In 1982, a group of aviation enthusiasts led by Norm Wingler established the
Gooney Bird Chapter of the
Heritage in Flight Museum with the goal of acquiring and restoring a
Douglas DC-3. However, due to legal and financial concerns the chapter decided to form the independent
Prairie Aviation Museum in 1983. The following year, the museum purchased a
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper at an auction in
Rockdale, Texas and flew it back to Indiana. To complement the new acquisition, construction began on a building in 1988. The museum opened a new exhibit featuring oral history interviews with World War II veterans in 1995. The museum's C-53 was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The historic designation was intended to help the museum qualify for funds that could be used to construct a new building. The museum opened a
Challenger Learning Center in the former airport terminal in 2003, but was forced to transfer operations to the
Heartland Community College due to a financial shortfall. Further complications ensued and in 2009 the museum was forced to sell its DC-3, as it could no longer afford to maintain it in airworthy condition. The museum again began developing a focus on space in 2010 and as part of this effort renovated the building in 2015. == Exhibits ==