After acquiring Muriel, the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E—the same model Amelia Earhart piloted on her final flight—the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation realized a long-held vision: a first-of-its-kind museum dedicated to Earhart’s legacy.
Foundation leaders engaged Dimensional Innovations and DI Build, an award-winning experiential design, build and technology firm based in Kansas, to design a highly engaging, educational museum experience for visitors of all ages.
© Dimensional Innovations
Working with content partners Turnkey Education and Museum EXP, DI created the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, a technology-forward, educational and inspirational exhibit housed inside the Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas. The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum opened to the public in 2023.
Amelia Earhart disappeared on July 2, 1937, while attempting to become the first woman to complete a global circumnavigational flight. She was last seen in Papua New Guinea and vanished near Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. She was declared dead in absentia on January 5, 1939.
Inside the gallery, visitors can explore a digital scrapbook, listen to family recollections via an antique telephone prop, and read reminiscences from some of Earhart’s most notable acquaintances.
© Dimensional Innovations
A comprehensive timeline wall and three-dimensional holograms trace the evolution of flight alongside milestones in Earhart’s life, highlighting mechanical innovations and how aviation advanced during her era. Two aircraft engines are available for close inspection: when visitors touch a mounted component, an animated illustration appears on an overhead screen to demonstrate how that part functions.
Guests can sit in a recreated Muriel cockpit complete with flight controls to experience the cramped quarters Earhart flew in. Adjacent to the mock flight deck, a real Garmin G1000 avionics suite and touchscreen dashboard showcase the technological advances that followed Earhart’s time.
The hangar’s mezzanine gives visitors a celestial perspective through digital, visual and hands-on interactives. The exhibit “Amelia’s Guiding Lights” explains how navigator Fred Noonan used constellations and celestial cues to chart flight paths, offering an immersive look at historical navigation techniques.
© Dimensional Innovations
“Partnering with Dimensional Innovations on this state-of-the-art history and STEM museum allows us to present her life in ways never before experienced,” said Karen Seaberg, founder and president of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.
The mezzanine also addresses the enduring question: What happened on Earhart’s final flight? A timeline of disappearance theories lines the wall, and visitors can register their opinion in real time via a touchscreen voting station.
For a hands-on challenge, visitors can test their piloting skills in a virtual reality flight simulation. Each station includes two yokes and VR headsets. Participants follow a lifelike digital route inspired by Earhart’s flight plan, attempting to land successfully in Paris or reroute to Derry, Ireland.
A short orientation video helps prepare adults and children for the interactive elements of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, illustrating how visitors can engage with the exhibits.
Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (60+) and military, $8 for children ages 4–12, and free for children 3 and under. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.