Located at Gillespie Field. This museum has around 20 aircraft outside and two hangers with vintage aircraft, engines and models. The admission is $5 per person.

Found San Diego Areospace Museum on my way to Montgomery Field. I wanted to finally see that field in person. On April 1st 1993 Dave Rickards, a deejay at KGB-FM in San Diego, announced that the space shuttle Discovery had been diverted from Edwards Air Force Base and would land instead at Montgomery Field in a few hours (at 8:30 am). There was a large turn out of people. No space shuttles were even up at the time. I don't think anyone will ever top that April first prank. Here are some of my pictures from the San Diego Areospace Museum. I really liked walking around looking at everything here. There are small planes kids can ride on.. This was a great location find. I will be back here again soon.

In 1978, the San Diego Air & Space Museum was destroyed in a fire. That is when the Annex at Gillespie Field became a restoration, replica reproduction, and storage facility for the new San Diego Air & Space Museum that now stands in Balboa Park. Today, the San Diego Aerospace Museum at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, CA displays a small collection of Cold War era jets and other aircraft. They have the cutest little play airplanes for kids to pedal around on! I think our son tried out almost every single one. We also stood at the runway for about 20 minutes just watching planes take off and land. It was very entertaining and the jets are so loud. 📍335 Kenney St, El Cajon, CA 92020. The Annex is located on the north side of Gillespie Field. 🚙Free parking in lot 💰12 years and older is $5, 11 years and younger is FREE ⏰ Opened Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00AM-4:30PM 🧺Some picnic tables by the runway but they are in the direct sun with no shade 🦽Wheelchair accessible ☀️I highly recommend going as early as you can because there isn’t any shade outdoors and it gets hot quickly. 🕶Don’t forget your sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen!

I was there to see the S-3 Viking that was added to the display aircraft come in. I was in the Navy Reserves and to see the last flying S-3 come in was awesome. The ground crew and staff were welcoming as well. Can't wait to go back and see the S-3 again.

This is a great place to take your kids if they're interested in Aerospace stuff and airplanes. It is completely free, but you can leave a donation. The selection of aircraft is small, but they are of quality. They have lots of cockpits that one can sit in, and little airplane pedal vehicles that the kids can ride around in. All in all, it's a nice place to spend a couple of hours.

Small annex hangars used as a restoration site. Small selection of aircraft and helicopters. Went to see the F14 Tomcat that was used in TopnGun Maverick. Staff were friendly and informative. Only $5 entry fee, it's worth a visit.

This place is an absolute gem in Santee. Ever wonder what the rocket is you see near 67/52? That’s a red stone rocket on display. Great place for the kids to run free. Cool cockpits for them to play and have a blast. Anyone under 12 is free, $5 for anyone else. We go here all the time.

This is a must visit museum for any aviation geek. There are two large hangers of aircraft and a large flight line. While there are aircraft that you might see at other museums, there are several very rare aircraft, including the A2D skyshark, which is the only one left in the world. The museum also goes out of its way to make it fun for younger children the play around and learn so it's definitely fun for the whole family.

Such a fun place to go with the kids. They had an absolute blast there. There's a cockpit of an old Hawaiian Northwest airlines you can sit in. So many different Jets. The only issue is some deterioration on the paint. I'm sure it costs a fortune to maintain. We didn't have to pay any entrance fee, so that's a plus. We didn't notice a donation box either. Either way, definitely worth the stop.

The volunteers here put so much passion into the work they do here. Its amazing how much detail is put into every thing that is on display. Its a great place for all ages and guaranteed to learn something new. Truly amazing place to visit.

Always enjoy going here. It's free to get in! All age friendly with really cool ride-on toys for little ones. There's not a lot of planes, but they have cool ones. You can go there for 15 minutes or spend a few hours getting in depth. Right next to Gillespie Field so you can watch planes take off and land.

Most don't kjow it exist. Tom Cruise was filming here 9/18

Awesome place to see some rare aircraft and it's free

Really good place to look around.

A very nice place to see old aircraft

In addition to having a great collection of aircraft and equipment, the museum hosts temporary exhibits for months at a time, but also is in an interesting building with details overlooked by most visitors. Around the inner wall if the circular museum is a large mural depicting transportation through the history of civilization. Because the building was originally a Ford exhibition, the planter and fountain in the interior is arranged in the shape of the Ford V8, with levels of the fountain and lights shaped like valves in an engine. This is only the most public prom of the museum- aviation enthusiasts will want to ask about tours of the restoration shop in the basement, or make plans to visit the museum annex at Gillespie Field in El Cajon. The museum routinely updates exhibits with the rotation of airplanes and artifacts from the annex or storage (keep in mind this museum operates a functioning wind tunnel, maintaining a foot in the door to active industry- not open to the public, because the customers tend to be in competition with others throughout their industries), as well as different temporary special exhibits. For the casual visitor, there is a lot to see, but for an aviation/history enthusiast there is more than meets the eye- just ask volunteers, like the docents in their red blazers and they can share much more detail about just about anything you see.

I actually appreciated visiting the Gillespie Field location a lot more than the main museum. It's free, it's far less crowded (when we arrived we were the only visitors), there were a lot of neat displays, and we met some of the people who maintain the planes.

Great place to take the kids

Great place to view and touch old airplanes and engines and watch planes taking off and landing at Gillespie field.

Great place! Nice displays! Great and friendly people.

Some of the best People hang around this place Great community supporters, On behalf of the Dirty Bombs I want to thank you for all your help.

Great friendly place to enjoy the day and take in history!

This is where the work is done on airplanes and exhibits for the air and space museum. They restore aircraft here. For a person like me who likes to see how an airplane is put together, this is excellent. For someone who wants to look at planes, there are many of them parked outside that they can walk up to and look at.

I attend the San Diego model expo & swap meet. The bonus is the vintage aircraft.

Really enjoyed all the fabulous flying aircrafts! Can walk through in an hour, or spend many hours with all the reading info details on their plaques.

Great place to see military planes and a few other one of a kind aircraft. Nice engine collection too.

Lots of cool displays. Very kid friendly. The only museum I've ever been to that you're allowed to touch the exhibits.

Met there for a model show and swapmeet. Have been here a number of times. Great place. Kids would love it. Might even learn something from s generation that can build something.

Even though it's not huge it's a very enlightening Museum a lot of great old photographs and aircraft everything from a mid-24 to an F-14 to that Navy counter rotating aircraft that's on the website and the guy who is there I believe his name was Dan was very well informed and very nice and it's a hell of a deal for five bucks so enjoy

Great to look and planes especially engines of them

Really is a hidden little gem with some interesting hardware to look at. From the Atlas rocket out front to one of the very first vtol aircraft to amazing engine cutaways, it's all here. It's not curated very well, don't expect fancy displays or nice lighting (not even air conditioning!), But if you can do your own research there is a lot to see!

Perfect place for a weekend visit. The kids could push buttons on a retired plane and its loaded with history. A couple of dogs roam the grounds very friendly. Can't wait to come back

My grandkids, son and I really enjoyed it. It is free but make a donation for the restorations. And sit and enjoy the plane taking off and landing at Gillespie field

Super awesome and fun, I love it! Very educational and inspiring! And it's free!!

Small selection but good to look, interesting information, free.

If you are in the area definitely stop by. It is free so if you are not interested you won't lose any money. Interesting collection of planes and even an Atlas rocket. You can get as close as you want to the planes and touch them if you want. As a bonus, you are right next to an airport so you can watch planes take off and land the whole time.

This place may be small but it was so much fun to go to. It has so much San Diego history here. I loved it and will be back.

This is a hidden gem. It is basically the restoration hub for the San Diego Air and Space Museum and has planes that they can't display at the main museum. It's not as in depth ad the main museum but you can get up close and personal with some interesting airplanes. Great for kids too with little airplane tricycles to ride. And it's completely free!

Nice side visit if visiting San Diego and if you visited the main location in Balboa Park. This part of museum is where I believe they have the overflow and larger aircraft that doesn't fit in museum and where the restorations are done.

It is museum month and this was free to see. They only suggest donations. There is no pressure, no rush. Just a beautiful day with the planes. There is more outside than in the hangar.

I enjoyed it extremely. Lots of cool stuff to look at not to mention it was free. When I have some money I'll give a donation.

A total hidden gem. We spent a couple of hours looking at all of the history at this great place, and we had the privilege of speaking with a gentleman who had flown some of the planes here and lots of other during the Vietnam era. Super cool experience!

The curator I met was very awesome!!!

Some great static planes on display outside the inside of the building is incredible sometimes you'll come across people rebuilding antique planes I actually got to watch all right brother 2nd generation plane being put

(Translated by Google) very well (Original) Muy bien

Very good museum, and I also visited the smaller museum by the airport that was super quirky and awesome.

Grandson loved it!

These Air planes have been beautifully restored.

(Translated by Google) It is a place for my wonderful (Original) Es un lugar para mi maravilloso

Amazing place, super fun for kids!

Where is the f14???

Beautiful display items

This was lots of fun and free best of all

Really cool aerospace exhibits. Fun, entertaining, and educational

Sadly only drove by as I was pulling onto the airport to head to the hangar but looks awesome! I'll surely be stopping in for a walk around.

Close early

Gelispi Field location

Totally worth your time. They have tons of stuff for anyone interested in aircraft to enjoy. The aircraft are amazing to see up close and they have info cards for most of the display pieces. Totally recommend if you are at all interested in aircraft.