United States Government Museum in Minneapolis, MN is a non-profit company whose purpose is to alert the community about the Minnesota Air National Guard units as well as educating them on the history of the units. It is also referred to as Minnesota Air Guard Museum, which is kept going by through the help of the Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation. The Minnesota Air Guard Museum is also the authorized and designated Unites State Air Force Air Park for the 133rd Airlift Wing. The museum was started by a small group of women and men interested and dedicated to instilling the importance of their aviation department to the public as well as preserving the heritage throughout the years.
The Minnesota Air Guard Museum has quite an aviation collection including a JN J4 named Jenny, an A-12 named Blackbird and a P-51 called Mustang along with many military aircraft that goes back to the 1920s. They also have many artifacts from numerous conflicts stemming back to World War I.
There are many tours available for the public as well as it being a great spot for educational and learning fun. Although there is no cost to enter the museum, they do appreciate any donations they receive, as it is quite costly to keep the museum operating. This museum is a source of pride to the community and the residents of Minnesota. It's a constant reminder of the valor and honor of the military and the aircraft they operated.
When they first began the work on the museum buildings in 1983, it was started on the North Bay of the old hangers in the same spot the Northrop F-89 Scorpions would be waiting for enemy aircraft to show up. When the museum was completed, the first two pieces put on display were the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and the North American P-51 Mustang. They got the Skytrain from the Air Force.
