37 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Hickory Aviation Museum opens new space to crowd of 3,000+
A Blue Angels airplane is on display at the new Hickory Aviation Museum.
Members of the Kirby family hug after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Hickory Aviation Museum on May 15.
Margaret Pierce looks at pictures and letters on display at the Hickory Aviation Museum.
The Hickory Aviation Museum on opening day, May 16.
People who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Hickory Aviation Museum explore the museum.
CATAWBA COUNTY
In 1944, a number of organizations came together in Hickory to open an emergency hospital for polio patients. The mobilization of the hospital, which happened in about 54 hours, came to be known as "The Miracle of Hickory."
On May 15 this year, former Hickory Mayor Jeff Cline paid homage to that history as he stood in the new Hickory Aviation Museum building and talked about the vision of Kyle and Kregg Kirby, brothers who started the Hickory Aviation Museum.
"These guys were made out of the right stuff," Cline said, talking about the Kirbys in front of an audience of about 300 people at a preview event before the museum opened. "They had courage and vision and imagination and excitement and perseverance. Over the years, as they brought in other airplanes, they inspired an entire community who believed the city of Hickory could have an aviation museum."
"Welcome to the new miracle of Hickory," Cline said as he concluded his speech.
The Hickory Aviation Museum opened its new space to the public on Saturday, May 16. According to a social media post by the museum, more than 3,500 people visited on opening day.
A larger, more open museum had been considered since brothers Kyle and Kregg Kirby had the idea to start an aviation museum more than 30 years ago.
After the event on Friday, Kregg Kirby said he was emotional about the new museum.
"It's a good day, it finally got here," Kregg Kirby said. "It's been 37 years since the first phone call, but it's worth it. I hope everybody enjoys the outcome."
Planes and other aviation memorabilia belonging to the museum were previously featured in a smaller space at the Hickory Regional Airport terminal building. At the airport, all of the planes were outside the building.
The new 53,000-squarefoot museum has room for all of the museum's planes to be housed inside. As of May 2026, the museum has 16 planes in its collection and plans to add more.
The museum features military planes that were used across different time periods, from World War II to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s.
The museum does more than allow people to see military planes up close. It also honors the history of pilots.
Glass cases throughout the museum contain letters, equipment and pictures of former pilots. Many of those people featured in the museum are from the Catawba County area or have connections to people who work or volunteer with the museum.
There is also a wall of honor that features the stories of about 50 people who served in the military.
The building that houses the museum will be shared with Catawba Valley Community College and, possibly, a restaurant. The building is owned by the city of Hickory and was funded by a state grant and public and private investments. The cost of constructing the building was about $24 million.
Catawba Valley will use the space for training students on aircraft and marine maintenance as well as simulators to prepare students who want to work in public safety jobs. Catawba Valley's space will be known as the Dale Earnhardt Regional Innovation Complex.
The Dale Earnhardt Foundation planned to contribute about $1.85 million to the community college, according to a 2024 tax filing. The foundation reported a $600,000 donation in 2024 and approved an additional future donation in the amount of $1,247,540. Catawba Valley did not confirm if this donation was for the innovation complex.
In a press release from Catawba Valley Community College about the innovation center, Teresa Earnhardt, representing the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, explained why the foundation donated to the community college.
"CVCC's Regional Innovation Complex truly honors Dale's legacy as a champion of the working class. This facility reflects who he was at his core — someone who believed in hard work, hands-on learning, and creating opportunities for others. Dale began his career as a welder inside tanker trucks and understood firsthand the value of skilled trades," Teresa Earnhardt said, according to the press release.
Spaces for a restaurant and offices are for lease on the top floor of the building. Hickory Deputy City Manager Rodney Miller said as of May 15, the city was still searching for restaurant and office tenants. The restaurant and office space offer views of Hickory Regional Airport and mountains in the distance.
Hickory Aviation Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.
Admission to the museum is free for children under the age of 12, people older than 64 years old and active-duty military and veterans. Admission for people between the ages of 13 and 64 is $10.
For more information, visit hickoryaviation museum.org.
Billy Chapman is a reporter with the Hickory Daily Record. wchapman@hickoryrecord.com
