History lessons soar to new heights with the Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s Tuskegee Airmen exhibit
By Emily McLeod
Click here for updates on this story
ATLANTA (WUPA) — History is coming to life with the new exhibit, “Aim High: Soaring With The Tuskegee Airmen,” at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
This Black History Month, kids and adults are learning more about the trailblazers who became the first Black military aviators in the United States Armed Forces.
Atlanta is the exhibit’s first stop in 2026 as it travels the country. Not only is it teaching kids more about the Tuskegee Airmen, it’s also inspiring kids to dream big.
Josiah was one of the dozens of students at Marietta’s Lockheed Elementary School who visited the new exhibit on Friday.
The elementary school student’s favorite activity was building a paper plane, and he said one day he might like to build planes.
“It’s very fun, and if this was my house, I think I would literally want to stay here forever,” Josiah said.
The exhibit centers on the Tuskegee Airmen, who broke through barriers by becoming the first Black military aviators in the United States Armed Forces.
But this isn’t your typical history lesson. It’s full of interactive games and activities, giving kids the chance to immerse themselves in the world of aviation while learning about the airmen.
“The Tuskegee Airmen were these amazing pilots,” said Karen Kelly, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s director of exhibits and education. “They had to fight really hard to become a unit in the military during World War II. But once they got there, they were so motivated to succeed.”
Kelly said it’s an amazing story of perseverance and grit. She said exhibits like these give kids opportunities to explore new topics and learn new skills.
“So, as an example, just designing a paper airplane and seeing how far that goes, that’s math, that’s fine motor skills, that’s determination, and all of those things are great to have in school and in life,” Kelly said.
Some of the other activities at the exhibit include:
Cockpit Flight Trainer: Step inside a life-size cockpit complete with real airplane seats and immersive video views of takeoff and landing, designed for dramatic play. Things That Fly Praxinoscope: Discover an early form of animation as images of flying objects come to life through rotating visuals. Land the Plane Maze: Inspired by air traffic control radar, children guide a plane safely to its landing strip using balance and coordination. Imagination Mirrors: Pressure-activated mirrors reveal images of aircraft, helping kids see themselves in aviation-related roles. Wearable Wings: Build and wear airplane wings or a rocket ship to imagine soaring through the sky. Additionally, a companion exhibit called “Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight” is at the museum at the same time.
This exhibit showcases the contributions of African Americans in aviation from the 1910’s all the way to today’s astronauts.
The exhibit will run through May 10 at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.