Meet Amelia 

While she may look like the real deal, this lifelike portrayal of Amelia took over 1,000 combined hours of extensive research, artificial intelligence (AI) technology and cutting-edge computation to create. To bring this unique experience to life, our team used innovative technology that combines archival photos and videos with human talent to ensure this animated portrayal of Amelia was as charismatic, authentic, and realistic as possible.

Inside the gallery, the journey begins where Amelia began hers – as a young girl with a pioneering spirit and hunger for adventure. Real-life stories, audio interactives, digital kiosks and imagery tell the educational and comprehensive story of Amelia’s curious youth. Visitors can flip through a digital scrapbook, listen to accounts of Amelia’s relatives using an antique telephone, or read what some of her most famous friends had to say about the aviation pioneer.

After a young Amelia was told she couldn’t ride a roller coaster, she went home and built her own! Always seeking another thrilling adventure, Amelia experimented with her homemade roller coaster, making the appropriate adjustments to achieve a longer ride. A modern roller coaster, although much more complicated than Amelia’s roller coaster, sits on the gallery floor where visitors are encouraged to manually crank the cars up the track and watch them glide down and around for a visual lesson in physics and mechanics.

Cleared for Takeoff

A comprehensive timeline wall and 3D holograms illustrate the evolution and mechanical innovation of flight – all in comparison to Amelia’s life. Visitors can explore the ins and outs of two aircraft engines through a capacitive display. When participants touch one of the mounted engine pieces, an animated illustration will appear on the screen above to showcase how it functions. Ready to see it all in action? Press the button to watch and hear the engines roar! 

Put your precision and mechanical eye to the test in an interactive quest to restore Muriel. Players must use the prop rivet gun to hover over each blue “ice box rivet” until it turns white before moving to the next. Whoever secures the most rivets with the most precision wins.

Visitors can also crouch into the pilot’s seat inside an imitation Muriel cockpit equipped with flight controls to get a real sense of Amelia’s cramped flying quarters. Outside the flight deck is a real-life Garmin G1000 avionics suite and touchscreen dashboard where visitors can see the advancements since Amelia's era. The nearby "Feminine Feats” section features women in aviation who continue to prove their passion and conviction for flight.

ABOVE the Clouds

The hangar’s mezzanine puts you among the stars for further exploration through digital, visual and hands-on interactives. “Amelia’s Guiding Lights” unveils how Amelia's navigator, Fred Noonan, used constellations and celestial cues to navigate flight paths.

Visitors can learn and practice celestial navigation using a replica sextant, analyze different cloud and atmospheric layers, and get an up-close look at some of the authentic tech and tools of her time.

The mezzanine also explores the age-old question – what happened to Amelia on that fateful flight? Popular theories of her mysterious disappearance line the wall, ultimately leaving visitors to vote in real time on which theory they believe using the touchscreen monitor.

Fly Like Amelia

Finally, visitors can put their flying skills to the test in a virtual reality (VR) flight experience. Each station is equipped with two steering yokes and VR headsets. Players embark on a digital yet lifelike flight path of Amelia’s, piloting to either land successfully in Paris, France or reroute to Derry, Ireland. 

The journey concludes inside the museum’s mini theater, where closing video channels AEHM’s key message of inspiration, dedication and perseverance. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to dream big, challenge the status quo, and reach for the sky – just as Amelia did.

Learn Through Play

DI wanted the museum not only to be innovative and inspiring, but also historically accurate and educational with an emphasis on STEM disciplines. We worked alongside Turnkey Education to collaborate with student and teacher focus groups to better understand how the museum could engage students of all ages, particularly those in remote, rural communities while meeting National Curriculum, Kansas Curriculum and Missouri Standards of Learning.

As a result, two teacher resource documents are available pre-visit. Every element of the museum is designed to be a fun and academic experience that takes students’ knowledge of flight and dreams of possibility in their own lives to new heights – an opportunity they can’t get inside the classroom. 

Utilizing virtual reality, hands-on learning, interactive games and more, the museum’s blend of immersive exhibits transcends the typical educational experience. It draws visitors into Amelia’s bold world of exploration, curiosity and wonder for an adventure they’ll never forget.

Learn more about children's educational spaces, immersive technology and hands-on interactives.