B-29 Museum Inc.: Our Vision

B-29 Museum Inc. organization continuously monitors its purpose to align itself with the community it serves. The vision portrayed as follows is not necessarily fixed. Rather, it demonstrates a range of possibilities proposed during our planning process.

This vision may adjust as a result of the perceptions and feedback of the volunteers who are part of B-29 Museum Inc. It will certainly be changed and improved as needed by incorporating insightful group discoveries and individual inspirations.

Imagine in the year 2019...

B-29 Musium Inc. is an integral part of our local community, with a positive role in the economic affairs of Pratt County. Daily visitors arrive from local and remote locations via intersecting State hi-ways, and from the world via our adjacent Airport . People of all ages and interests are welcomed by helpful volunteers and staff, offering directions and information about how to experience our historical structures and displays.

Many of the historic structures, such as the Bombers On The Prairie Museum housed in the “Parachute Building”, look and feel as they did in 1944. Construction has been accomplished in accordance with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Building interiors have been renovated for new uses to meet the mission and to accommodate programs, and in accordance with the Organization’s commitment to sustainability. New construction on the site is in keeping with the character of the Pratt All Veterans Memorial Complex and compliant with the Pratt Airport Authority standards.

The Norden Bomb Vaults are restored to near original condition along with a full scale model of a Link Celestial Navigation Training Tower which are part of a walking tour connected by trails to the Museum and to the Memorial grounds which invites visitors to explore, reflect, learn about and to enjoy the Complex.

An Education Center, constructed adjacent to the Museum and named for the sponsors or donors who provided key support for the project, welcomes visitors from around the world. The Center is a nationally respected institution containing resources for accessing and studying the history and experience of the Kansas Army Air Fields in WW II. The Museum and Education Center will become THE place to preserve this story for future generations and to explore and experience this story firsthand. The Museum and Education Center shares its mission with the world via Internet and other technologies.

The Museum will have historical exhibits of stories, photos, videos, and other memorabilia relevant to the WW II Kansas Army Air Fields. It regularly shares its archives with other Museums, researchers and the public.

Educational programs and activities promote objective historical accounts and subjective veteran remembrances for achieving a robust understanding of our military heritage. Visiting scholars engage with the local community to highlight the mission and values of the B-29 Museum Inc. organization.

The Museum and Education Center is a well-used and enjoyed community center with a full schedule of Bomb Group reunions, aviation group Fly-Ins and historical celebrations. The Organization will regularly participate in regional and national events such Kansas Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The site is available as a gathering place to residents of the City of Pratt and Pratt County.

The Complex is part of a history tour of Kansas Army Air Fields including Great Bend, Russell, Herington and Smoky Hill (Salina) even extending into bordering Nebraska at McCook.

B-29 Museum Inc. collaborates with the Pratt and Skyline School Districts and other Kansas schools, educating young people about local history of the Pratt Army Air Field. The program builds pride in their heritage.

Local volunteers play an integral role by acting as guides, hosts, research assistants, working in the Museum, maintaining the grounds, serving on committees and filling leadership positions.

A dedicated board of directors reflects both the Organization's local focus and its global mission, governing with wisdom and a high level of activity.

A skilled, knowledgeable, compensated staff led by an experienced, dedicated executive curator/director, manages programs and activities in accordance with the mission of the Organization.

The Organization generates a steady flow of earned income from program and admission fees; space rental and reunion accommodations; sales of books, videos and other souvenirs in the Museum gift shop.

A mix of individual gifts, corporate and foundation funding and government grants and contracts supports restoration and renovation of the historic structures and supplements program costs.

An endowment is in place, providing interest income and security for the future.