The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an
aviation museum
An aviation museum, air museum, or air and space museum is a museum exhibiting the history and cultural artifacts, artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual, replica or accurate reproduction aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, P ...
whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near
Elmira, New York
Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 cens ...
, United States.
The NSM is the
Soaring Society of America
The Soaring Society of America (SSA) was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of soaring in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw–Hill Building on February 20, 1932. ...
's official repository. In 1975, the SSA Board of Directors transferred the
Soaring Hall of Fame The Soaring Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made the highest achievements in, or contributions to, the sport of soaring in the United States of America. It has been located at the National Soaring Museum in Elmira, New York, since 19 ...
to the National Soaring Museum.
The museum features a large collection of vintage and historical gliders.
The museum also administers the
National Landmark of Soaring The National Landmark of Soaring program acknowledges people, places and events significant in the history of gliders and motorless aviation in the United States.
It is administered by the National Soaring Museum
The National Soaring Museum (NSM) ...
program to recognize people, places and events which are significant in the history of motorless aviation.
History
Elmira and Harris Hill have long been associated with soaring in the USA. The establishment of the nation's most prolific glider manufacturer,
Schweizer Aircraft
The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation was an American manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads, New York. It was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers (Paul, William, and Ernest), who bui ...
in Elmira and the holding of first 13 National Soaring Contests at the site between 1930 and 1946 guaranteed its stature as a location.
During the US National Soaring Contests in the 1950s competitors and organizers discussed the concept of a national soaring museum. A local Elmira museum at Strathmont Estates featured a display on the subject at the time.
In the 1960s, the gliding segment of this small collection was moved to Harris Hill as a result of the work of the Harris Hill Soaring Corporation and Schweizer Aircraft co-founder
Paul A. Schweizer.
By 1969 the Soaring Society of America had earmarked Harris Hill as the location for the future National Soaring Museum. The museum was established as an independent nonprofit corporation. The New York State Department of Education chartered the museum as a non-profit educational institution in 1972.
The museum replaced its original fire-damaged building in 1979 with a new facility. In 1989 an addition of was completed and in 1993 a Collections Annex was completed.
The presence of the NSM at Harris Hill was instrumental in convincing the
National Warplane Museum
The National Warplane Museum is a warbird and military history museum currently located on the grounds of the Geneseo Airport in Geneseo, New York. Founded in 1994, the museum restores, flies, and displays vintage military aircraft from the Second ...
, now called
Wings of Eagles to move to the area in 1997. Along with the nearby
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a transportation museum in Hammondsport, New York with a focus on the early aviator Glenn H. Curtiss. The 60,000 square foot facility has a collection of aircraft, vintage motorcycles, automobiles, and aircraft eng ...
in
Hammondsport, New York
Hammondsport is a village at the south end of Keuka Lake, in Steuben County, one of the Finger Lakes of New York, United States.
The Village of Hammondsport is in the Town of Urbana and is northeast of Bath.
History
Lazarus Hammond founded ...
, these three aviation history museums are major tourist draws to the Elmira region.
In 2013 the original Warren E. Eaton Motorless Flight Facility was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
Collection
The NSM collection includes:
See also
*
List of aerospace museums
This is a list of aviation museums and museums that contain significant aerospace-related exhibits throughout the world. The aviation museums are listed alphabetically by country and their article name.
Afghanistan
* OMAR Mine Museum, Kabul - inc ...
*
List of gliders
This is a list of gliders/sailplanes of the world, (this reference lists all gliders with references, where available)
Note: Any aircraft can glide for a short time, but gliders are designed to glide for longer.
By nationality
*List of Americ ...
*
References
External links
National Soaring Museum website
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Aerospace museums in New York (state)
Gliding in the United States
Museums established in 1969
1969 establishments in New York (state)
Museums in Chemung County, New York
Transportation buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Chemung County, New York
Airports on the National Register of Historic Places