America's Best Museums to Celebrate National Aviation History Month

November is National Aviation History Month, a time to reflect, explore and celebrate just how far we've come when it comes to conquering gravity. Those hoping to participate before the month is up won't want to miss these 12 aviation museums.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. boasts a variety of exciting exhibits, including America by Air, which explores the history of air transportation in the U.S., revealing how the federal government has shaped the airline industry, how technological improvements have revolutionized air travel and how the overall flying experience has changed over the years.

The National Air and Space Museum's companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in nearby Chantilly, Virginia, features intriguing exhibitions, science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) labs, a restoration hangar, IMAX Theater, science demonstrations and interactive flight simulators.

Housed inside the former Ford Building in San Diego's Balboa Park, this aviation museum showcases an impressive collection of aircraft, including reproductions of the 1901 and 1902 Wright Gliders developed by the Wright Brothers more than a century ago.

New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is home to the Concorde "Alpha Delta" that set a world's speed record for passenger airliners in 1996 when it flew from New York to London in under three hours.

Tucson's Pima Air & Space Museum is home to hundreds of aircraft spread over dozens of acres. One of the largest non-government funded aerospace museums anywhere in the world, it's also home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Aviation Museum can trace its roots back to the 1950s when EAA began in Milwaukee as a local club for those who built and restored their own aircraft. Today, it boasts more than 200,000 members and remains committed to growing participation in aviation.

Pensacola's National Naval Aviation Museum is the world's largest naval aviation museum and one of the most-visited museums in Florida. Visitors will discover more than 150 restored aircraft displayed inside the museum's nearly 350,000 square feet of exhibit space as well as outside throughout its 37-acre grounds.

Ranked among the top air museums in the world by CNN Travel, the Palm Springs Air Museum offers one of the world's largest collections of flying World War II warplanes. Visit November 17 to attend the seventh annual Props & Hops event featuring aircraft rides, live music, food trucks and over two dozen craft breweries.

Visitors to Denver this November will want to stop into the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum to see dozens of iconic aircraft as well as some of the country's most realistic flight simulators.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules known as "Spruce Goose" is one of several notable aircraft guests will discover at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. Located about an hour southwest of Portland in McMinnville, Oregon, this museum features one-of-a-kind exhibits celebrating the lives of pilots, innovators and veterans who have helped pioneer flight.

The Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California is less than an hour drive east of downtown Los Angeles and is open daily in November with the exception of Thanksgiving. Veterans are admitted free on Veterans Day (November 11) and November 17 marks the 12th annual "Taste of Flight" Gala.

Michigan's Air Zoo is an aviation museum that kids will absolutely love. In addition to fascinating exhibits and more than 50 fixed and rotary wing aircraft on display, the Air Zoo features a slew of rides and activities, including a 26-foot indoor Ferris wheel, 3D full-motion flight simulators and an upgraded theater.