(L-0016) In May 1920, just five months after he flew that first airmail flight in and out of Iowa City, Walter J. Smith, had the privilege of flying a live 10-pound piglet – an Iowa hog – to be served at a banquet at the Congress Hotel in Chicago! This 1953 article from The Press-Citizen covered the 1920 Iowa City pig story – but got the date wrong. mail and a slab of beef needed for a big Omaha banquet honoring General John Pershing (above left). The museum is on 15 acres on the north end of the Sioux Gateway Airport, just east of the Missouri River.(P-0339c) Ten days later – on Janu– Iowa City became the only stop during the very first air mail flight between Chicago and Omaha – transporting 400 pounds of U.S. The MAMAT is also home to a retired cargo plane donated by Fed Ex that serves the location for Tennis Shoes on the Tarmac which is a day camp to teach children about STEM. This exhibit takes its visitors back to a time where the food served on a plane was prepared at the airport, when first-class guests were served on gold-trimmed plates and second-class guests had silver-trimmed plates. To celebrate the 25 th anniversary of the crash, a garden and exhibit were created and open houses are held every year to remember the crash.Īmong the other exhibits at the museum is a United Airlines Boeing 727-100 cockpit that shows visitors the luxury of commercial air travel in the 1960s. The entire community worked together to save 184 of the 296 passengers.

On July 19, 1989, Flight 232 going from Denver to Chicago carrying 296 people suffered a major hydraulic system failure and emergency landed in the Sioux Gateway Airfield.

Car shows, pancake feeds, dances, STEM camps for kids are just a few of the events the museum hosts annually. With a strong connection to the community, this museum holds a variety of events throughout the year. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, the Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation celebrates the history of flight and transportation in the heartland.

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