Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum

On October 28th, the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation, in partnership with the City of Irvine, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, which is being built at the Great Park.

The now-under-construction 131,000 square-foot aviation museum — located on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro (MCAS El Toro) — is set to open in spring 2027.

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum was originally established at MCAS El Toro in 1989, as a tribute to the history and legacy of Marine Corps aviation.

After MCAS El Toro was closed in 1999, the aviation museum was relocated to MCAS Miramar in San Diego. In 2021, MCAS Miramar announced it was no longer able to host the museum due to federal budget cuts. With broad community support, the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation was able to raise the necessary funding to return the museum to its original home at the former MCAS El Toro, which is now the Great Park.

When the museum opens in 2027, it will include a collection of more than 40 restored aircraft and many related artifacts — representing over eight decades of Marine Corps aviation, from World War II to the present.

The museum will also feature stories of aviators, veterans, and civilians whose lives intersected with MCAS El Toro. In addition, the facility will offer STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) programs for local students. And a research library will be built — featuring books, photos, and materials related to Marine Corps aviation and its history.

Irvine Mayor Larry Agran and Great Park Chair & Irvine Councilmember Mike Carroll have spent the past several years working together to make sure the aviation museum was able to return to its original home here in Irvine.

“As a longtime proponent of preserving the history of the former Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro and honoring those who have served in the military, the groundbreaking ceremony was nothing short of remarkable,” said Mayor Agran. “I’m so pleased and grateful to now see this important project coming to fruition.”

Councilmember Carroll echoed the Mayor’s sentiments, saying: “Seeing the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum come home to its original location and serve as a beacon of history, valor, and education is one of my proudest moments as the Chair of the Great Park Board.”

To learn more about the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, visit their website here.