Skip to content
Byway
Museum · New York

National Soaring Museum

National Soaring Museum, a museum in New York
National Soaring Museum, a museum in New YorkOrthos · CC0

National Soaring Museum is a museum in New York, at a modelled elevation of 520 m. Tower Hill stands 715 m to the south-southwest, 16 miles off. The nearest named place is Harris Hill Park, a park 0.6 miles away. Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway passes 30 miles off.

About

The story

The National Soaring Museum (NSM) is an aviation museum in the USA whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located in Big Flats Town, New York, at Harris Hill near Elmira. The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's official repository. In 1975, the SSA Board of Directors transferred the Soaring Hall of Fame to the National Soaring Museum. The museum features a large collection of vintage and historical gliders. The museum also administers the National Landmark of Soaring program to recognize people, places and events which are significant in the history of motorless aviation.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dates from 1969.

Wikidata Q1696178, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

Visiting

What to expect

Fee
Yes

Official site

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates42.12178, -76.90111
Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
  • Harris Hill Park: 0.6 mi
  • Big Flats Community Park: 1.7 mi
  • Sperr Memorial Park: 1.8 mi
  • Hillview Park: 3.0 mi
  • Fawn Acres: 3.0 mi
Peaks
Nature reserves: 21
Historic sites: 20
  • Soaring Capital of America: 2.4 mi
  • Preemption Line: 3.3 mi
  • Confederate Monument: 3.8 mi
  • Shohola Monument: 3.9 mi
  • DL&W RR Passenger Station foundation: 5.1 mi
Museums: 13
Artworks: 10
Waterfalls: 7
  • Shequaga Falls: 15.6 mi
  • Deckertown Falls: 15.8 mi
  • Aunt Sarah's Falls: 16.1 mi
  • Rainbow Falls: 17.4 mi
  • Rainbow Falls: 17.4 mi
Attractions: 4
Rest areas: 3
Cliffs: 2
Picnic sites: 1
  • Round Top Recreation Area: 22.3 mi
Springs: 1
  • Railroad Springs: 24.5 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 16.1 miles of National Soaring Museum. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Tower HillSSW 201°715 m15.7 mi
Buck MountainSSW 194°638 m14.6 mi
Gobblers KnobSW 215°592 m12.0 mi
Quackenbush HillNW 318°580 m6.1 mi
Martin HillN 349°579 m7.8 mi
Saxtons KnobS 179°576 m15.2 mi
Townley HillNNW 342°574 m7.6 mi
Thompson HillSSE 153°573 m14.2 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:1218:4319:20
June solstice05:3220:0520:48
September equinox06:5618:3019:07
December solstice07:3315:5416:39

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F252735465766706961503931
Precip in1.71.32.42.83.03.53.43.63.53.02.22.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Elmira Corning Rgnl AP, 2 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element way/307454471

More museums in New York

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Plan a driveMore museums
Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to National Soaring Museum.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens