on Long Island and in the United States. Long Island has played an important role in the development and growth of aviation. Located in Garden City, it is easy to get to from New York City with a Van Rental.
There are many exhibits that will take you through the history of aviation once you arrive with your Van Rental. What was once a sport has tuned into a major mode of transportation, taking people all over the world in hours rather than months. Exhibits include:
- A Dream of Wings - explores the dreams of people to fly until they were finally able to in the 18th century with balloons. The aircraft was designed through experiments in shape, source of propulsion, and control that happened all over the world, including on Long Island.
- The Hempstead Plains - in the first decade of flight, there were many brave people who fly very strange machines. By 1909 there were flights being conducted on the Hempstead Plains.
- World War One - Long Island was home to one of the most important flying fields in America during the war, training hundreds of aviators.
- The Golden Age - the age when flying really came into being. There was huge progress with technology that made the activity much less dangerous and even started to dabble in the commercial uses of flying.
- World War Two - once again Long Island was an important center for military activity when it came to aircraft.
- The Jet Age - at the end of the war the jet age began, when commercial airfields began to pop up all over Long Island.
- Space Exploration - people began to explore beyond our plant into the solar system with the technology that was emerging. Space was the new frontier after we were able to get people to fly.
- Contemporary Aviation - with one out of six people flying in the world, this exhibit explores what it is like to fly today.
- and more.
Important Information
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. They are normally closed on Mondays, except holiday Mondays and school breaks. There is an IMAX Theater there, with new films all the time. The films run for about 40-50 minutes each. Admission to the museum is $9 for adults and $8 for children. IMAX admission is $8.50 for adults and $6.50 for children. There is a discounted rate for the two tickets purchased together. If you do not want to take your Van Rental, there are a number of buses that stop several blocks from the museum. Or there is the train to Garden City, Mineola, and Westbury that will take you close.
Directions
If you prefer to take your Van Rental, it is not hard to get to the museum.
If you are coming from the south with your Van Rental, take the Meadowbrook Parkway north to exit M4. Follow signs to the Nassau Coliseum which will put you on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, stay on this road to the second traffic light and turn right into the parking lot.
If you are coming from the north in your Van Rental, take the Meadowbrook Parkway south to exit M4. Start following signs to Nassau Coliseum. After about a 1/4 mile, take the right fork to Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, remain on it to the second traffic light and turn right into the parking lot.
