The 1940 Air Terminal Museum

Phase I: The North Wing

General Contractor - Tribble & Stephens
Architect - Howard Hill
Engineer - Richard Burr

Timeline | Photo Gallery | Naming Opportunities | Major Benefactors | Phase II

Phase I is completed!

Phase I of the effort to save the 1940 Air Terminal was completed in January, 2004 with the opening of the North Wing to the public. It was an exciting and challenging process that was documented on our News page. Click here to read about the process of bringing a lovely, historic building back to life.

The Stone Floor in the Atrium Comes Back to Life!

Although the limestone and granite floor in the Atrium of the Houston Municipal Airport Terminal was covered with dirt and debris for over 30 years, it is in remarkably good condition. The Atrium is scheduled to be restored and opened to the public during Phase II of the construction and restoration project. To give us a preview of what the entire floor would look like once it was restored, a small section was cleaned and polished. Prior to the museum's opening in January 2004, the entire floor was cleaned and polished. Now, it sparkles and looks spectacular! Click here to see the floorplan.

A cleaned and polished section of the Atrium's stone floor.A cleaned and polished section of the Atrium's marble floor.

Restoration of the North Wing included extensive window repairs. Although Phase 1 of the restoration focused primarily on the rehabilitation of the North Wing and opening the museum to the public, we also stabilized and preserved as much of the rest of the Houston Municipal Airport Terminal as possible for later restoration. Over the years, leaks in the roof and windows have allowed water to seep into the building and accelerate its deterioration. To halt the process, we repaired the entire roof and sealed the windows. Fortunately, most of the window panes were intact and unbroken. Rather than removing and replacing the windows, the construction team explored an innovative approach of carefully sealing and repainting each pane.

A window prior to restoration.A window after sealing and painting.

Left (above and below): Most of the window frames were leaky and rusted.
Right (above and below): Sealing and repainting puts a fresh face on windows that were originally installed in 1940.

A window prior to restoration.A window after sealing and painting.

The asbestos abatement of the North Wing was dramatic! (See the photos...)

The Eastern Airlines ticket counter area before asbestos abatement.The Eastern Airlines ticket counter area after asbestos abatement.

The Eastern Airlines ticket counter area before and after asbestos abatement.
Doorways and windows that had been framed in, painted or plastered over have been removed to reveal the 1940 Air Terminal's unique architectural character.

Phase I: The North Wing

The first phase of the 1940 Air Terminal Museum included the initial restoration of the North Wing of the Houston Municipal Air Terminal.

Left: The floorplan for the North Wing of the 1940 Air Terminal Museum. The Entry and Gift Shop are located at the site of the original Braniff and Eastern Airlines ticket counters. Aviation photographs, art and memorabilia are displayed in the Hall of Flight. The Galleries house exhibits of the museum's growing collection of aviation artifacts. The Weather Bureau offer visitors an educational overview of the historical relationship between weather and aviation. The Starliner Theater showcases video presentations about the history of flight as well as provides meeting and exhibit space.

The North Wing of the Terminal currently houses the museum's rapidly growing collection and gift shop and serves as the museum's base of operations while completing fundraising and restoration of the rest of the building.

The first phase of restoration is complete. The 1940 Air Terminal Museum opened to the public in January 2004 and is staffed by volunteer docents and guides.

Phase 2: Completing the Restoration. The second phase of the project will restore the balance of the terminal building, develop an Aviation Heritage Park along a new drive from the terminal to Telephone Road, and complete the museum. Click here to learn more about Phase 2.

Right: A site plan for the 1940 Air Terminal Museum, featuring a Douglas DC-6 on static display in the parking area.

Below: The current floor plan for the entire first floor of the 1940 Air Terminal Museum. Phase I restored the North Wing (on the left), and Phase II will complete the Atrium (center) and the South Wing (on the right) as well as the rest of the building.