War Eagles Air Museum is an aerospace and automotive museum with several exhibits. It is located at Doña Ana County International Jetport in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.[1]
Location within New Mexico | |
Established | 13 September 1989 |
---|---|
Location | Santa Teresa, New Mexico |
Coordinates | 31°52′34″N 106°42′04″W / 31.876°N 106.701°W |
Type | Aviation museum |
Founder |
|
Website | www |
The museum was established by West Texas engineer, rancher and oilman John T. MacGuire and his wife Betty MacGuire. As pilots, they began collecting warbirds after encountering them in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1979.[2] As the collection grew, they looked for a place to build a museum to display their collection. After considering several options such as Las Cruces, New Mexico and Reno, Nevada, John decided to build the museum closer to their home near the Doña Ana County International Airport.[citation needed] The 54,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) facility unofficially opened to the public on 13 September 1989.[3][2] Shortly after opening, the museum purchased a Tupolev Tu-2 from China.[4]
The museum completed a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) expansion in 1996.[5][6]