A new interactive exhibit inspired by the tools and tasks of airplanes and flying mixes real artifacts with hands-on imaginative play to let visitors of all ages imagine themselves as future aviators, inspired by stories from the past.
Aim High: Soaring with the Tuskegee Airmen Exhibition opens at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on Saturday, September 20, created by the Children's Museum in partnership with Hosanna House, Inc. Inspired by the vision of Hosanna House Founding CEO and President Leon E. Haynes, III to make career possibilities in the field of aviation accessible to more people, this traveling exhibit honors the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen by exploring STEAM concepts and aviation themes through the lens of the pioneering group.
“We’re thrilled to introduce this exhibit and the opportunities it offers for informal learning in aviation and aeronautics,“ says Jane Werner, Executive Director of Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. “It’s a particularly exciting time as Pittsburgh opens a new state-of-the-art terminal that will serve as a gateway to this great, family-friendly city.”
The Aim High exhibit includes the Black Wings, American Dreams of Flight exhibit featuring a series of historic artifacts that tell the story of how African Americans, despite facing racial barriers, attained great achievements in the world of aviation. Black Wings, American Dreams of Flight is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
“Launching this exhibit with our partner has and will continue to expand the world of possibilities for the children and families we serve,“ says Leon E. Haynes, III. “We believe in the importance of sharing historical figures so children can see themselves in these roles – an industry with expected high unmet demand and quality jobs.“
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Hands-on experiences in Aim High: Soaring with the Tuskegee AirmenExhibition include:
- Cockpit Flight Trainer: Step into the role of flight captain in the Cockpit Flight Trainer, where you get a pilot’s vantage point complete with control panel, flight videos and a row of actual seats
- Plane and Rocket Building & Launching: Build your own paper airplane or rocket, then use the launcher to fire it through the air to hit the bullseye
- Imagination Mirrors: Try on costumes from various aviation fields, then stand in front of an interactive mirror and interact with flying airplanes in your chosen role
- Land the Plane Maze: Tilt a large table maze inspired by air traffic control radar to avoid obstacles and guide your “plane” to a safe destination on the landing strip
- Wearable Wings: Build a pair of airplane wings or an entire rocket ship to wear, then imagine you’re flying through the sky
- Things that Fly Praxinoscpe: Make illustrations of things that fly come to life around a spinning column using this early form of animation
The exhibit is a continuation of the long-standing partnership between the Children’s Museum and Hosanna House to bring museum experiences to the families it serves. This includes creating a Community Museum at Hosanna House in 2015, and the Center for Aviation Technology and Training (CATT) at its Sherwood Event Center in 2022.
Aim High: Soaring with the Tuskegee Airmen is presented in Pittsburgh by PPG Foundation. It will be on display at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh through January 4, 2026.
”We’re proud to support this exhibit and work with the Children’s Museum to create opportunities for young visitors to explore, imagine and discover through hands-on learning,” says Malesia Dunn, Executive Director of PPG Foundation. ”As PPG brings aerospace coatings innovation to our skies, we know the next generation of leaders in this industry are benefiting from this interactive learning experience.”
Black Wings, American Dreams of Flight is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and is made possible by the generous support of MetLife Foundation.
