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Kelch Aviation Museum

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FAQ

What are your hours?

We are open 10am to 4pm, Wednesday through Sunday. We are closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Museum admission is always free.

A $10 donation is appreciated, however – we are 100% funded through donations. Tours, special events, and workshops may have a cost, but we do provide a sliding scale.

Yes. All our public areas are accessible for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers.

We are delighted to offer specialty tours tailored to different needs & abilities. Previous groups have included the WI School for the Deaf, Madison Area Network of Amputees, and special needs guests of all ages. Please contact us if there is anything we can do to make your visit smoother.

What is the Golden Age of Aviation?

The era between the World Wars, roughly 1920 to 1940, were a time of incredible developments in US civil aviation:

• Celebrities and national heroes like Charles Lindbergh and Wiley Post popularized aviation, which took culture by storm and inspired a generation, in spite of the hardships of the Great Depression.
• Airmail, launched in 1918, changed the way we think about travel and communication, spurred airport infrastructure still used today, set the groundwork for all aviation navigation, and drove design improvements.
• Air races thrilled the nation and pushed aircraft design to the limits, fueling innovation and discovery.

Learn about all this and more at the Kelch Aviation Museum!

It’s a town of 3500 in rural Wisconsin. How the heck did a world-class, super-specific museum end up HERE?!

In 1946, WWII veteran Bill Earleywine came home to Brodhead and turned a farmer’s field into an airport.

In the 1970s, a group of local aviation enthusiasts, mostly blue-collar Wisconsonites, banded together to purchase the airport and ensure it would remain a public-access haven for vintage aviation forever. Brodhead Airport C37 quickly attracted experts in antique aircraft restoration, maintenance, and flight.

When museum founders Al and Lois Kelch needed a home base airport for their collection, they knew Brodhead was the perfect place, with expert mechanics on the field, spacious grass runways friendly to vintage airplanes, and plenty of room to grow. We are proud to operate the museum directly adjacent to the Brodhead Airport. 

Yep! A group of volunteer pilots operate the aircraft as often as possible, while museum’s mechanics keep our collection in airworthy condition. 

Every aircraft operating in the USA must undergo an extensive inspection by a federally licensed mechanic every 12 months. This ensures every little detail is in safe condition for flight, regardless of how old or new the plane may be.

Although the museum’s aircraft are 90+ years old, all parts that undergo stress or wear-and-tear are replaced with new parts whenever necessary. Many of our aircraft have been restored “from the ground up” more than once since they were new.

The museum does not offer flight instruction, but we love to share resources to connect you with whatever aviation opportunity you are looking for!

We also host ground school classes, flight simulator courses, and Young Eagles rallies. Check our events calendar or contact us to get more information!

The museum does not sell airplane rides. 

We do occasionally help arrange free rides for youth and veterans under some circumstances, and operate museum aircraft at Young Eagles rallies. 

For youth ages 7 to 18, the Young Eagles program is a national program to offer kids flight instruction and free first flights. You can find a group local to you on the Young Eagles website. 

Wow, thank you! Email us at info@kelchmuseum.org to tell us more about the item you wish to donate! 

Note about book donations: Our library focuses strictly on publications from or about the years 1903-1945, and we do not accept items that fall outside our focus. In some cases, we are able to connect you to a different museum or organization that is a better fit, however, so feel free to reach out! 

Do you visit classrooms?

Yes. Our education team travels to schools and educational events in the Southern Wisconsin area, for ages K-12. We also offer traveling history and aircraft presentations for adult learners, popular with EAA Chapters and historical societies.

Yes. Our current available options include:

• History of Airmail Beacon Towers in Wisconsin (presentation for adults): An in-depth look at how the development of airmail routes in the 1920s and 1930s shaped airline travel, local culture, and even modern transportation. 
• The Golden Age of Aviation and the Kelch Aviation Museum (presentation for adults): An introduction to the museum, our collection, and just what makes this era of US civil aviation so very special.
• Aviation History, Science, and Fun (display & activity booth for all ages): Perfect for STEM events, airshows, family festivals, and more, our team has curated a mix of hands-on activities, information, and museum display items to showcase the museum on the road.

More projects are always in the works. Aircraft and vintage cars are occasionally available to fly/drive to events. Please email us at info@kelchmuseum.org to schedule something!

Email us at info@kelchmuseum.org! We love to hear what our visitors want to see – it is, after all, YOUR museum, funded by YOU. Please note, we cannot make all ideas happen, or accommodate all requests, but we always do our best. 

Check our our videos on Youtube:

• Virtual Museum Tours
• Aircraft in flight

And be sure to explore our links and resources pages, which include many activities and national organizations who may have facilities near you.

Need more answers?

Contact us and ask! Fill out the form below or call 608-897-1175.