The main entrance of the museum is through the original terminal building for the Colorado Springs Airport, built in 1941 for the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. This building houses a small number of exhibits mainly focusing on the base's World War II history as a training ground for the
14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, including a tribute to 1st Lt. Edward J. Peterson, for whom the base was named after a fatal crash. The building also houses an introductory screening room and museum store. The rear exit of the building leads to the Air Park, where the majority of the museum's aircraft are on display. Of these, the EC-121 Warning Star is the only one open for tours. Nearby is a
Medal of Honor memorial. There are two hangars also in the courtyard that have been converted into museum buildings. One was formerly used by
the Broadmoor hotel for aircraft storage and transportation of clientele, and is now used as an archival and administrative building for museum personnel; this building is not open to the public, but a proposal has been put forward to convert it into more exhibit space. The other was used for public transportation by the original municipal airport and currently houses the majority of exhibits on the museum grounds. These exhibits include: • Displays on the air warning mission of the Air Defense Command during the cold war • Decommissioned computer equipment from the
Cheyenne Mountain Complex • A
Peacekeeper payload shroud • A Mk. 21
re-entry vehicle for a
thermonuclear weapon • A training simulator for a Peacekeeper
missile launch control center • An exhibit related to the
460th Space Wing, featuring a
Vela satellite and a mock-up of a
Defense Support Program satellite. • Space Control displays including interactive kiosks on the role of the space and missile warning missions of Air Force Space Command • Nuclear Hotline Telephone Dating to the
Cold War which started the
NORAD Tracks Santa Program. ==Aircraft on display==